As a child in the 1950's I always looked forward to the trek to Lafayette's Columbian Park for Freedom Christian Church's annual Sunday School picnic (it was a rather long trip from Fountain County where my grandparents lived and attended church to Lafayette, Indiana). In the 1960's I enjoyed swimming in the big round pool when I visited my Aunt Claudine and Uncle Johnny Deerr in Lafayette during the summer months. Ben and I swam at the park when we were courting in the early 80's. This past week (September 2014), I took my mother (soon to be ninety) and my aunt (soon to be 88) to walk in the park and to visit the zoo (I think they also came to the park for Sunday School picnics in the 1930's and 40's). I cannot help but be amazed and proud at how well Columbian Park has been cared for and how it has prospered and grown through the years. A lot has changed. Many of the familiar landmarks of my childhood are gone - the circular slide, the Merry-Go-Round, the rides, the glider benches, Monkey Island, the paddle boats in the lagoons ... but the thoughtfully planned exhibit and recreational areas and beautiful landscaping and gardens make this park continue to be a wonderful resource not just for the people of Lafayette, Indiana but for the whole state.

These photos were taken with my Panasonic DMC camera. After I finished working with them in post-processing, they now appear more as paintings or drawings when viewed at larger sizes (which I like to make available to pull the viewer into the scene). For more of an idea of how to turn casual photos into "photo art" see my blog articles at http://www.secondlooks.blogspot.com.

Click on any image below to begin your gallery walk.