The crow park

So recently the city closed off the old soccer fields that I run past basically every time I go running to redo the street next to it as well as the park, which is a city block in size. This resulted in the farmer's market that had run on the street in question on Tuesday afternoons decamping six blocks south in something of a huff, and meant that the soccer fields and the block were closed off for at least a good six months. (It's hard to remember when anything started because with the drought we've been having we functionally have no seasons here. At any point in the year, almost, it can be either sunny or cloudy and in the 60s F in the morning when I'm running. Nor does my running outfit change meaningfully.) 

I do remember that they finished the project sometime around June, and though the street has reopened to traffic, the fields, now divided into a shiny baseball field with distance markers on the fences and everything, and what looks to be a barely-regulation size soccer field, have not. They are fenced off with chainlink fencing, and though the sprinklers go on at random intervals (I ran through them yesterday and was very sad they were only at waist height, because it was hot) I have never seen anyone inside. The city appears to have spent a lot of money building an elaborate crow playground, as the flock of crows that live in the area are the only creatures enjoying the new facilities.

It might not be Night Vale, but sometimes Berkeley comes close.