The Chain of Being

'The great chain of being' - this is what they call the hierarchical life structure  of humans, animals, plants. Humans on top, plants at the bottom, animals in the middle. Humans (except those with disabilities) can take care of themselves; not so animals, and certainly not plants.

I often think about that on my way to shopping at one of our local grocery stores, located on the edge of the town. To get there, I have to pass by a small park, a tiny garden for dogs, and a  bed of various flowers.

The park is for humans of all ages ; it has metal benches to sit on,  two  wooden tables and benches for picnics, gym devices, a water facility, tree shade (  across the street there's a children's playground too).

the park with the things enumerated above

gym devices

people with disabilities on wheelchairs and their caregivers in the park

two girls and a doggy

guy with dog on his way to the dog garden

Further on, a tiny dog garden. It is for dogs and their owners only. There's sand, playing devices for the dogs, a bench for the owners,  a water facility, a box with poop bags, fence . It is the owner who cares for his dog's various needs: gives it water, washes it, plays with it.. He's supposed to collect the poop, but not all of the dog owners do that. There was brown feces in several spots of the sand.

the little dog garden

dog between the fence and the water facility

box with poop bags

Nearby, there's a  beautiful  bed of flowers.
That's how I love the flowers, in their bed, not in our vases. The sight is, sometimes, pitiful. The spot , at the corner of the street, does have a water system, but I don't know how often it's operated by the gardener of the municipality. We won't have rain until winter, and the flowers need water. I hope they won't be  the little orphans in the great chain of being.

flower bed at the corner of the street