The park on Monday was free from Friday’s annoyances.  The wood anemone derby had a new leader.  The path-side plant had only 8 flowers; boneset had overgrown half of it.  The smaller plant made a spectacular show of 25 flowers.

Colin, the cowboy, told me that Saturday was even worse than Friday for noise.  Carole, the photographer, confirmed it.  Hers was the first dollar of the day, but she didn’t stick around to chat.  “It’s too hot,” she said.

An Australian man ran up to me while I sang “Fit as a Fiddle.”  He joined me in singing the final 8 bars, then gave me a fiver.  Moments later, he returned with his wife and kids for pictures.

A man from the benches gave me a dollar, followed by 2 hula-dancing walkaways.  The first was from India, a petite 20-something with coal-black eyes; the second from Indiana, a buxom blonde, who told me that she didn’t really know how to hula, but was a dancer and could fake it.

A mom from the east side put leis around her toddler daughter’s neck and her own.  When the girl just stood there, the mom let go of her hand and danced on her own.  Afterward, she gave me a fiver and asked for my card.

A large group of Australians entered the park.  Three of them hulaed while the rest cheered them on.  Then they walked away.  A little girl was waiting for the Australians to leave, then asked if she could dance.  She already had a dollar in her hand for me.  While she danced, another little girl came off the benches and threw some change into my case.

The park seemed to be teeming with Australians today.  The next group arrived by bike.  “Have you got time for a hula today?”  They did, but like their compatriots before them, they walked away after the dance.  Another Indian girl danced next and dropped a dollar.  A couple from Toronto gave me two.

A man and woman in their 30’s contributed $2.  “Pretty music,” said the man.

The final 30 minutes of my set was sung to an empty plaza.  The lunchtime crowd had gone back to work, or off to the next tourist spot.  I counted out $22.51 when a young couple approached.  “This is for you from earlier,” said the man, handing me a buck.  I tucked it in my pocket and revised my notes.