Home Sweet Home

Whenever we visit my parents house, a place I still call 'home' I am always reminiscent of my childhood and think about what it would be like to raise Gage where I grew up. I know change is always good and things don't have to be exactly the way they were when I was a kid, but I also miss the area and imagine living here again some day. Funny that I say these things, because when I teach kids whose parents went to the high school too, I think, 'Geez, this town ate these people.' Pretty ironic being that I feel exactly the same way.

In any case, a few weekends ago when we were in town to surprise my parents for their anniversary we took Gage to a park my brother and I frequented when we were kids. I can remember long long ago going to the park with my parents and feeding the ducks, having picnic lunches and riding a train called the 'Smokey Pokey'. For the last couple of years it had been rumored that 'Pokey Smokey' was reopening (it closed 6 years ago, due to safety concerns). By the time I heard it was reopening, Gage was born and I thought it would be pretty cool for him to get to ride the train like I did when I was a kid. For one reason or another the train never reopened until last weekend, when we happend to be in town. It was a perfect time and Gage was at the perfect age that he would be very excited about riding a train! It was a little cold and windy but we had to take advantage so Luke, my brother and I packed up and bundled up and headed down to the park to ride the 'Smokey Pokey II' and play on the playground.












Gage checking out his railroad token

Although it wasn't exactly as I had remembered it, the park still has some charm and Gage enjoyed his ride. It's too bad that it wasn't a little warmer.