A Park With History And Memories

When I was in my hometown recently with my family, Nel wanted to stop at the park so Mia could stretch her legs, run around, and play!  We happened to visit a park that is not far from the home that I grew up at.  It's a large park with a baseball field, and a lot of shaded picnic areas.  This park has been around since 1917, and although they have updated it through the years installing a new playground, it still has the same vibe it did way back then.

There is an old contraption sitting on the grounds at the entrance of the park.

It was a sunny day, and when we first got there, we noticed a butterfly fluttering about, which stayed in our midst for a few moments.  Nel put her hand out, and that butterfly landed right on her hand, long enough for me to get a picture.  What a delightful moment that was for her.

Now, I have to tell you, what was so special about spending time here with my granddaughter was that I used to play at this very same playground when I was her age!  My dad used to have company picnics here, and our family would gather together and have barbecues and play games, and I would run around carefree until it was time to go home.  To see Mia enjoy herself at this playground was very sentimental to me and brought back the best memories.

I glanced over at Nel, and I remember her looking so peaceful watching her five year old enjoy her time there.

There was a very high slide, and Renecke wanted to make sure that no big boys were going to push Mia off in any way, so he had a watchful eye.

We sat at the playground and talked, and Nel wanted to know what happened to the small zoo that was there, so she took a walk to see.  They closed it down years ago, but she still has memories of her and her sister and brother walking through that area and seeing all the interesting zoo animals.  There was even a couple black bears there at one time, until they were moved to a new and larger habitat at a zoo sanctuary a half hour away.

And then there was the high slide, and Nel went inside the little house at the top of the slide with Mia.

When we were leaving, I saw the most charming home.  There are many houses across the street from the park that are old and very kept up.

And one of the prettiest red rose bushes I've seen.

Nel received two blessings on this trip to her hometown; one was the butterfly that landed on her hand, and the other was a double rainbow on the first day she arrived.

~Sheri