For family home evening this week we took a picnic to the canyon park. There is now a trail which starts at the new ball parks on the north end of town and follows coal creek up past the old ball parks and up the canyon. Brittney and Job came with us and we followed the trail north and ended up on Highland Drive where this picture was taken probably pretty close to 35 years ago. There are a few of the older homes still there. The Jones', the Barlows, but mostly just a bunch of over priced double wides. I was amazed by the senses and memories and emotion that came rushing back. Walking to school along the creek, walking to the rock church over the old bridge, playing on the mountain side, stealing golf balls off the putting green, neighbors, friends, pets, mom riding the motorcycle through the sticker patch in a house coat and bare feet, Liesl sticking a tent peg through her chin, Julene breaking her arm while roller skating, Brian starting the hill on fire, Brenda taking us on a nighttime adventure to watch the drive-in movie for free from the hillside(I believe it was looking For Mr. Goodbar), playing the sound of music in the vacant lot next door, and me riding down that hill afraid to use the brakes on my bike so that i wouldn't fly over the handlebars, a dead cat, lots of puppies, sledding behind a Volkswagon, dad and mom setting up an obstacle course for the scouts. I could go on and on. Sometimes it is a good thing just to take time to remember.
We even found two golf balls, but i promise we didn't steal them from the putting green!