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Visiting The Old Stomping Grounds

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Last week we had 2 days of temperatures in the low 70’s so I seized the opportunity and headed off to the park with Leroy.

I’ve been patiently waiting for a cool day to take Leroy to a special park that I grew up in as a teenager and this was the perfect day to do it.

This particular park is in my hometown and it’s small but very pretty. It holds a lot of memories.

I’ve taken the kids here before but I never was able to tell them about the memories that I had of that park.

It’s a park of my teenage years, we did teenage things. Things I don’t necessarily want to plant in my children’s teenage ears.

So it was perfect to take Leroy there and show him around.

You can come along with us if you like.

You see Leroy. this is where we use to jump off the cliff:

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I know the sign says no jumping off the cliff but we did it anyway.

Believe me, it was safe.

We use to come here to cool off on hot summer days.

No, YOU can’t jump off it now.

It doesn’t look very safe anymore. I think the cliff has shifted a few feet.

Let’s move on before you get any dumb ideas.

This is the famous Victory Rock.

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You won’t read about it in books, it’s only famous to us that use to live here.

This is where fights use to take place.

Fist fights.

See instead of getting in fights in school, because no one wanted to be suspended, we would meet at the rock.

If someone had a beef with someone you would say, “Meet at the rock after school.”

Word would get out fast and most of the school would come to see the rumble take place.

You brought your fists, that’s it.

You didn’t bring guns or knives.

You brought your fists, you duked it out and there was one winner.

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The winner got to stand on the rock, hence the name Victory Rock.

Fights didn’t happen everyday, just as needed.

Moving on…….

And this, this is where we use to kick back and relax after a hard day.

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Sometimes we may have consumed some adult beverages even though we weren’t adults.

We didn’t do drugs.

We drank the liquor that our parents had in the house.

You know, some Jim Bean. Some Amaretto. Windsor. (Mom, if you’re reading this, don’t tell Dad. He still blames your other daughter for that. We don’t want to upset him 😉

The real gross stuff.

We had good times in this park.

I would say good clean old fun but I know some would beg to differ.

Those were the days.

 

Our visit to the park was short because the temperatures started to rise pretty quick, but it was great to go there and relax for a few and remember. We’ll go back again when Fall has set in.

It was great to see Leroy in some of my secret spots too. Who would of thought that 20 something years later I would be bringing my dog to the place I use to hang out as a teenager?

So how about you, have you taken your dog to your old stomping grounds and let them in on a few secrets?

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Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom

Sunday 11th of September 2016

Hi Jen! When I was still single and living on Long Island, I used to take Kissy (my poodle) everywhere with me that I could. We lived in the house I grew up in, so it was easy. And our favorite neighbors were my second set of parents - their older son and I were preschool sweethearts - who took care of her when I had to be away from home. Leroy was - I'm sure - very happy to be privy to your teenage memories!

Jen

Monday 12th of September 2016

Awwww. What a sweet memory!

CATHY BENNETT

Wednesday 7th of September 2016

I love this! Leroy looks grand on the "victory rock" I wish one day to be able to take the Boys to NYC - oh the stories I could tell...

Jen

Thursday 8th of September 2016

I would love to hear your stories! I'm sure they would be packed with fun!

M. K. Clinton

Wednesday 7th of September 2016

Each day I am more and more thankful there was no Facebook or Twitter when I was young. Also, most of the photography sucked so that's always good!

Jen

Wednesday 7th of September 2016

Ha! I think about that all the time! I'm so glad that there wasn't and I have to tell my kids that all the time. I may have done some stupid things but there is no record of it anywhere except in my mind!

jan

Tuesday 6th of September 2016

Like you I would tell my dogs things I would never tell my children.

Jen

Wednesday 7th of September 2016

I'm glad that some else does the same thing! I'm sure my kids are doing things that I don't know about but I don't want to give them any ideas!

Jessica Greene-Taub

Tuesday 6th of September 2016

I'm so happy to have come across your blog! Looks like a beautiful park! Our beloved brown newfie, Kong passed this past March (he was almost 9) and he loved going on outings to parks with us.We miss him so much... We live on Long Island, NY and summers get really hot here, but the fall is gorgeous! We are bringing home a newfie pup in about 2 weeks and we are so excited....getting ready :) He's a brown and white landseer, named Samson. Funny thing is, that we got Kong at the same age (71/2 weeks) and almost exactly the same time of the year too...I'll try to post a photo.

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