A RETURN TO “OUR” HIDE-OUT

I’ve never mentioned my favorite place on earth before now, and it’s not even in my “Laugh & Times of Mushy”, but I was blessed last week to find the person* that now owned this beautiful private place, and discovering that we both call it “our hide-out!”

When I first moved to Harriman and made friends with Barry and Woody, they introduced me to their world. They had a secret place that they loved to visit, shoot a can or two, hunt squirrels, skinny dip, skip stones, camp, or just walk quietly through the splendor of it all. It instantly became my special place too!

The area was not far from where Barry, Woody, and I lived in those days, but far enough that a car, or as it turned out an old ’49 Chevy pickup, was necessary. Oh, it was well within range of a 2 hour bike ride, but bicycles by then had become way too juvenile for 16 and 17 year-old boys!

Woody was usually our designated driver, using the old work truck from the nursery his dad owned. The nursery also provided me with work during my junior and senior years. I am very grateful for that job, but I’m more appreciative now for the transportation that allowed 3 adventuresome boys a way to get to their “hide-out”!

When I came home on leave, before leaving for Vietnam, I took one last trip to “my hide-out” and walked in the serenity there. I wondered what I was about to learn about the big world, and it even crossed my mind that I might not walk there again. As I walked along, forming a tear or two, listening to the crunch of leaves beneath my feet and the whispering of the wind in the trees above me, I suddenly realized that whatever happened, had to happen, and I did not worry about it again.

I don’t think I ever had time to go back there until after Judy and I married, some 15 years later. One of the first places I took her was among the trees in “my special place”, and it has remained “our special place” through all these years.

You might imagine how disappointed I was a few years ago when I wanted to show my granddaughter this “little piece of heaven on earth”, and finding it locked away behind a gate and a “Keep Out” sign!

How could this be? Didn’t this place belong to all those that loved it? Why was it no longer accessible to us?

After a couple of years of wondering and searching, and having no luck, this past week I found out who owned the property*, but that he lived most of the time in California. My heart sank! But, as a last ditch effort to get access to "my hide-out", I sent him an email explaining my situation and love for the area.

I could hardly believe that a reply came that very evening! Better yet, he told me how much he also loved the area and understood my feelings for it. The letter gave me special pass to walk the property anytime I wanted!

Let me tell you, that night was a restless night for me. I was so excited at getting the permission that I had trouble falling to sleep. It was just a dream come true!

Judy and I decided to take our first walk of the area this past Monday. Sunday night was the same as the night I got the news – nearly sleepless! I even dreamed that the area had been developed as a state park of sorts, complete with a gift shop and caged animals! All this had been hidden and unknown until we crossed the creek and stepped into the fall colored forest. I was shocked to see people milling around, shopping, and snapping photos of various rock formations and the fall colors.I woke up several times early Monday morning, but each time I had a big smile on my face. I knew it was just a dream, but I was having the time of my life. As soon as I closed my eyes, I was again back in the dream in the same place as before – it was terrific!

However, nothing was more terrific than once again stepping foot back into those woods for real! Nothing had changed except me! The tree under which we used to camp was not nearly as large as I remember it, but quite a big beech tree nonetheless! The tree and rope from which we swung out into the creek was also gone.

The 150 to 200 foot rock wall that rims the northern part of the woods there prevents anyone from accessing the area from that direction. To the south, a long steep rocky hill line guards that side of the little hidden valley. The only access is from the east, down a leafy path, across a wide boulder strewn creek that often runs full of swiftly moving water. However, on this day, Judy and I crossed the creek gingerly, slowly picking our way from boulder to boulder, remaining high and dry due to the two year drought.

As we stepped into the woods, we both half expected to see a gift shop! We laughed, remembering the dream, and walked on deeper into our past, barely containing our excitement, adding new memories of our “special hide-out”.

If anyone ever tries to think of a place to sprinkle our ashes…this is it. What could make resurrection more special than for it to happen in “our special hide-out”!

*Who would have ever thought he and I would have so much in common:

>See more photos of this area on FLICKR!<