Tuesday, Sept.1 - Part 2

After Julie and I finished exploring the Great Falls State Park in Paterson (see Part 1), we continued south about 20 minutes to Verona, New Jersey, where I used to live when I was a child. I think I drove by my old house once before (maybe 20 or 30 years ago), but never had the time to stop and really look at it. This is the view of the house from across the street.

This is the house where I lived until I was 6 and we moved to California. The shutters, with their crescent moon cut-outs, appear to be the same ones we had (and the same green color) when we lived there in the early 1950's. The only major change I can see in the house is that a deck has been added out back. It was a great house, two stories, with an attic and a partially-finished basement which my Dad made into a play room for us 3 kids. I remember a long, green blackboard down there; we played "school" and my brother's cub scout troop had their meetings there (I guess my mother was den mother).

And here I am, standing in front of 69 South Prospect Street, Verona, New Jersey. Ahhh.....the memories. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time I was there. Too bad no one answered the doorbell; I would have loved to see the inside.

Here's the old barn-style two-car detached garage. One set of doors were wide open.

This is the tree in the back yard that my Dad hung a swing from and I remember swinging for hours on it. My Mom painted a picture of me on the swing which I have at home. I think the tree has gotten a lot bigger over the past 55 years! We also had a big apple tree in the yard, but it isn't there any more.

This is Verona Park, just down the street from our old house. We were delighted to see what a nice, clean, beautifully-kept-up park it was. I remember ice skating on the lake when it froze in the winter and I remember a boat house which had saw dust on the floor (at least in the winter). The boat house is still there but I didn't see any sawdust. They rent rowboats and paddleboats there now and there is also a little cafe where I bought some lunch and we sat on the patio and watched the boaters, kids feeding the ducks, and generally enjoyed the beautiful day.