The Long Way Home

After dropping my granddaughter off at the theatre for 'tech week', I decided to take the long way home, following the river through Maumee, Perrysburg, and Rossford.  I am always amazed by the size of the homes on River road.  I always wonder who lives there.  I dream that somehow I receive a gift of one these homes so that I too, can have a spectacular view of the river.

Driving this route always stirs up memories.  I remember going sledding in the park in Perrysburg during high school.  It was the largest hill around.  I passed Hospice of Northwest Ohio, where my mom passed away nearly seven years ago.  Driving through Rossford, I was reminded of my sister Barb, who lived there which stirred another high school memory, of her driving our group of friends, 'the Headman Headers' to the castle.  The castle was just a huge home on the river in Rossford.  We would drive there and sneak up the driveway, walking through the dark towards the river, trying not to be scared.  We were afraid of the dark more than getting caught trespassing.

Then as I head into Toledo, still following the river, going under the Anthony Wayne bridge.  Seeing Nevada street, where I grew up...two or three miles away at the opposite end of the street.  Seeing the change in the city.  Some for the good, some not so good.  The view of the Glass City Skyway bridge as I drove up Cherry street, passed St. Vincent's hospital, where Haylee died.

I took the long way home and it only took ten minutes longer than taking the highway.  But the memories I relived spanned more than forty years.