Thursday, June 02, 2005
MC KENNA'S MOUNTAIN
by Bob McKenna
Most people who live on Long Island don't know it but there once was a mountain right in what is now the town of Brookhaven. Hardly anyone knew about it so there aren't many who can testify to its existence. I can for I was privileged to be on it.
About twenty years ago my wife and I decided to move to Long Island from the Bronx. Ellen had just given birth to our firstborn, Jason. We never really knew much about Long Island but we wanted a better life for our family so without much investigating we moved.
We found a small but affordable house in Port Jefferson Station and after 4 more years we had our second child Jennifer. I was self-employed so I was able to see my children grow and to be with them for a good part of it.
One year when Jason was 7 and Jennifer was 3; we had a terrific snowstorm. Looking outside in the morning released the little boy within me and I decided to take the day off and to take my kids sledding around the neighborhood. This meant that for the most part they sat on the sled and I pulled it. While towing them around I noticed an undeveloped plot of land about 3 blocks from our house. I had never walked this far and had never noticed what to us was a forest. I decided to take them in because this was as close as I ever got to a forest. We did not have anything like this in the Bronx.
After about 5 minutes we were pretty deep in the woods and I heard other voices. It sounded like children and laughter so I followed the sounds. Sure enough we happened upon a hill with about 20 kids with sleds. Since I had never been on a sled in my life and I did not want to have my first try with 20 kids as unwilling targets so I kept walking. After a little longer just out of the sound of all the kids we came upon the most beautiful place I had ever seen since moving out here. It was just a hill but it was perfect for us. It was only about 50-75 yards long but it was perfectly hidden by rows of tall trees on both sides. A wonderful mixture of trees unlike any we had ever seen. There were pine and maple and oak all clustered together but with a distinct trail right down the middle. I took the kids up and we all made out first trip down any hill, anywhere. It was terrific. The slope was perfect for a novice like two young children and myself. It was not too steep and not too long so the walk back up was good for everyone. We spent many hours going up and down that hill and at the end of the day we vowed to return the next day.
The next day we got up early and the kids were anxious to get back to our special spot. My wife, Ellen, has never been very adventurous but even she decided to come because of all she had heard about it the day before. When we got to the forest we passed the big hill with all the kids and proceeded to our little secluded hill. Just as the day before we had a really good time and stayed until no one was able to make one more trip up the hill. As we walked back we discussed how lucky we were to have found a secluded, safe place to use and it seemed to have been truly undiscovered. We had our own private hill!
We decided over dinner that night since we discovered the hill to call it McKenna’s Mountain.
Over the next few years we visited McKenna’s Mountain every time it snowed and the memories grew. Along with the memories came more baggage too. We now would routinely bring hot chocolate and Cambells Vegetable soup in several containers with spoons, napkins, crackers, and other assorted treats to last the day. After many years we selectively invited a few of our children’s friends and shared our little secret with them. We were careful not tell too many people lest our spot become crowded like so many others. We kept our secret and truly appreciated this special place.
There was a year in, which there just wasn’t enough snow to do any decent sledding so we couldn’t visit McKenna’s Mountain. The next year we were all anxious to return to our little resort and by now even some of kids we had brought before were asking “When are we going back to McKenna’s Mountain?” Our little joke had become reality. People were actually referring to our spot as McKenna’s Mountain.
When the first snow came we decided that since it had been 2 years that we would go early and bring our very best friends to celebrate with us. This time we brought not only hot chocolate and soup but sandwiches, Mallowmars, trail mix, juice and assorted snacks to numerous to mention. We were always careful to pack a garbage bag so we could keep McKenna’s Mountain as clean as the day we found it.
As we approached the forest it looked different somehow. We entered and as we rounded the bend just before McKenna’s Mountain we were stunned. McKenna’s Mountain was gone! Completely and totally gone! It was leveled and a tract of houses had been built since we had last gone there. Each of us cried, some openly and some inside, but we all felt the loss of something important to us. Puff the Mighty Dragon had ceased his fearless roar. We would never again experience the joy of going to our own special, private place in the world.
Although we all hated the developers and even though we knew people had to live somewhere, we just wished it did not have to be McKenna’s Mountain. Time went on and our children grew up so fast. We still have the photos we took up there and there is even a short video but we still miss our times together on that little hill. Although my kids are grown, I am sure if given the chance we would all go back to McKenna’s Mountain to share the laughter and joy one more time.
I do have one more secret to share. We stole part of McKenna’s Mountain. Yes, inside each of our hearts and minds is a little piece of McKenna’s Mountain that still lives. It is ours and no one can tax it, take it, build on it, or destroy it. It’s ours for as long as we live.
Most people who live on Long Island don't know it but there once was a mountain right in what is now the town of Brookhaven. Hardly anyone knew about it so there aren't many who can testify to its existence. I can for I was privileged to be on it.
About twenty years ago my wife and I decided to move to Long Island from the Bronx. Ellen had just given birth to our firstborn, Jason. We never really knew much about Long Island but we wanted a better life for our family so without much investigating we moved.
We found a small but affordable house in Port Jefferson Station and after 4 more years we had our second child Jennifer. I was self-employed so I was able to see my children grow and to be with them for a good part of it.
One year when Jason was 7 and Jennifer was 3; we had a terrific snowstorm. Looking outside in the morning released the little boy within me and I decided to take the day off and to take my kids sledding around the neighborhood. This meant that for the most part they sat on the sled and I pulled it. While towing them around I noticed an undeveloped plot of land about 3 blocks from our house. I had never walked this far and had never noticed what to us was a forest. I decided to take them in because this was as close as I ever got to a forest. We did not have anything like this in the Bronx.
After about 5 minutes we were pretty deep in the woods and I heard other voices. It sounded like children and laughter so I followed the sounds. Sure enough we happened upon a hill with about 20 kids with sleds. Since I had never been on a sled in my life and I did not want to have my first try with 20 kids as unwilling targets so I kept walking. After a little longer just out of the sound of all the kids we came upon the most beautiful place I had ever seen since moving out here. It was just a hill but it was perfect for us. It was only about 50-75 yards long but it was perfectly hidden by rows of tall trees on both sides. A wonderful mixture of trees unlike any we had ever seen. There were pine and maple and oak all clustered together but with a distinct trail right down the middle. I took the kids up and we all made out first trip down any hill, anywhere. It was terrific. The slope was perfect for a novice like two young children and myself. It was not too steep and not too long so the walk back up was good for everyone. We spent many hours going up and down that hill and at the end of the day we vowed to return the next day.
The next day we got up early and the kids were anxious to get back to our special spot. My wife, Ellen, has never been very adventurous but even she decided to come because of all she had heard about it the day before. When we got to the forest we passed the big hill with all the kids and proceeded to our little secluded hill. Just as the day before we had a really good time and stayed until no one was able to make one more trip up the hill. As we walked back we discussed how lucky we were to have found a secluded, safe place to use and it seemed to have been truly undiscovered. We had our own private hill!
We decided over dinner that night since we discovered the hill to call it McKenna’s Mountain.
Over the next few years we visited McKenna’s Mountain every time it snowed and the memories grew. Along with the memories came more baggage too. We now would routinely bring hot chocolate and Cambells Vegetable soup in several containers with spoons, napkins, crackers, and other assorted treats to last the day. After many years we selectively invited a few of our children’s friends and shared our little secret with them. We were careful not tell too many people lest our spot become crowded like so many others. We kept our secret and truly appreciated this special place.
There was a year in, which there just wasn’t enough snow to do any decent sledding so we couldn’t visit McKenna’s Mountain. The next year we were all anxious to return to our little resort and by now even some of kids we had brought before were asking “When are we going back to McKenna’s Mountain?” Our little joke had become reality. People were actually referring to our spot as McKenna’s Mountain.
When the first snow came we decided that since it had been 2 years that we would go early and bring our very best friends to celebrate with us. This time we brought not only hot chocolate and soup but sandwiches, Mallowmars, trail mix, juice and assorted snacks to numerous to mention. We were always careful to pack a garbage bag so we could keep McKenna’s Mountain as clean as the day we found it.
As we approached the forest it looked different somehow. We entered and as we rounded the bend just before McKenna’s Mountain we were stunned. McKenna’s Mountain was gone! Completely and totally gone! It was leveled and a tract of houses had been built since we had last gone there. Each of us cried, some openly and some inside, but we all felt the loss of something important to us. Puff the Mighty Dragon had ceased his fearless roar. We would never again experience the joy of going to our own special, private place in the world.
Although we all hated the developers and even though we knew people had to live somewhere, we just wished it did not have to be McKenna’s Mountain. Time went on and our children grew up so fast. We still have the photos we took up there and there is even a short video but we still miss our times together on that little hill. Although my kids are grown, I am sure if given the chance we would all go back to McKenna’s Mountain to share the laughter and joy one more time.
I do have one more secret to share. We stole part of McKenna’s Mountain. Yes, inside each of our hearts and minds is a little piece of McKenna’s Mountain that still lives. It is ours and no one can tax it, take it, build on it, or destroy it. It’s ours for as long as we live.
# posted by fablespinners @ 6:43 AM 
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