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Memories of the Season
It’s hard to believe the busy holiday
season has arrived! Where did the year go? It feels like 2002 just got
started; yet here we are ready to change the calendar once again.
According to the old saying “time marches on,” but for me it seems
to be racing by. I’m not sure if that’s a sign I am getting older or
perhaps my life has just gotten too busy. Whatever the reason, the
hectic holiday season is upon us and 2002 will soon be nothing more than
a pleasant memory.
I always get very sentimental this time
of year. There are many fond memories attached to this season. Like most
people, the excitement of the holidays was a big part of my childhood.
My mother had a special love for this time of year. She celebrated a
“holiday season” that kicked off with Thanksgiving and didn’t end
until after the New Year. To make the most of the season, she always
insisted decorations had to go up the day after Thanksgiving. For the
next month, nothing but holiday music was permitted in our house. I can
recall the wonderful aroma of freshly baked cookies and other holiday
treats coming from the kitchen. Unlike most people, mom didn’t spend
the holiday season shopping for gifts. She always shopped early. We all
knew the location of the secret closet where she kept the mounds of
wrapped gifts that would await us on Christmas Day. Mom seemed to treat
gift buying as a year-round pursuit. We took great pleasure in teasing
her about this. We all knew she had already started shopping for next
Christmas before the current holiday had even taken place! Her joy for
the season made a tremendous impression on me and had a great influence
on my own love of the season.
Sadly, my mother passed away after a long
bout with diabetes three years ago on Thanksgiving Day. The love and
devotion she gave our family can never be replaced. In many ways, she
was the “heart and soul” of our family. Not a day goes go by that we
don’t feel the loss. We are blessed that she left us a wonderful
legacy of endless happy memories to ease the sadness. As this holiday
season begins, I can’t help but think of her and smile.
Whatever your background, I wish you all
a very happy holiday season. I hope you are able to spend it with the
friends and family who make your life worthwhile. What could be better?
Parks in the Off-Season
 It
never ceases to amaze me how many people have the mistaken idea that our
state parks “close” in the off-season. They only seem to associate
the parks with warm, sunny weather and believe the parks shut down once
the season changes. They seem to somehow think parks become desolate
areas in the cold winter months. This, of course, is far from the truth.
State parks are open year-round, 8 a.m. to sunset, providing wonderful
opportunities for active or passive recreation. Whatever the season, you
can find some activity to challenge your mind and body. Favorite “off
season” activities include hiking, biking, jogging, horseback riding,
and bird watching. Even in the coldest months, you’ll find diehard
enthusiasts participating in traditionally warmer weather pursuits such
as fishing, camping, surfing, and windsurfing. Every day is a good day
to visit our parks…come out and see what you are missing! (Photo
of Cape Henlopen Bathhouse in winters past.)
Winter Projects
Visitors frequently ask park staff
“What do you do in the winter?” They are often surprised to learn
that our staff is actually very busy this time of year. Unlike the
summer, the “off season” is our staff’s time to get park
facilities in tip-top shape for the busy summer months. Buildings are
winterized and painted, picnic tables are repaired or replaced, trails
are manicured, equipment is serviced, campsites are cleaned and groomed
for next season, and signs are updated. At this time, Park programs and
policies are reviewed and modified as needed. It is a very painstaking
process, but is necessary for the success of the coming year. Most staff
would agree that these colder months are actually the most challenging
time of our work year.
Gordons Pond This Winter
I have good news to report to off-season
visitors to Gordons Pond. In the past, the parking area was closed to
visitors during the winter. With the recent renovation of the parking
area, the Division will now have the lot open every day, weather
permitting, 8 a.m. to sunset! This will be good news for visitors who
wish to take a stroll on the beach or enjoy the quiet beauty of the
Gordons Pond trail.
Enforcement Update
When I started writing this column in
March, the first subject I addressed was an ongoing enforcement problem
involving individuals, almost exclusively males, who were “cruising”
select parking areas and ultimately participating in sexual activity on
the site. My goal in addressing the issue was to inform readers of our
Division’s policies concerning this subject. As a gay male and
employee of the Division, it was important to me that the community
understood that public nudity and indecent behavior are illegal and
would not be tolerated in the parks. I stated the Division’s policy
that any individual, male or female, straight or gay, would be arrested
if they were found to be involved in such activities in the parks. At
the time, the article seemed to help. Unfortunately, the autumn season
has brought an unwelcome return of the illegal activity!
While I am not surprised by this turn of
events, it is very important the community understands the Division will
do active enforcement, including surveillance of problem sites, to get
the situation under control. It is not our intent to intrude on
legitimate visitors. Individuals who visit the parks to meet friends
have nothing to worry about as long as they do not get involved in
illegal activities.
The gay community has a stake in this as
well. The type of illegal activity going on at these sites does nothing
but perpetuate old stereotypes. The inappropriate actions of a few
individuals give our entire community a bad name. I hope you will
understand and support our Division’s efforts to correct this
situation.
As 2002 draws to a close, I want to thank
Camp Rehoboth for the opportunity to write this column in Letters. I now
have a better understanding of the challenges associated with writing a
regular column. It’s been great fun but a lot of work! I must admit
I’m ready for a break. I’ll soon be taking a long winter vacation.
My partner, Bob, and I will be spending Christmas in Paris with a couple
of special friends. We can not wait! See you all again in the New Year!
Happy Holidays!
For more information about upcoming
programs and activities, check out our website at www.destateparks.com.
And if you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, please
e-mail me at stephen.schilly@state.de.us.
Nature’s Best Bets
If you are looking for fun activities
this winter, some “best bets” at Cape Henlopen Nature Center
include:
• Explore Thompson’s Island
Saturdays, December 7 and January 11, 10 a.m.
Take a hike on this remnant of the
Pleistocene Era and learn about its geological history, its importance
to migrating songbirds, and about the Native American people who made
this island sacred ground. Pre-registration is required. Limited to 12.
$3 per person.
• Explore Gordons Pond
Sunday, December 22 and Saturday, February 8, 10 a.m.
Hike along the Gordons Pond trail and
discover the beauty of this out-of-the-way corner of Cape Henlopen State
Park. Meet at the Gordons Pond parking lot.
• Park Full of Pines
Saturday, December 28, 1 p.m.
Four species of pines can be found in
Cape Henlopen State Park. Head out into the park with a naturalist and
learn how to identify each species, how they have adapted to Cape
Henlopen’s environment, and about some of the animals that utilize the
pines.
For more information on these and other
park programs, contact the Seaside Nature Center at (302) 645-6852.
Stephen Schilly is Park
Operations Administrator Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation.
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