Seneca Creek State Park - 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Seneca Creek State Park - 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

It has been bitterly cold since we came back from Charleston, S. Carolina on 1/22/2015.  Everyday we keep hearing the news about the record breaking low temperature in Maryland since the mid-1990s.  So, we three seniors continue our journey from sunny Charleston, S. Carolina to frigid Seneca Creek State Park to beat the cabin fever on Friday 2/27/2015.  Jen-Jen’s house is nearby, 1/2 mile away off Clopper Road.  Her two Alaskan huskies, one 13-year-old, Isabelle, with the fur as white as snow, is considered to be older than we are according to dog’s age.  The younger one, Mila, with the multicolor of black, white and grey, is only 2-year-old.  Both of them should be good companions for three seniors who do need the affections from time to time, especially in this weather.

As we walked down the snowy field, I noticed Jen-Jen was quite communicative with both of them.  The special bond was right there when they vocally expressed themselves “woo woo” sounds or loud, long howls.  The younger one did show the powerful strength.  Nervously, I, the inexperienced first-time dog-handler almost lost her leash when she was frolicking in the snow.  That playfulness displayed when she was circling in the snowy field with the frozen lake in the background.  When the summer comes, this boating dock will be busy with the boaters seeking for the water fun.  Jen-Jen hurriedly controlled Mila for she was afraid of her running to the frozen lake.  There were a few TV coverage about police rescuing the dog falling through the ice this month.  Interestingly, I was thinking that we should have brought the sled and have both of them harnessed to give us old folkies a sled ride.  It turned out that Jen-Jen did stop by Target for sled a few weeks ago.  But, they were all sold out due to too many snow days off for the school children this month.

Clopper Road - MD 117 in Gaithersburg 

John Denver found the inspiration for his hit song “Take me home, Country Roads” in 1970.  

There is no secret that I love singing.  The State Park now on Clopper Road and how John Denver found his inspiration was new to me.  I have travelled on the Clopper Road for almost 5 years taking my son to his piano teacher’s house without knowing the story behind.  The information was actually shared by our bass singer, Sam, from my Taiwanese American Chorus group.  He was a graduate of the famous chorus group Taiwan Provincial Hsinchu Senior High School (省立新竹高級中學).   I remembered singing John Denver’s “Take me home, Country Roads” when I was in college.  At that time, I spent countless hours thinking about what life would be after graduation.  That home seemed to be so far away that I have fantasized anywhere besides Taiwan.  Don’t get me wrong, I have loved Taiwan dearly since the day I left there in 1973.  I have been back there visiting not often enough to be considered as a family member any more than a tourist, per se.  Because that closeness with the siblings would be so different when my parents were all gone and the families of my brothers and sisters are not really my family.  It’s only recently that I have started thinking about what it means to be rooted in a particular place where I would say it’s my home.  Could it be the retirement and being the new grandmother make me have the strong desire to be close to my own children?  However, the irony is, “do they really want me to be near them?”  The fantasy and the reality did collide sometimes.  I can’t remember where I read that says: “A happy new home is one where you can’t see the smoke from your parent’s chimney.”  

Oh, well, Isabelle and Mila - two beautiful Alaskan huskies were with us at the Park while we learned the history of idyllic country roads in Gaithersburg and John Denver’s song.  We savor the companionship between dogs and humans.  That should be quite sweet and memorable for five of us.

Picasa links at the Park

https://picasaweb.google.com/112480790564624696310/February282015?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOOfq7jrrIqAvwE&feat=directlink

Enjoy the scenery of “old Gaithersburg - Maryland, Virginia and W. Virginia” from the song’s youtube

https://youtu.be/CNPki1WVZdw

"Country Roads, Take me Home" lyrics

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

All my memories, they gather 'round her
Miner's lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrops in my eyes

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice in the mornin' hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin' down the road I get a feeling
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong
West Virginia, West Virginia, mountain momma, oh momma
Take me home, country roads
Take me home, down country roads
Take me home, down country roads