9 November 2012 Ladue

I'm not really sure what drew me to Ladue this afternoon. Maybe it was another birthday looming. Ladue is a place of happy memories and a sad place to be today. When I first bought my boat, I spent many weekends on this reservoir. At the time, it was managed by the City of Akron and filled on the weekends with little Sunfish sailboats. The boats covered the northern end of the reservoir with a rainbow of sails. I don't think they are popular boats anymore in an age of bigger and more-expensive, gas-powered toys. Today the reservoir is managed by the state of Ohio and looks as run down as so many of the recreational properties run by a state in decline.

I wish I had a picture of Ladue on a day when it was filled with those happy boats. It was a time when there were untold days ahead...

If you were here later in the morning and didn't have an annual permit, you would stand in a line that wound outside the door. There's no lines anymore.

A remnant of the past remains on the old boathouse.

The old parking area is giving way to nature again. The sounds of happy days on the water have passed.