My Park...

Now that I've been running outside for a few weeks I feel like I should share my park with you. 

I run 4 times a week at the lovely Terrace Park.  I've lived down the street from the park my entire life.

When I first started going to the park there was no trail, no toys just the awesome ruins of the Ma-Hu Mansion. 

Now by the time I was aware of the mansion it was mainly one tall brick wall left, the back of the house and a gutted floor plan.  My friends and I would go and spend hours in the summer exploring the remains of the house.  When I'd feel especially daring we'd all walk along the last standing wall.  I liked to pretend to be Shannon Miller while doing it but that's just me.

The ruins became my fascination.  I'd imagine stories about what happened there imagining serial killers... dramatic shoot outs... and bootleggers... I'm sure my melodramaticness does not surprise you.

Then as I got older I wanted to learn more about the real Ma-Hu mansion.

Thanks to google I found this- http://tulsatvmemories.com/mahuwrld.html I was so glad to know my childhood fantasies had a grain of truth.

We also had some adventures at the park. 

At one point Jenny, Kari and I were headed to the park to explore and found a woman posing naked in the ruins getting her picture taken.  We ran away giggling and screaming as little girls are prone to do.

I also remember once riding are bike through the field and finding a young couple "enjoying" themselves... cue the giggling and screaming again.

Needless to say I was heartbroken when the wall was finally torn down so a new edition could be built.

Every day when I'm running along the farside of the track, by the new cookie cutter houses, I remember the wall and the childhood joy I had wandering through the ruins, the weeds and the scattered remnants of the mansion. 

Then I smile to myself... turn up my iPod and haul my ass around the track again.