We had relatives visiting on Saturday and we spent the afternoon at Cape Henlopen State Park.
The state park runs along a section of Delaware coastline and includes land that belonged to Fort Miles during World War II. Fort Miles was an artillery operation with the responsibility of watching for German ships and submarines and preventing then from entering the Delaware Bay. It was considered a key defensive point since the bay provided access to the Delaware River and the shipbuilding operations in Wilmington, DE and Philadelphia, PA.
Many of the cylindrical, seventy-five foot tall, concrete watch towers are still standing. Though most are in poor repair, one tower has been refurbished. Visitors can climb a metal spiral stairway up through the tower. There is an impressive view of the coastline from the top.
My nephew, Joey, a fifth grader, was anxious to climb the tower. Motivated Mom volunteered to accompany him. I offered no objections. I had been in the tower several years ago with my own children. It had taken hours for my leg muscles to recover.
I'll take Joey's word for it that there are one hundred and twenty four steps to the top. I hope never to have to count them. Joey counted them four times - twice up and twice down.
After going up the first time, Joey decided he wanted to use pine cones to spell out his name on the ground in a size visible from the top of the tower. Of course once that was done, he felt compelled to return to the tower's top and take a picture of his handiwork.
We let him make the second trip on his own.
.... Which supports the adage, with age comes wisdom.
