– Time For A Tiara: Column by Ginna Young – - Let’s take a ride around the park

– Time For A Tiara: Column by Ginna Young –

This past weekend, I was at the 85th celebration of the anniversary of Brunet Island State Park (pronounced broonay, NOT burrnett), where I heard a fascinating presentation on the history of said park (more about that in a later issue). I learned things I never knew before and had a walk down memory lane.

I’ve spoken before about the old playground equipment that has since been replaced, the infamous swing set, where I flew off the swing’s seat from high up and landed on my back, but as the presenters were talking, a few more things made me smile as I remembered them.

One of the things was the official entrance to the park, where it says, “Now entering fee area.” There used to be a separate “exit lane,” in addition to the two roadway lanes. I’m not positive, but I have a dim recollection of a small booth there, maybe for checking out?

That’s one thing I neglected to ask while I was at the celebration, but thankfully, I know I can follow up on that. The area I speak of has since been made into a grassy area that’s mowed. Deer like to graze there, more often than not.

Another, was that the Cornell Lions Club used to feed the deer at where the water treatment plant is now. There was a little shed there, where corn was stored and Bob McCann would feed the deer in the late afternoon, during the winter.

Winters were very different then, when I was growing up. There was a lot of snow on the ground, all winter long, and it was very cold, making it hard for the deer to forage. I don’t remember how, but Dad found out about it and would leave work when he could (he put in a ton of hours, nights and weekends, so it made up for it), come get us and we’d go watch the deer come in.

We weren’t the only ones, there would be cars lined up in the drive all around, with people snapping pictures. Some mighty big bucks, who hadn’t lost their rack yet, came in, which was an impressive sight.

Anyway, Bob would put the corn in a couple long troughs, then bang on the feed bucket, calling in the deer. They answered, in droves! We’d count some 30 to 40 deer, in all shapes and sizes. I can still hear Bob scolding them, if they got to fighting.

Hey, now, babies, that’s enough of that!

I remember one time, all the deer got spooked and we heard a rustling sound. It was kind of creepy and then....it came into sight. Mom and I burst into tears, and I know Dad was wiping his eyes, pretending not to be affected. It was a deer, with both its front legs broken, bent back under, so it had to shuffle on its knees, essentially.

It was able to grab a couple bites of corn, before the others drove it off. We never saw it again, but I always wondered if someone put the poor thing out of its misery, if a predator got it or if it starved to death.

Not a cheerful memory, but one that stuck with me.

We bought a little corn on our own and put it out on a tree stump across on the big island; we had a good number come in to eat it and I could get really close to them, just watching the beautiful creatures.

Eventually, the DNR decided the corn was “spoiling” the animals and put a stop to it. That’s when the deer started venturing out of the park and eating everyone’s gardens!

Still, we never stopped going around the park for a drive. That was our favorite thing to do, after a long day. Just before dusk, we’d hop in the truck and meander around the island, admiring the scenery and seeing how many campers were out there.

Even then, the place was packed. We liked to drive around and see how long each camper was staying. At that time, a handwritten slip was attached to the site and might say 7/6 to 7/12. A whole week was nice, but two weeks was impressive.

Of course, we’d have to go back and see if they really stayed that long, because some packed up and left before their departure date. We also liked to go around the north campground, to see if the “favorites” were taken. Those are the sites right before the little bridge, one facing the river (the overall favorite), with the other facing the little inlet.

Now, you have to book your stay online, at least a year in advance and more people than ever, are utilizing the park to get outdoors, whether through kayaking, walking or biking, or just enjoying a picnic. I know this, because I still love going for a drive around the park, after a long day is done.

Everyone always tells me that Cornell has the best state park they’ve ever been to; I have to take their word for it, since I don’t get too far from home, but it’s not hard to believe it’s true.

As I take a ride around the park, all I have to do is look at its incredible natural beauty and I know we have the best one. I also know how lucky I am to get to live here, to see it all year long, and take another ride around the park, whenever I get the chance.