This used to be my playground

Growing up, I never lived in a subdivision as most of my friends because my dad worked for a former CEO of the DuPont Company and we lived on their estate. Imagine having enough money to have eight greenhouses and a staff to maintain them so you can have flowers in your mansion. And a staff to manage your property in addition to the house staff and two chauffeurs.

I didn’t think much of it since I didn’t know any differently. And the Copelands, despite their wealth, were what I call old money. They understood their responsibility to give back unlike the new money billionaires we have today who do whatever they can to flaunt their wealth.

Since Mrs. Copeland’s death in 2002, the 300 acre estate and home have been turned into a conservatory for native flora and fauna of the mid-Atlantic states. I try to visit when I am in Delaware to see what changes have been made and enjoy the gardens.

I expected the mustard colored Dutch colonial house where I lived to be gone because I had heard they were tearing it down. Instead, I found it still there, but the home where my friend Mary lived had been made into the ticket window and administrative offices.

The path takes one to the house which is perched on a hill with a vista of another hill where we used to go sledding. I moved on to the Conservatory where my parents and I had tea with Mrs Copeland a few years before she passed away.

I always loved this room, especially during the holidays. I would come up with my dad on Christmas morning when he checked on the poinsettias. They had a tree that reached the two story ceiling and lots of presents.

They would “call” on us every Christmas Day and bring us a box chocolates. One year, Mr. Copeland handed them to me and I grabbed the box with my right hand. So, when he went to shake hands, I only had my left hand free. He didn’t miss a beat and shook left handed. I caught flak about that from my mom later.

In a built in book case, sat a variety of China pieces. Once my dad took a vase to fill with flowers. Upon returning it to the house, Mrs Copeland requestes that he please ask before taking a Ming vase. One job my mom had was helping to catalogue the valuable china.

Next stop was the tiny pool where my brother used to sneak up late at night to swim. Across from these was a grassy area where the clay tennis court used to be. I would come up on Saturday mornings to hit on the backboard. My mom thought I should not be doing that so early, but no one ever complained.

Behind the test gardens is the pet cemetery. Surrounded by a picket fence are little tombstones for the dogs. This area isn’t open to the public, but I think people would really love to see it.

Then I meandered around the trillium garden to get to the three cascading ponds and gazebo. There were no turtles on the log Mrs. Copeland had instructed the gardener to place for them. It was so hot, they probably didn’t want to sun.

One winter the pond froze over and my brother decided to ice skate. He went through the thin ice and came home dripping wet. Fortunately the pond is not deep.

I also walked down to the bridge that connects the property to more a roas the road. I remember the day a helicopter came in and placed the bridge repurposed from somewhere else in the state.

I would have like to linger longer but it was too damn hot and I needed something to eat and to get a bank check to buy the trailer. I was unsuccessful in finding a good smoothie as well as the check because my wire transfer to that account had not completed.

Next I went to visit my grandparent graves. Fortunately, not only are they in the same cemetery, they are right across from one another. My great aunt Bertha bought her plot after my Koch grandparents because that way she felt sure we would come visit here. Visiting grave sites is mostly out of vogue now, but I try to go any time I’m in town.

I had just gotten to the laundromat to do my laundry when Bud texted and asked what time I could look at houses. I had three on my list because in retirement, I plan to split my time between Minnesota and Delaware. We arranged to meet at 3:15.

It was the clear the first house was the only real contender due to the fabulous views of the Delaware River and long skinny lot. One was staged well but not that great and the other we went to look at it because a friend of Bud’s had listed it. Did we have some feedback for that agent!

Time to get “home” for sunset.