As the School Year Starts, a Note About Summer Memories in Sammamish

Back in June, after I stopped by  to catch some of the early summer action of kids getting ready for hot days and jumping into cool water, a former colleague Tweeted that the I posted of young people airborne brought back memories for her.

She grew up in the city. As a kid, she also headed to Pine Lake to cool off from the heat. As for me, well, I thought: What Plateau memories? I grew up in a California suburb in which many of the park lakes were made by humans.

I realize that on the Plateau - for swimming, summer concerts and just a place to let kids run around and play. But daily life, well, can be busy. And a busy schedule means there are few moments to visit a place, hang out and let a mellow, scenic environment work its magic. I have visited the park after it snowed just to see the icy stuff next to the water. But I left after a few moments.

So, Pine Lake memories? That was my thought, at least, until a few weeks ago. The Sammamish Symphony was playing at the city's summer concert series. I decided to take my family because the summer evening was ripe for relaxation, and my wife loves the calming sound of classical music entering the ears.

At the park, we sat on the grass - and I looked at the trees and blue sky - as the musicians played tunes from popular movies in U.S. history. My kid, though, eventually wanted to run, explore. For him, it was as if he was in a new world. So, he and I eventually ended up near the play area and the dock. He watched the big kids splash around and make it from one area of the water to another.

In the world of online journalism, it's easy to fall into the just-the-facts-please-give-me-the-information-quickly-because-I'm-always-on-deadline-what-do-you-mean-what-you're-saying-is-off-the-record-mindset. But on this evening, I wasn't on deadline. I was just there with my family to enjoy a concert in the park - on a summer evening, on the grass, by the water and under the trees.

In terms of hard news, the event wasn't a spectacularly special moment. But, that was part of the beauty of it. My kid and I watched people stroll along the dock.

Some young people sat in what looked like a homemade wooden raft, complete with chairs, in the water. A few people paddled their boats, as the sun turned gold and made for a striking contrast against a wall of trees. Kids climbed on the play area and jumped from here to there, as parents checked their smart phones for whatever updates were pulsing through from the ether. One grandmother took refuge on a bench and surveyed kids decades younger burn energy.

And then I thought: I think this is what my former colleague was talking about when she mentioned memories at Pine Lake Park.

Before we left, my kid stopped at one of those gray plastic climbing walls at the park. He scaled it to the top, making sure his footing was secure and calling for help when needed. I think it's the highest place he's managed to ascend on his own. He waved at people walking by. I snapped some photographs to, yes, capture the scene and help my memory remember the happy moment.

With the concert over, and the sun setting, it was time to head back to our house on the Eastside. After all, those online deadlines loomed. Daily life was waiting.

My son wants to return to the park when we have time.

-- Brad Wong, Sammamish Patch editor