Time-Honored Sledding Tradition at Tommy’s Pond
Grex and I went out to Tommy’s Pond yesterday for some sledding. Or is it sleigh-riding?
Lots more sledding pictures below! —>
Tommy’s Pond is covered with ice. It’s too thin for skating, but just once I’d love to try that. (Not that I own ice skates, mind you.)
To whomever built the moguls: THANKS!
The underside of his sled (it’s not a sleigh, in case you’re wondering why I call this “sledding” and not “sleigh-riding) is red, making a bit of an ominous blood-colored reflection in the snow.
Lots of kids were having fun on the moguls. I LOVE that today is the first day of the 2010 Olympics! Bookmark The New York Times Olympics Tracker by clicking here!
Grex on the mogul.
Sometimes I feel like capturing days like this just because sledding at Tommy’s Pond has been around for so long. David Trumbull Marshall describes sledding at the pond in his book “Boyhood Home in Old Metuchen,” which he wrote about his childhood here in the 1870s.
Mango! I LOVE that puppy’s name!
Such a sweet doggie.
I wanted to get a picture of her sledding but I had to leave in a rush. Are you going back today? Please? Please?
The mom who brought hot chocolate gets the “mom of the day” award!
I love this picture. Something about the way they’re sitting on that little hill, sharing hot chocolate in the snow, having a girls-only conversation — it takes me back, you know? (Not that I had very many hot-chocolate-in-snow-conversations when I was growing up in South Carolina.)
These girls know me from school and VBS.
They know the drill. I don’t even have to say “cheek-to-cheek” any more! I love that!
The hill is great for sledding after the Blizzard of 2010. Deep snow, packed down, with a layer of ice on top.
So fun!
That baby was throughly enjoying being outside. Her carrier was propped up against that tree to prevent a sudden ride down the hill.
I love documenting Metuchen things. This is such a great little town.
I was trying to get a cool shot of my buddy, Alex. Kinda missed it because those other kids flew down the hill right before Alex did.
The snow is so icy! Careful you don’t careen yourself into the pond!
There’s Alex! He looks pretty skilled on that sled!
I think the snow will be around for a while.
Nice afternoon light yesterday.
Didn’t see too many collisions. Watch out!
I think that might be a collision too.
Just don’t crash into the crazy lady with the camera, please…
…she said, as she jumped out of the way.
The heavier the sled, the faster it goes?…
… Or no sled at all! What’s your vote?
The whole Tommy’s Pond area looks so pretty in the snow
Love the light of the setting sun in this one.
Whoosh!
I really have to go snow tubing one of these days. That looks like so much fun!
The kids always have so much fun when there’s more than one kid on a sled.
And when the moms and dads ride too — the kids LOVE that!
Just don’t run into that…
… TREE!
Love you, Grex!
My sweetie!
So what do you think? Is there even a debate here? Who calls sledding sleigh-riding? Is that a Pennsylvania thing? Hmm. Somebody take me snow tubing!
For more Tommy’s Pond posts, click here.
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My family calls me "the mamarazzi."
Just found your website….such lovely photos….my parents, Bernie and Litty Axelrod moved to Metuchen in 1955. Our backyard had a white wooden fence bordering Tommy’s Pond…it was used for firewood one cold hockey-playing nite….I remember going to sleep to the slap-scrape sounds of the hockey puck and the players….the walk to the hill across the park was sometimes endless…the Borups lived in the brick house up on Franklin…
And skating….clearing the ice with snow shovels, being at the end of the whip..the flirting and skate parties as we got older…
Thanks for the memories….
WOW!!! Thank you so much for capturing a moment that I was sharing with my two boys. Top picture =) I’m thrilled because I never get to take pictures as often as I’d like. We are so lucky as a community to have such great talent. Thank you!!!
Thanks Lynn! So glad you found the blog post! Emailing you to see how I can get a print to you!
Awesome! I love the history (and, your contribution to it).
And it is sledding, or tobogganing. Sleigh riding is behind horses – says the girl from the great white north
See, that’s what I thought too, about the sleigh thing!
Jules – Absolutely LOVE the pic of Mango sticking his/her tongue out (3rd one down)….too cute!!
I love that dog!
There was a time when the Metuchen F. D. would flood Tommy’s pond at about 10pm so we could skate on a larger, smoother, pond the next day.
Also, Lake Ave. would be closed between High Street and Spring Street for sledding. This would only be done on the morning after a good sledding snow, and school was closed. Somewhere around 3pm they’d pick up the barriers (generally bales of straw on the Spring St. end and sawhorses on the High St. end) and plow Lake Ave.
This was circa 1958-1961.
Metuchen was REALLY a cool little town then.
WOW! That sounds AWESOME! Thanks, Les. I’d love to see pictures from that. Are you on Facebook? Do you know anybody who has old pictures of stuff like this? Thanks for posting your comment.
Yes, I’ve just recently joined Facebook.
Unfortunately I have no pictures of sledding on Lake Ave. and only know a few people who may. I’ll ask around.
BTW, sledding on Lake Ave. was discontinued as someone living there had a sick relative living with them who complained of the noise. Sledding was moved to Newman St… woo-hoo! That didn’t last long. The street was too narrow and the hill too steep. Anyone who remembers sledding on Newman St. will be able to show you a scar from that adventure.
NEWMAN Street? Wow! That DOES sound crazy! Grex and I were out again tonight. We tried some night sledding and had so much fun!
Ok, I have to chime in. It’s SLEDDING. Who told you this was called “sleigh-riding?” You don’t go to Wal-Mart to find a SLEIGH, you go to find a SLED.
So from the looks of things, Tommy’s Pond is the place to BE in Metuchen these days.
… must … go … buy … SLED.
LOL! I agree. There was a big argument on the radio the other day to which my response was, “Huh? Sleigh-riding?”
Hi Julie,
Love the pictures from Tommy’s Pond….Thank you!
Mango looks so beautiful! And you captured Annie and Molly doing what they do best…..best friends hangin’ and chattin’ it up.
I did go sledding with Mango after you left. Thanks for encouraging me. She loved it. I’ll send you a couple of pictures that my friend took.
Nancy