watch for fallen rock

for as long as i can remember our family went to the pocono mountains for vacations.  my parents had land there with the intention of building a house on it but at one point in their lives they needed the money more than a second home - and they sold it.  but still we went up - staying at the homes of other family or friends. 

i remember one trip in particular when we drove up with a neighbor.  i saw these signs along the road and asked her what "watch for fallen rock" meant.  i don't remember all the details but she told me a story about an indian that went missing and these signs were put along the road as reminders to watch out for him.

fast forward to adulthood and i'm sure its no surprise that i now know what the "fallen rock" signs really mean.

yesterday my husband and i drove up to check on our home up in the poconos.  everytime i drive by these signs i remember the story of the missing indian named fallen rock - and yesterday was no exception.  i like to pretend the story is true and try to imagine just how sad it was to lose Fallen Rock.  i start with the "watch for fallen rock" sign (which i noticed they don't have anymore on our particular route)  and i imagine the tribe of native americans placing these signs out of desperation (of course ignoring the fact that the making of these signs and the existing of native americans to this area are many many moons apart) then as each "fallen rock" sign passes by i can hear the mountains calling out for this special indian - with the wails getting louder and louder at each passing.  

while writing this post i decided to google fallen rock just to see if anything came up.  i was surprised and sooo pleased to see that it is actually a legend and not some cute story a creative neighbor told me 35 years ago! all these years i only remembered the tiniest bit about the story and now i can read the entire legend!  i also thought that fallen rock was a little boy - turns out it was a princess. 

i cannot remember if i've ever told the boys this legend.  they have never asked about the signs and my guess is that because the story is so foggy in my mind - i never offered the information.  but not anymore. 

i cannot wait to go to the mountains with my boys and my niece and nephew (or really anyone).  i will definitely point out the signs to them and share the legend of the indian princess with them.  my hope is that they will remember it their whole lives and share it with their children for years to come...as in the tradition of the real Native Americans.