The waining days of summer

Those last hot days of summer remind me of my childhood and like most adults I tend to have somewhat “selective memory” choosing to remember the good things and times of my youth. I lived directly across the street from a municipal playground and base ball field so I needed only cross the street for access to swings, slides, sandboxes and a merry go round and a full sized base ball diamond. To make matters even better that field was used by the high school marching band for practice sessions in preparation for the fall football season. I remember many times waiting until the band was in formation on North Avenue behind the high school and following them to the field listening to the cadence of the drums as the marched to Hunter Field.


At the age of five it was what I considered an eternity before I was allowed to leave the back yard and go unattended to the play ground and ball field. Even then I was to be some where that I could be seen if my mother looked out the front windows of our house. If my dad would open a window and whistle I knew that was my signal to head for home. Likewise if I had not been called by the time the street lights came on in the evening I was to stop whatever I was doing and set my path for home. Funny the things that stay with you even years latter but like I said there is that selective memory.


I also lived in the last block on a street that ended in a dirt road that has once held tracks for a rail system for moving coal from a mine closed long ago. I could still see the rails and some of the ties in places where erosion had worn down the road over the years. This road ran through several hundred acres of wooded land that I would explore after I got older and enjoyed playing among the trees. There was also the remains of an old coal mine that could be entered after climbing a small hill along side the dirt road about a quarter mile from my house. Once in the mine tunnel you could go under ground to come out in an area that was to latter become the East Hills Shopping Center. I think if you wanted you could have gone all the way to Franks Town Road in Penn Hills. Now had my mother know about my exploration of that mine tunnel I would probably still be in my room to this day!

So now I reflect on those summer days of long ago as I build new memories from present times. Through God's grace I have three sons and two lovely grand daughters. Despite some health problems it has been a great summer in 2006. I look forward to the changing of the seasons although I have to admit that I am not now nor have I ever been a big fan of winter. For some reason snow and I just don't seem to get along the way green grass, sunshine and I do. Even when I was a kid I did not enjoy playing outside in the snow and the cold like others my age. I hope this has been a good summer for you and yours and that my musings have caused you to take pause and remember summers past from your childhood. If you have the same selective memory that I do I'm sure they were all good ones.