Summer on Maple Hill

Jimio with Tractor and Red Wagon to carry Missy and Mindy

Its amazing I can still remember the Summers on Maple Street like they were yesterday. Our House was high on top of a hill and the driveway went around it. Me Brad and Missy and Mindy plus a few neighbor kids would ride our bikes, tricycles and a tractor around the house while somebody played traffic cop and signaled who had to stop and who could go. I gave rides for the girls and sometimes only the stuffed animals and dolls would ride along. As we passed by the garage, there was a older boy named David [we called him Crazy David] and he would throw ice cream at us from the roof of the garage. It was ok if you could catch enough ice cream in your hand and eat it. There was this guy across the street who made balsa wood airplanes and they had little gas engines on them. He hung them from his living room ceiling and it was awesome for a little 5 year old dude like me sitting there on the couch and staring at them all. One summer this guy came by on a horse and was taking pictures of kids on his horse for like $3 or $5 a photo. He had these cowboy outfits we could wear and my brother and sisters all had our pictures taken. I have the pics somewhere, I must dig them up some day. I remember walking on the sidewalk and I said "Hi" to this kid and he punched me right in the face. Dont know why but I went running home crying all the way ;-] I guess he just wanted to prove he was tuff. Im glad I had many more good memories than bad ones. One was looking out my Grandma's bedroom window late at night and seeing her with Momio and Dadio out on the back lawn with the Tahiti Torches burning and Nat King Cole playing on the record player. I could even hear the clinking of the ice cubes in their mixed drinks.

Perfect Time to Fly a Kite

Mother  and Young Daughter out on a Windy August Day

I always thought of March as the time to fly a kite but it seems this Mom and her young Daughter found a breezy day in August as the perfect time. It definately was more warmer than March and the smell of the grass and plants and flowers was being whisked into our nostrils from the wind whipping through the neighborhood. What I found so wonderful was, the young child actually flew the kite herself for quite a little while. Her only complaint was mainly from the bright sun making her eyes squint and blocking her view of the Blue and Yellow Bird flying over her head. It's nice to see a young Mom with her Daughter enjoying themselves and getting exercise at the same time instead of being Kooped Up inside the house watching TV or playing Video Games.

The Lure of a Neon Sign

This Neon Sign been on this building probably longer than I've been alive

Neon Signs, they call out to us in the dawn or dusk. In the rain, sleet, snow and fog they guide our way to the Pubs, Bars, Taverns, Restaurants,Diners,Massage Palours,Hardware Stores, Tanners and a whole bunch of other places. Many stores use neon signs now. They are shaped like Cars, Guitars and even Dogs n Cats. Anything to catch our eyes. There is even many songs about neon signs. I suppose it has to do with all the things you can do in a building with a neon sign. The possibilities are limitless. Artists captures neon signs in paintings and directors used them in movies to get that certain look. A look of desparation or loneliness. A look of calmness and celebration. Each neon sign invokes it's own emotion. Once you find the Neon Sign that suits your taste, you go inside the building and discover smaller neon signs taunting and teasing you, forever emblazened on your retinas. Their images are still there even though your eyes are closed. Well the Roxy Cafe enticed me at least 2 or 3 times to engage in a gastronomical festival. Roxy Cafe has been named the best place to have breakfast in Jackson Magazine. I had the best pancakes and omlets there, thats for sure. One thing that bothers me is I am having a difficult time finding any history about the Roxy Cafe. For as long as it has been around I thought for sure there must be something. Maybe I should chat with the owner. He might know if there was something there before the restaurant or when the Roxy came into being and the wild times there, since I saw a sign that said, "Motorcyclists Welcome" on the sidewalk. Maybe that is for the Robin's Roost, a Bar that is next door in the same building. Hopefully I can dig something up and repost it here or in a new post. There is just too much history at the Roxy Cafe to overlook!