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.