A few weeks ago, my wandering mind strolled back beyond fifty years to Old Orchard Road. Our house was at the very end of this little street. I guess cul de sac is what real estate ads would call it today, but it wasn't that fancy. Although there was no sign to label it, Old Orchard Road was a dead end.Our driveway was at 10 o'clock off what our parents called
the circle. Apple trees were everywhere a house wasn't. A particularly good climbing one was smack dab in the middle of
the circle. It's branches were our look-out and it's large lumpy trunk was home base for lots of our games. There were five kids in the house next door and two of their cousins lived a couple of houses away. Add my brother and me to make nine. But there were always a few more..either our school friends or kids from the neighborhood "over the stonewall" behind our house.
Summers were the best. After dinner we kids would gather.
Rocks, nearly boulders, edged
the circle and were perfect perches for planning. Would we ride bikes? Climb trees? Have an apple fight? Or would we race and run and hide playing
Ringolevio? It seemed like hours and hours before dark. And with dark came fireflies, which for some reason we called "lightning bugs".
Then either our kid-calling bell would clang or the mother of five would shout their names in birth order. And home we went...with our skinned knees, mosquito bites, and magical blinking jars.
These three paintings came from those memories..................a fourth is in the works.
they are 11x14 in acrylic using frisket for masking
The Old Orchard
11 x 14
150.
Ringolevio
11 x 14
150.
In A Blink
11 x 14
150.
