“Night is certainly more novel and less profane than day.”
Warm weather is coming. Starting tomorrow we’ll have 60+ degrees for most of the week. Given my penchant for falling, I’ll forego clicking my heels in the air to celebrate. A yay will just have to do.
I walked most places around town even when I was a teenager. None of my friends had their own cars and most of our families had only the one, the one our fathers drove. I remember walking home at night by myself. I was never afraid because we hadn’t learned fear. I never rushed because I loved those night walks, especially in the summer. The air was always warm, the sky covered by stars and night birds sang me home. Circles of light were on the sidewalks courtesy of the streetlights. Few cars were on the road. Houses were always lit and most of the time I could hear TV’s. Sometimes I could even see the flickering black and white screens.
The furthest walk I had was from the diner at the end of the square. I used to belong to a drill team, St. Patrick’s Shamrocks, and we had practice at Recreation Park twice a week in the summer during the competition season. There were no lights at that field so practice ended when it got dark. After practice, we’d walk from the field to the diner for a brownie and a coke. For the walk home, my friends went in the opposite direction, and I walked by myself.
During one late walk, a police car stopped beside me. It was driven by my friend’s brother who offered me a ride home. I took it. He turned on the blue lights just as we got close to my house. He walked me to the door. I can only imagine what my neighbors were thinking.
Those long ago walks gave me a love for the night, and I sit on the deck at night with Gracie beside me. The sky is filled with stars, the night birds sing and peepers from the pond at the end of the street join their chorus. Sometimes I even fall asleep on the lounge with Gracie at my feet.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: blue police lights, drill practice, family car, night walking, police car ride, Recreation Park, singing birds, St. Pat's Shamrocks, starry skies, streetlights, walking, warm weather coming
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May 3, 2015 at 1:36 pm
I would never dare to walk home after dark in my old home town if I was young today. Gang wars has destroyed so much and there are killings several times every year. So far I think eleven have died by getting shot. Some of those victimes just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t care if gang members kill each other but when innocent people does it’s awful
Back in the days however I never did mind if I had to walk at night. When I was a bit older and had been to town and perhaps slightly drunk and just missed the streetcar and/ or bus home I just walked. Could be over ten miles but if the night was warm who cared 🙂 I used to walk through the fancier areas and if it was the right time of year I might nick an apple or pear if the trees grew close to the sidewalk 🙂 🙂
Warm weather will come to us on Tuesday they say. Today was not bad at all but we had too many clouds. The laundry dried fast though. I’ve spent the entire evening writing down last years road association meeting. I had a small battle with the printer and once again I had to print out all in dark blue instead of black 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
May 3, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Christer,
We are far apart in age so I think my night was safer for walking in the dark and it was also a small town. I don’t even know if they ever had a murder.
I loved waling home in the coolness of a summer night. When I was in Ghana, even the capital shut down at night, and I loved walking back to the hostel. Lanterns were lit as people sat on chairs talking almost in whispers. There were few cars. Now I wouldn’t dare walk home.
I can hardly wait for the warmth starting tomorrow. I get to wear a short sleeve shirt for the first time.
Have a wonderful evening!
May 3, 2015 at 1:59 pm
It was always safe when I was younger, today Gothenburg is an awful city to live in just because of the gang wars.
May 3, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Christer,
The cities here have gangs and we might have a few wannabes but mostly we’re free of gangs here on the cape.
May 3, 2015 at 1:47 pm
Hi Kat,
I walked everywhere as a teenager, too. Summer nights walking home from uptown were the best. I had two choices. One was along a main road with little mom and pop shops that were usually closed. But if it was late, there would at least be lights. The other choice was along a road that was undeveloped at that time. It ran through the flood plain of a little river so there were always critters. This was my usual choice because it seemed so wild in the middle of my suburban town. Nowadays it’s all built up but there are bigger, wilder creatures here now than there were then. I’m not sure I would walk it at night or in the very early morning now.
Today has turned full sun from full cloud. It’s still a little cool but lovely. I have watered the grass seeds. Possibly a futile exercise but nevertheless. The dogs were playing in the yard for a long while. Now they are in. PD is on the couch with me and Rocky is sitting in his window. It’s all very peaceful and quiet.
Enjoy the day.
May 3, 2015 at 2:17 pm
When I was in junior high and later high school I didn’t have a car or a driver’s license and my friends and I walked everywhere and took public transportation. I actually started taking flying lessons at the old Flushing airport in Queens. I used to take the bus to get to the airport and back home. Of course I was flying a 1945 J3 Cub. This airplane had two seats, a 65 Hp engine and no electrical system. The instructor had to swing the propellor to start the engine. It only had five instruments not counting the fuel gauge. Compass, altimeter, tachometer, oil pressure and oil temperature. The gas tank was in front of the windshield between the pilot and the engine and the gauge was a wire that stuck up through the gas cap with a float at the bottom. As you used the fuel the wire would go down into the tank. In the summer we flew with the window and door open but the maximum speed was only 60 MPH. Flying the Cub above an Interstate highway trucks would pass you below without a headwind.
Today would be a perfect day to fly a Cub. Clear skies, light winds and moderate temperature.
May 3, 2015 at 2:31 pm
Bob,
My town didn’t have public transportation at night and during the day there were just a few busses which went to the next town or to the nearest subway station so walking was it. Even with a license, we didn’t have cars-the family car was usually out of bounds.
What a great memory! Considering you chose flying as a career, those first lessons will always be ingrained in your memories.
Except for the moderate temperature, today seems much like your day!
May 3, 2015 at 2:27 pm
Hi Caryn,
Around here I would still walk at night-not on the main roads but the smaller ones. I used to walk around 9 or 10 every night before I hurt my back. I’d do al least a mile. I would have enjoyed your critter road.
We have ad it the same. A while back the clouds rolled in but have since rolled away and the sun is back. Gracie has been in and out all day, a sure sign of good weather. Both cats are sleeping, but I think that is all cats do.
Have a great evening!
May 3, 2015 at 7:45 pm
In those days the critters were raccoons, skunks, owls and bats, some cats. Nowadays it’s those plus coyotes, deer, fisher cats, foxes. Much bigger and problematical. Except for the deer, maybe. I’m always very alert when walking around my neighborhood in those crepuscular hours.
May 3, 2015 at 8:56 pm
Caryn,
The wild turkeys are now plentiful. I never saw any when I was a kid. I know the cape has deer but I haven’t seen any in a long time. The rest of the critters we share.
May 3, 2015 at 2:32 pm
Bob’s remarks reminded me of the days of the old Red Bank NJ airport, which was near a major road known as Route 35. As a kid I remember seeing the planes come in for a landing as we drove along the road…you could almost reach out and touch the planes. I am surprised there were no accidents…or at least none that I can recall…
And walking? Never one of my favorite activities…but I DO remember riding my bike all over and experiencing much the same as you did, Kat.
I need another AdultTrike… 🙂
May 3, 2015 at 2:41 pm
Coleen,
I would have enjoyed watching the planes. Once we walked to Logan from my grandparents’ house, several miles away, and stayed for hours. My parents were horrified when they found out.
Once I hit my teen years, I didn’t do much bike riding. It was walk or nothing so I walked.
An adult trike would be wonderful!
May 3, 2015 at 2:56 pm
Last Monday we were out near the DFW airport and had an hour to kill so we went to Founder’s plaza. It’s a public viewing area on the Northwest end of the airport including a memorial to the American Airline flight crews who died on 911. The plaza includes covered areas with picnic tables, binoculars and ATC radio piped in over speakers. I was amazed at the number of people who parked and watched the air traffic activities on a weekday afternoon.
May 3, 2015 at 4:59 pm
Bob,
Chatham Airport has a restaurant which is popular because people love to watch the small planes take off and land.
In Ghana, the airport used to have a good restaurant, and we’d go there once in a while to sit by the big windows to watch the planes.
May 3, 2015 at 4:43 pm
Doesn’t the expression “free range kids” just make you want to cry?
May 3, 2015 at 4:50 pm
im6,
What made me cry even more was social services going after the parents for neglect.
May 3, 2015 at 4:53 pm
I know what you mean. I *try* to understand, but I really have a hard time. Yes, I know times have changed, but helicopter parenting isn’t the answer either.
May 3, 2015 at 4:57 pm
im6,
The Globe had a column by a mother who drove her daughter to ballet all the time. Her friend let her own daughter ride the T so this mother decided to let her daughter do the same. She was apprehensive but her daughter handled it all perfectly, even when she had to make a train change which was unexpected. The column also mentioned how few a number of kids are snatched by strangers. More are taken by parents.
How will these other kids with hovering parents learn to be independent?