This is the house I lived in. It looks so much different now. The landscaping was beautiful before. There were bushes against the house, out by the street, and a tree by the street in the front yard (not the one that is there now). My tree was more to the left. I used it for shade in the summer. My brother used to chase me out of the house in my bare feet in the evening, because there would be snails covering the yard then. We watched fireworks from the front yard, and we all would hang out in the evening and play "ditch", using the entire street as our hiding place.
This is the library/firehouse just around the corner. I walked here all the time to check out books. This is where I read everything I could get my hands on about Hellen Keller, or horses. They also used to have these wonderful plum trees that all of the people in the neighborhood could come and pick. I picked a grocery bag full once.
This is the gate to my elementary school, also around the corner from our house. This is where Dad and Steve picked me up to tell me that I had a little brother. I immediately started crying. See, Steve and I had a praying contest going...I was praying for a sister, and he was praying for a brother. He "won". And he was standing behind Dad with a smirk on his face. Don't judge me too harshly. I was only 7.
See the tree in this yard? Well, when it was only a sapling, Mrs. Mauriello (across the street) would use it to communicate to the kids in the neighborhood whether or not we could swim in their pool. A red flag meant no (there was rarely a red flag), a yellow flag meant bring a parent, and a green flag meant kids could come anytime. I remember being afraid that Jaws was in the deep end. Oh, and the infamous Louis and Glen lived here. Louis, the older brother, would get out his pellet gun and give Glen the count of 10 to run. He usually started shooting at around 8. It's amazing Glen ever survived.
The view of my street. I believe that's Mt. Baldie in the background.
Cathy's house. Her dad was a little grumpy, but he always wanted me to play the piano for him.
Maria's house. She always had the coolest room. And she's the first person I ever knew who "travelled." She went to Hawaii!
Our poor neighbors. I can't tell you how many times we had to ask if we could get our basketball out of their pool.
Pricilla Payne's house. She was actually a direct decendant of Pricilla on the Mayflower...you know, the Pricilla and John story? "Speak for yourself, John...." She was also my piano teacher. Very patient woman.
I know I'll probably never be able to go back to this street, but being able to take a "virtual walk" is the next best thing.
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