Posts
I'm not feeling it.
Spring officially arrived nearly two weeks ago, but I'm not feeling any symptoms of spring fever - haven't for years. I've come down with some serious cases of playoff fever while following the Red Wings, the Pistons and even the Tigers in recent years. I've certainly suffered through annual cases of cabin fever during our long, gray winters. I even caught a brief, mild case of boogie fever a couple of years ago, when I dug out and played an old Bee Gees album.
We all take precautions to avoid catching the flu, but spring fever is something that everyone wants to catch and I, somehow, sometime, seem to have developed an immunity to it! And I'm more than a little concerned. Listening to the first Tiger exhibition broadcasts from Lakeland on my RCA transistor radio used to bring it on. Brown grass peaking out from under the melting blankets of snow on the lawns on Hinton used to bring it on. Sunny mornings walking to St. Cyprian School used to bring it on. Lots of things used to give me spring fever ...
- Buds on the trees in Memorial Park
- "Open Soon" on the marquee of the Fort George Drive-In
- The plywood being removed from the windows of Bob Jo's
- The slightly rusty chain (from spending a damp winter unused in the garage) of my Evans bike
- Radio advertisements for Boblo Island
- Newspaper ads for Keds and Red Ball Jets
- My first glass of grape Kool-Aid of the season
What about you? What gave you spring fever when we were growing up Downriver? Do you still get spring fever? If you do, what triggers your symptoms now?
Send me your Downriver spring fever memories, or post some here. Let's start an epidemic of seasonal smiles and optimism. It sure beats hay fever, which - unfortunately - I still get!
Hi Dan: I remember the cool, dark, earthy aroma of the garden shop of the K-Mart on Eureka Road in Southgate. Didn't like going on errands with my dad but I loved going there. A sure sign of spring. So was the root beer stand on Jefferson on the way to Elizabeth Park in Trenton.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan! I had forgotten about the root beer stand ... and you made me remember Affholter's Creamery - the best homemade ice cream. Blue Moon was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteIn my community, the city of Allen Park, spring is something that is well charished too. However, in Allen Park there is a problem. For us Allen Park residents the problem has to do with the roller hockey rink located in Champaign Park right by our Allen Park High school. Our roller hockey rink that everyone of all ages loves to play on is limited due to the fact that we dont have lights in the roller hockey rink. About five years ago, the roller hockey rink was in a different location in Champaign Park, and it had lights included. At that time we had roller hockey leagues for Allen Park, and people oculd just play pick up games all day and night. Now, in the new location, time is limited. With no lights in the rink the roller hockey leagues were removed, because there wasnt enough time in the day to play. Also, now for pick up games we cant play very long because it will get dark. For those of us who have to work, we mostly cant play at all. Something needs to be done and we need to reach out and fight to get the lights back to the new rink.
ReplyDelete