The Rink

Here I go!  For some reason the skating rink was on my mind while mowing the lawn.  I have no idea  why but it did give me a lot of fun things to remember.  Remember the cute little skirts with tights?  The first skating rink I skated  at was next to the Shinglehouse Fire Hall. I believe it was used as the gym and basketball games before the high school was built.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  I only went there a few times and was quite young, my teen years were at the Ceres Skating Rink.  What I remember about the one in Shinglehouse was the "cake skate". Keith Learn was my partner and we won a cake.  Not sure how the game was played but I believe it was when the music stopped  we were on the right spot.  Doesn't matter because Keith took the cake!  The ladies tried to get him to share but no go.  I'm sure if I asked him today he wouldn't remember.  Girls have a better memory than boys, we are much more emotional.  Even as adults we tend to "over react" or "worry to much" at least that is what my husband says I do.  My answer, what ever!  Back to skating.  The next major disaster was at the Ceres Rink.  I was 15 and wearing a new winter white sweater and matching wool slacks (blue jeans were not in style).  Who wears winter white to a dirty skating rink?  Maybe a teenage girl trying to impress a teenage boy?  Plus I didn't plan on falling.  I was a slow, careful skater and could  not skate backwards, less than average but careful. I knew how to stop which was important to me.  Ok so the clothes.  Billy Henderson was one of those "Hot Rod Skaters"  (he was not the one I wanted to impress). Billy was awesome on skates, forward, backward, turns and what ever he wanted to do.  He was fast, very, very fast!  When the TV show Happy Days started "the Fonz" could have been Billy Henderson!   He was just that cool.  So it happens, a kid couldn't stop,  hit me from behind and down I go belly smacker style.  Billy was skating backwards and skates right over my back!  He was so good he never fell, he stayed "cool" made another trip around the floor and stopped to help me up.  Teenage me was so humiliated and embarrassed!  Roller skate wheel marks across my back and the front of my outfit a grungy gray.  Now it doesn't seem life shattering now but that night it was.  It  seemed like weeks the kids picked on me.  Would that be called bullying these days?  Probably, but then we sucked it up and for me I usually gave them that very special salute.  Oh, the boy I was trying to impress?  Dickie Bryant ♡  I can't remember not having a crush on him from the first time I watched him ride in the Horse Shows.  It took a while but at 15 he started coming around.

Tradition passed to our oldest kids for skating in Ceres. By then I  understand my mom complaining about having to stay up late to pick me up.  I felt the same way waiting to leave at 10:45 to get there at 11pm when skating was over.  I always said for some reason my kids were the last ones out!  I would set there and watch many kids come out and finally there mine were.   The skating rink has been gone for many, many years.  It provided fun times and great memories for kids from all the little towns in our area.

Finally blue sky with those big, beautiful white clouds are here.  The temperature was 65 on our way to Olean and 2 hours later 74.  I call this kind of day great traveling weather, windows down, no air conditioning and the wind blowing my hair every which way. Feeling free!  Taking a break before pickling more beets with a refreshing breeze coming through the house is just a perfect  day.  We have waited a long time for days like this.  A good sign was seeing farmers have the hay fields cut and raked ready to bale.  With some good days ahead the horses and cows will get the hay needed for winter.

Our zinnias are beautiful.  Dick's sister gave us the  seeds, we haven't planted zinnias in years.  Sorry we missed out on some easy growing colorful flowers.  They will be on the seed list for next spring.

 A few years back Mike Simons gave us 10 Dahlia bulbs. Every fall we dig them,store in the cool dark room in our basement, divide them in the spring and plant.  I have lost count on how many we plant each spring.  I do know we will be planting on all four sides of the house next spring.  From inside the house to outside we are surrounded by gifts from family and friends.  It would be quite bare without our treasures from others.  Remember ♡ "Pass it On" ♡

Supper out tonight, as in the backyard!  Our first fire roasted corn of the season.  Not our garden corn but it was good.  Red and Trudy style burgers and that was enough.  Corn was the main course.  Watching the fire and listening to Clara Creek roll along makes it hard to stay awake.  Unfortunately the bats decided to swoop by.  In the house for me!

Corn roasting and hamburger cooking ♡