Weeping Willow

I went for a short bike ride today after I finished up my work week. I rode west on the trail, under Jordan Creek Drive, just south of a line of homes lined by trees. One is a large weeping willow. I started thinking about a similar tree that had a big impact on my life.

When I was growing up, we treated our neighbors' yards like our own. There were few fences back then. The Duttons had a fence and we decided the big rock in the back yard must be the grave stone of old Mrs. Dutton's departed husband. We'd stand on a rung of the fence and peer in between the ivy. The Browns had a partial fence too, to protect their garden. Most of the others on our side of the block (it was a big one) had wide open yards. We traipsed through all of them.

The first next door neighbors I remember at 202 Crombie were the Germains - Jack and Phyllis with their children, Margie, Dorothy, Johnny and Barbie. They were all older than me and they moved away when I was little. I didn't know it - but Phyllis was something of a celeb!

Golf Hall of Fame
Phyllis Germain

She once beat Babe Didrickson in a golf game. Her daughter, Dorothy went on to play professional golf too. I didn't realize her sister-in-law was one of her competitors. Perhaps that is how she met Jack, her husband.

When the Germains moved away, a family named the Mahoneys moved in briefly. The only thing of note that I remember about them is that one of their kids burned or threatened to burn one of us with a car cigarette lighter and Dad got really mad and punched him.

Then the Reinertsons moved in. Their kids were one grade older or younger than each of us. Plus they had a boy - Donnie stuck in there. They were great neighbors and we entertained each other better than any electronics ever could. In nice weather we rarely went indoors. There was a sandbox and our playhouse and the "woods" near our house. Technically the woods couldn't really be considered woods - more like a 7 yard wide strip of trees, bushes and undergrowth. We could be anything there - pioneers, space explorers, secret agents. I loved climbing trees.

Reinertsons had a pretty nice swing set with jungle gym bars plus that willow tree. It was like a siren - calling to us. "Swing on me!" We used the branches for a variety of things. Whips, of course. I'm sure Mom had to solve many a whip-related incident. We also made them into bridles when we played horses. Susi broke her wrist swinging off the tree - so that activity became taboo!

The willow tree in West Des Moines doesn't look like it gets that much action. It can dream though.

Water Park in WDM

Bike trail signs help direct me. This one runs along EP True just north of the mall

I liked my little ride down memory lane. I'd forgotten what cool neighbors we had. I'm looking forward to getting to know our new neighbors here.