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A gentle summer rain began falling as I rushed from the grocery store to my car. As I slid behind the wheel shaking off my cute little designer umbrella, I had "a moment". One of those moments when the past comes rushing in and you are all but removed from your surroundings. A moment in time from long ago, a moment from childhood.

I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. Shutting out the noise of todays world relishing in the memories of rainy summer days of my youth. Sitting there in my little red convertible as if asleep I thought back to nearly fifty years ago. Gently gathering those memories that had drifted away in my hectic world.

A gentle summer rain was the opportunity to race on my bike through the puddles. Hair plastered against my forehead as little streams of water ran down the strands eventually dripping in my eyes. I didn't worry about my clothes or my hair getting wet, and best of all neither did my Mother. Stomping through the puddles watching worms inch along the sidewalk, floating leaves in the stream running along the curb. I have missed those days and the sweet smelling summer rain of my childhood. How did I allow myself to forget these simple pleasures of childhood?

Growing up in my family, my home, my neighborhood was nothing less than wonderful, I was one lucky kid back in the sixties. The days of summer gave way to a carefree, uncomplicated life filled with things to do. Bored was not a word in my world back then. Once we built a club house and posted a big red sign stating "No Boys Allowed". We hung curtains and drank kool-aide from tall aluminum glasses. Assuming the role of fine southern ladies enjoying lemonade on the veranda.

There were times we would fill up a canteen and drape a sheet over the clothes line pretending we were camping in the wilderness. In this make believe world our dog Fraps was the big grizzly bear we feared. A wonderful pet, he would waddle up when called and when we screamed in pretend terror he would growl and saunter away. When his need for an after noon nap took hold we then pretended we had tamed this fearsome animal. When he tired of our game he would contently curl up inside the confines of our "tent" and fall asleep.

The changing of seasons in my childhood seem to always bring me pleasure. The Fall meant leaf piles to hide in then jump out at the kids walking by. Knowing we had to rake the leaves up later to be burned it was still worth the effort. The sixties did not have a ban on burning leaves

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