Splash Pad in Slayter Creek Park

Landon Sawyer, 11, ad Laurel Sawyer, 8, enjoy the water at Anna’s Splash Pad during hot temperatures.

Area youngsters enjoy Anna’s Splash Pad at

Slayter Creek Park

On one of the hottest days of the summer with temperatures soaring to 105, folks in the Anna area cool off at Anna’s splash pad.

Three-year-old Hayeli Carrion found a way to get through the 104 temperatures at the Anna Splash pad at Slayter Park. Laurel Sawyer 8, enjoys Anna’s Splash Pad on a hot day in Slayter Creek Park.

Young reader connects with FOOTBALL HERO

The temperature dipped a bit last week and it rained, leaving behind something I look forward to every year, the smell of football. Though it’s not quite football weather yet, the sound of helmets clacking (yes, they still let them hit one other occasionally) at our practice field this week takes me back to my youth, to a time when barefoot boys chased one another around front yards blanketed with cold St. Augustine grass, grappling and churning as five or six tried to pull down the one who was tightly holding on to a well-worn, leather football.

My love for football began through a series of events that happened when I was a first grader in 1961 Sequestered in a single hallway, first graders rarely left the classroom, except to and Julia were asking Mrs. Simpson about me. march down the hall to the cafeteria for lunch. Concerned, she walked down to the office to

One day, my teacher needed to send a check. The secretary told her I had been gone a message to the office. It was just down the hall, good fifteen minutes. Mr. Gooch, the princiand she often trusted a student to deliver her pal, was notified and soon the entire staff was notes. On this particular occasion I was chosen. looking for me. I never got to do this. I was elated! When they found me, I was halfway

Note in hand, I proudly walked out of the through chapter two. Mrs. Simpson saw me room, much to the chagrin of Carol and Julia, and her response was not a pretty sight. She two girls regularly chosen for such tasks. Seeing grabbed my cheeks between her thumb and the looks on their faces was especially pleasing fingers and pinched as hard as she could, as it seemed to me that their main objective jerking me to my feet. I felt like my eyes were daily was to notify our teacher anytime they about to pop out of my head when, to the thought I was doing something wrong. rescue came … the librarian!

I walked in the main office, handed the note She said, “Don’t you dare chastise that off to the hand reaching down over the counter. little boy – he just wants to read, and that’s a Mission accomplished, I turned and walked wonderful thing.” The librarian took me by the out. That’s when I noticed something I had hand and led me over to her desk. She scribbled never seen before – another hallway. something and then turned to me and said,

Before I knew it, I was walking down a long, “Here is your library card. Typically, you don’t empty hallway with no doors or classrooms. get one until you’re in the third grade, but beFinally, I came upon an open door, peeked in, cause you love to read, I’m going to let you have and saw a sight that I still vividly remember. one. You can check out books anytime you’d Every square foot of wall space, every cabinet like.” So I asked, “Can I check out this book?” … held books! I followed Mrs. Simpson back down the hall,

I could already read and I knew that a library proudly carrying my newly checked-out book. I was the magical place books came from. I made sure Carol and Julia saw it when I walked walked in, turned right past rows of books until in. I finished my book about Doak Walker a one book, sitting atop a shelf, caught my eye. couple of days later and stopped by the library. On the cover was a football player punting the I was told I could actually check out two books, ball. I read the title, Doak Walker, Three Time so I found another book, and also checked out All-American. Doak Walker, Three Time All-American again.

I sat on the floor, opened the book and In fact, I kept that book checked out until began reading. Back in the classroom, Carol I left that elementary school five years later. If

you looked at that library card, there was only one name – mine – on every line, because when it was due, I checked it out again. I practically had that book memorized.

A few years ago I drove by my elementary school and couldn’t resist – I stopped and went in. After hearing my story, principal led me down to the library. I had chills as I walked into the room that stood as a major point of demarcation in my life. I searched for my beloved book. In my mind I had envisioned finding it, opening the front cover and finding a worn card with my faded signature on every line, But Doak Walker, Three Time All-American was nowhere to be found.

He recommended I check used book sites, and after a long search, I finally found a copy. For a book published in the fifties, it was in good shape. I immediately read it, and every year I pull it down from a shelf and read it again. In fact, I read it again this week, because when the weather cools a bit and the smell of fresh grass fills the air, and boys and men dream of tackling and touchdowns, that’s what you do.

UNCLE SPIDER calls North Texas home, but has traveled all over the world, seeking adventures that might make for a good story. He’s also one of the owner/ operators of the GARHOLE in Westminster. Stop by and see him there, or email him at spider@garhole.net.