| The rites of spring 1940's were a special time. For | | | | regular basis. They could make a yo-yo walk and talk |
| the boys of the city cold winter meant school. If | | | | and wiggle on it's belly like a reptile. The idea being |
| there was a good snow we had our snowball fights | | | | you headed into the store and bought one. Most of |
| and long long hills to sled down. We even worked out | | | | us kept ours in a drawer from year to year and just |
| a way to hook onto the car bumpers to get a tow | | | | pulled the old one out. They looked better because |
| back up to say 10th street (10th & Dupont - | | | | the paint had been rubbed off the edges (doing walk |
| Wilmington, Del). Most of the winter though was | | | | the doggie). Even though you had an old yo-yo you |
| taken up with hangin- out when you could, school, | | | | still needed new string. And the string was sold in |
| and home. | | | | waxed paper envelopes containing three strings. |
| As the days started getting longer and warmer a | | | | There was all kinds of tricks you learned to develop |
| stirring to spend more quality time outside welled up | | | | and use with the yo-yo. Hours passed with a group |
| in all of us. Spring had sprung and it was time to set | | | | of guys yo-yoing. Walking the dog, around the world, |
| in motion those things we did since time began for | | | | rock the cradle etc, were important things we |
| us. I can't remember the exact order but it went | | | | learned as we chatted and pushed and put down one |
| something like this. | | | | another in a special way. I don't want to leave withut |
| Late March - Early April: The kite flying time. Kites | | | | mentioning the Duncan "Black Diamond". This baby |
| ranged anywhere in price from ten cents to a | | | | was all black with 6 simulated diamonds implanted |
| quarter. most of us got the ten centers. And of | | | | horizontally on each side of the yo-yo. This was the |
| course you needed string and a tail. My Dad worked | | | | top of the line. Very few of us had a Black Diamond. |
| at a factory where he had "access" to very large | | | | After all the cost fifty cents. |
| spools of nylon string. Man, I could put a kite a mile | | | | May: Mumbly Peg. You need to Google this because |
| out. And, that was neat, because as the wind died | | | | space does not permit me to go into this intricate |
| down and the kite began to sink it took everything | | | | past time. Somehow we all had access to a pen |
| you had to get that kite back to you before the | | | | knife. And every conceivable stunt that could be |
| thing went down somewhere. It was always a neat | | | | done with a penknife was done. The object being |
| past time. Kids would gather together run up the | | | | the last person in the competition to be the winner. |
| kites with each one trying to out do the other. And, | | | | The first trick was easy progressing to harder and |
| windy days of early spring were ideal for kite flying. | | | | harder until one person was left. No knife fights ever |
| Mid April - Early May: As sure as an atomic clock the | | | | broke out it was just another way we could pass a |
| kites disappeared and out came things like marbles. I | | | | morning. Please Google this. |
| hope you know what marbles are. If not please | | | | All through the spring until summer time were spent |
| Google. We had two games. One we drew a circle | | | | having a catch. Which involved two or three guys a |
| about 4 feet in diameter. A marble was placed in the | | | | ball and some baseball gloves. Fly balls, grounder and |
| middle of the circle and each of us took turns trying | | | | line drives were thrown and caught simulating and |
| to knock it out with our shooter marble. If you | | | | honing our skill to throw and catch a baseball. Water |
| missed or weren't successful your shooter stayed in | | | | pistols that the teacher kept until the last day of |
| the circle. This allowed another person to knock your | | | | school. Baseball Cards and flipping cards to win some |
| shooter out of the circle- and keeping it. This way | | | | more. Tossing pennies against a wall. I don't know |
| you either lost all of your marbles and went home. Or | | | | how we had time to grow-up. |
| you won a few and went home. | | | | There had to be many more forms of recreation we |
| The other game of marbles involved shallow holes, | | | | had but these came on a cyclical basis. Just like clock |
| (pockets) dug in the dirt 4 - 5' apart. The object | | | | work. These games were pulled out and put back on |
| being to successfully put your marble in hole #1 and | | | | some mysterious schedule. Prepared by who, I don' |
| proceed to #2, #3 etc until you reached the | | | | know. Along with the games we also learned to get |
| finish.Kind of like a miniature golf played with marbles. | | | | along with one another. And, without parental |
| I believe you were also able to knock you | | | | interference or participation. How could we learn to |
| competitor away from getting near a hole. | | | | play and have fun without parents? The Shadow |
| Mid May - Late May: Yo-Yo's. The Duncan yo-yo | | | | Knows. |
| company had Philipino yo-yo demonstrators. These | | | | Stay tuned for the High Dive next. |
| guys would hit all of the candy stores in town on a | | | | |