Day 254 - Chevy Chase, MD

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My old house on Glendale Road

Growing up in the 1950's in Chevy Chase, the childhood I had there was so different from the ones kids experience today.  My friends and I would roller skate in the street (remember those metal skates with the key?), ride our bikes everywhere, play in each others' backyards, and spend nearly every waking hour outdoors.  The mothers were all stay-at-home moms, so if ever there was a problem, like getting stung by a bee or a fall resulting in bloody knees, a yell by any kid on the street would bring the mothers running.  At dinner time, moms leaned out the door and rang a dinner bell or just called for the kids.  There was always a pitcher of Kool-aid in the fridge, and snacks were handed out to any child in the yard, whether they lived there or down the street.

Purple Allium

From first grade on, I walked the route to school each day.  My siblings and friends would walk with me, toting our book bags (no backpacks then).  We did not have cell phones.  We were not driven to school.  We walked, rain or shine or snow.  The only time we rode a school bus was when we took a field trip to the zoo.

Today, I walked down memory lane by parking at my old house on Glendale Road in Chevy Chase.  The street looks pretty much the same, but the trees are bigger.  The streets are lined with neat colonials made of brick or stone, with an occasional stucco or tudor style in the mix.  The yards are lush and full and well manicured. 

We lived in the house on Glendale for the years that I was in first grade through sixth grade.  All of those years I attended Chevy Chase Elementary, commonly called Rosemary, for the name of the street it is on.

This is where I found my mitten!

I walked up Woodbine, recalling sledding down the street in winter, and trick-or-treating at the homes at Halloween.  It was funny that the only houses I really remembered well were those that had kids I played with.  I do not recall the names of any of the neighbors that did not have kids.  I passed by the Shearins, where we swam in the summer in the pool behind their house.  At the top of Woodbine, I turned left on Connecticut Avenue, to walk the several blocks to Rosemary.  Along the way, I remembered the time I found my lost mitten.  It was under a layer of ice in the road, having been flattened under the packed snow by cars running over it, probably for several days.  I dug it out of the ice and carried it, stiff as a board and five times larger than normal, to lay on the radiator at school to thaw.

I passed the church where the best rummage sales in the world were held.  For 25 cents, you could buy any number of treasures.  They were held on Thursday afternoons, making it a great place to stop and linger and look for things like comic books and old brooches and toy cars.  Cookies and fudge and Rice Krispie Treats were also a nickel.

Rosemary School

Another memory that was sparked as I was walking was that of the Candy Lady.  There was an old woman who loved to invite the children into her house and let them dip into her jar of penny candy:  Mary Janes, Dots, Jujubees, fireballs, and peanut chews.  We'd stop there about once a month, and she loved the company.  I don't recall her name, and she was a stranger to my family, and nowadays, she would be viewed with much suspicion for having kids into her home.  Times were so different then.  I could not figure out which was the house of the Candy Lady along Connecticut Avenue.  I'm sure it has been completely remodeled by new owners.

My patrol corner

I crossed Connecticut and continued down Rosemary Street.  As I was walking, I remembered how proud I was to be a school patrol, helping students to safely cross the streets.  I wore a wide white belt with a badge; the belt had to be scrubbed with Comet and a brush to keep it in pristine condition.  As I neared the school, a parent was parking and walking briskly to the school.  I asked her if it was time for school to be letting out, and she said no, that she was on her way to an ice cream social for the school patrols.  They still have them!!  I told her I was a patrol myself 50 years ago, and she told me that I should come in for the social.  Alas, I wanted to continue my walk, but I was pleased to be asked.

The Best Rummage Sales Ever

The entire walk to the school took 20 minutes, and it was a beautiful time of year to be doing it.  The azaleas were in bloom, grass was plush and green, flowers were abundant, and new leaves were on the trees.  I enjoyed the walk back as much as I did the walk there.

For a little while today, I felt again like that fourth grader, walking to school.  We never took a different route; we always stayed on the same side of the street.  After all, the shortest route home meant I could get home sooner and organize a game of croquet.  It was a sweet walk down memory lane.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
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Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so