#16 Elementary Playground
This shot contains a ton of memories for me. As a student at Williams Elementary, I spent a ton of time in, around, and dangling off the edge of this half-sphere.
I also lived across the street from Williams - far in the background, those trees guide a bike path along the Flint River. I rode that path many times through the woods and out to the McDonalds on Dort Hwy.
To the right of the image is a small basketball court with now-missing backboards. They were a very sturdy steel, but it looks like someone unbolted them - probably for scrap metal. In sixth grade, I spent a lot of time getting picked last to play ball on that court.
Looking at the bottom half of the power tower reminds me of a few friends that would climb nearly half way up. I didn't quite have the balls to pull that off.
Looking through the metal sphere you will see two yellow swinging gates in the background which were quite a blast to ride - the posts that they are mounted to are cemented on an angle, so when you pull the gates back, they become elevated, just let go and hang on tight for the ride.
Moving beyond those gates and a little East, there is a large plain which turned into a swamp during certain months. It was a toad breeding ground haven. Every summer we'd catch toads and tadpoles here, and them bring them home to a container in our back yard.
© 2011-2012 Shane Gramling
