May is my favorite month of the year. Spring is in full bloom. The winter has been left behind. The promise of summer is ahead. The flowers and trees are coming out. The weather is slowly getting warmer. It's one of the best months of the year for sporting events. There's a federal holiday ( Memorial Day) and a special holiday ( Mother's Day). The nights can still be cool and the days can be sizzling hot, but generally the weather is mild. The evenings gets longer and new life is everywhere. The air smells crisp and clean, not humid and musty. Here are my memories of may..
- Emerald green is the pretty birthstone of May. May reminds me of lilacs, the sweet scent in the air for several weeks. May is dogwood trees, pink and white, blooming in Valley Forge Park and thru-out the area. May means the dreary brown trees come alive with spring green color, like the world is a freshly-painted watercolor. The skies are blue and clear. May is generally damp too, rainy and sometimes cool. Phoenixville's Dogwood Festival takes place the third week in May- events in the park and a huge parade- and it usually rains that week. I know because I used to take my vacation the third week in May.
- Holidays abound in May. Mother's Day is sweet, a greeting card holiday. Flowers and candy were always staples on Mother's Day. Mom doesn't cook, going out to dinner in the afternoon, making early reservations. Memorial Day is a favorite because it signals the unofficial start of summer. First chance to barbecue or head down the shore. Three-day weekend. First holiday and day off from work since New Year's Day. Proms and graduations happen in May. So do weddings, christenings, anniversaries and birthdays. May is fun because it's a welcome break form the daily routine.
- I love May because of the abundance and variety of sports. Baseball is in full swing, with most teams still having a chance at glory. Hockey and basketball playoffs are intense. The Kentucky Derby is always an annual sign of spring, There's hope for a rare Triple Crown winner. The mint julips, the big hats, "My Old Kentucky Home.". The Indy 500 at the end of the month is also a May tradition, from the call of "Gentlemen, start your engines" to the tune "Back To Indiana."
- As noted. May is our Dogwood Festival. There's a county fair-like atmosphere in Reeves Park, with kiddie rides and fair food, carnival games and local residents filtering thru the park all week. The parade is fun on Saturday. Marching bands ( although not as many bands as when I was a kid), fire engines with sirens blaring, local politicians throwing candy from convertibles. The parade was always a highlight of the season, people lining Main Street with lawn chairs. The last float was usually the Dogwood Queen and her court, a high school girl who was crown in a Miss America-like pageant in April.
- Music in May reminds one of spring and good times. "While Strolling Thru The Park One Day"..I never understood the concept around the May Pole... There was always a May Queen in my church.. Now, Cinco de Mayo is a popular event in May, especially with the increasing Latino population. One of may's perks is the longer evenings. After work or dinner, time to spend outdoors, listening to the ballpark on the radio, having a cold drink in the backyard or on the front porch, taking a ride for ice cream before sunset, going for a brisk walk as the day cools into dusk. Evening staying light until after 8:00 was always special after a dark winter, and every long evening brought you that much closer to sweet summertime.
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