Happy May Day!

MayDay! MayDay! Happy May Day!

It's May Day, the first of May. Years ago when we moved to the house on 106th Street where Grandpa & Grandma Russell lived until they died, I was in the 5th grade and transferred to the old East Central Elementary School. At that time it was a small country school outside of the Tulsa School system and they still did the things that small country schools did.


I had seen pictures of May Day activities, but had never been involved in one. Until I went to East Central. They did it up big! May poles all over, and all the kids in the school participating in wrapping the May Poles with all the bright stringers.


I wish I had some pictures from those days, but even if I did they would be in black and white. I found a couple of pictures of may pole events on the web -- maybe just enough so you can imagine what we did at East Central.


Imagine this -- on May Day when I was in the 5th grade, they had a big event at the East Central football field. Hundreds of people came (at least it looked like hundreds at that little football field). And all the kids were dressed up in their bright spring colors and involved in the May Pole fun.

That was the last one, for whatever reason. They didn't do it when I was in the 6th grade. And by the next year the school system had been merged into the Tulsa Public School system and the old country fun went away.

We're leaving soon to drive to St. Louis for a big birthday weekend with Joanne and Mike. I'll ask her if she has any pictures from those days. (I remembered to ask -- but she didn't know of any such pictures. Oh well, just enjoy the downloaded pictures here)

Don't forget that this Thursday, May 3, is Joanne's birthday! We won't get there until Friday, but we'll all be celebrating all weekend. More news about that later this weekend.