"Third Saturday Sketchabout"

When you drive east on the main street in Kennewick, Washington, aka., "Kennewick Avenue," you come to a stop sign.  At that sign you must turn either left or right onto Washington Street because the building you see here is directly in front of you.  It was built in the early 1900's and placed here purposely so that anyone coming to this intersection would see it, and hopefully stop to purchase supplies. 

Today it sits mostly empty.  When I was a kid it was known at "Leon's Cafe," and at that time I thought it had always been "Leon's Cafe" and that it always would be known as such.

In 1969, a year post-college, for me, I went into "Leon's" one New Years Eve and ran into an old friend of mine, let's call him, Jerry.  When we were in high school Jerry and his girlfriend were pretty tight; but once our junior year I heard they had broken up so I asked her to go to Homecoming with me that year ('63).  Not long afterwards they were back together. 

So, in '69 when I see Jerry in "Leon's" I figure they have been married a while.  I asked him how she was doing and he told me wasn't sure because they had separated ways some time back.  I asked him where she lived, and few weeks later, called her. 

She and I have been married 42 years this month.  

 

 

The building here is also a trip down nostalgia lane.  We were in high school in the early to mid sixties, before "American Grafitte," and the term, "cruising" had been invented, at least that's how I remember it.

 

We had a circuit we drove though, probably close to 7 or 8 miles, round trip.  On the far east end of the circuit was Zip's, our favorite hamburger joint, and when I say "our" I'm talking about everybody who went to our school, about 7 or 800 kids then. 

 

On the far westerm end was a vacant lot in what was then known as "Angus Village." I think it was before we graduated ('64) some company came in and built this ugly round structure in our vacant lot.  Today it is Chase Bank, and I think it has always been a bank of some kind.

 

I was sitting in the vacant lot once, listening to the radio in my '53 Chev, to Kennewick High playing a football game in Wenatchee.  I was quite surprised to hear the announcer call my name as the player who scored a touchdown.  I had been injured and didn't make the trip.  Cool, huh?   

 

 

There were two USkTC Sketchers out today.  Boy, it is getting harder and harder to find anyone who wants to do this with me!