I have tried to take this picture back to my childhood, many, many years ago. During this time, in the 1930’s we had school that consisted of both elementary and high school grades on Tilghman’s Island. Life was grand and school was fun.
The fun really didn’t begin until the bell would ring, ending the school day. It was a race to get to the bay shore to go swimming. A trail that led through the woods behind the school was our path to fun. “Buzzard’s Lane” went all the way to the shoreline.
It was a race to be the first one to the shore, get your clothes off, and get in the water. As you can see, the first boy on the left is already over the bank. The second boy is trying to hold the other back, so he can get in the water first. Further to the right, the fourth boy is trying to get his clothing off to join in. The blonde haired boy is getting in by sliding down the clay cliff. There is no mistake in telling who is going to be the “rotten egg.”
Of course, looking at the boys in the water, you can see that everyone is having a wonderful time. Little did we know the girls would also have fun, too. They would sneak down to the shore, while we were in the water and hide our clothes up in the tree. What a surprise that was!
We played in Buzzard’s Lane every chance we got. In the summer, it was a frontier for “cowboys and Indians”’ making forts out of leaves and fallen trees. A jungle for “Tarzan”, swinging through the trees. In the winter, it was the best place to ice skate.
Erosion has consumed most of this wooded area and what trees remained have been cut down. Buzzard’s Lance is gone and buildings lots have taken it’s place.
