When I was a child

When I was a child, my Dad took me to basketball games in William Neal Reynolds Coliseum on the Campus on NC State University ( College at the time).   This past Sunday afternoon was a cold rainy December afternoon and  I took Laura and three grandchildren to Reynolds to see the Lady Wolfpack play a basketball game. 

This was not Laura's first trip to Reynolds.  She had been many other times to see ballgames and concerts and other events at the storied old place.  Stephen and I had been even more often as he became an avid Wolfpack supporter and bled Wolfpack red for many many years.  Well he still does actually, but from afar.

Trips to Reynolds were of course secondary to our trips to Wake to see the Deacons, but as a young family in Raleigh, seeing the Wolfpack and being a fan was fun and easy and we were on campus often at both football and basketball games and other events, and sometimes just to play.  (and I have one degree from State and Patt two, so it sorta makes sense that we would have a little familiarity huh?)

My childhood early memories of Reynolds are of a dark smoky place — back in the day it was not well ventilated and back in the day people smoked, lots of people smoked and the air in the place got thick, very thick and hazy.   At all day tournaments like the Dixie Classic or the ACC tournament, (both of which I attended)  by the time the fourth game was played late in the evening, the air was probably toxic from all the cigarette smoke.

Once at either a Dixie Classic, played after Christmas, or after an ACC tournament game there was rather deep snow storm and leaving the State campus I remember State students pushing Dad's car and others' up the hill to Hillsborough Street on a snowy evening and thinking that was about the coolest thing you could do.

Now back in the day we did not have mascots like now, but having Mrs. Wolf meet the granddaughters  and Laura was pretty neat.  

and getting Tarheel Laura to make this photo was a good one — and she is in red too.  I like the security being provided too.

Game action was followed.  Lots of questions to be answered from Julianna who does not miss much of anything and seems to want to know about everything.  Yes we had good seats too.

Lydia is following the action, you may not think so but she is.  The play on the court is preparation for a free throw — not much action — at the right end of the court — follow Lydia's gaze there is action. The cheerleaders are building up human pyramids, tossing pompoms and conducting other actions to distract the hapless opponent.

It was another good day at Reynolds.

and I have been blessed with many.