Lakes Park is off Gladiolus Rd. in Ft. Myers, Florida.  It is very beautiful and has waterways that are  wildlife sanctuaries.  Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to enlarge.   Blogfinger.net ©

Is there anything romantic in this image?   I think so –I feel it by stretching my memory all the way back to Rutherford, borrowing my Dad’s car and finding a spot with a view for me and my date.

My friends and I would go to Garrett Mountain where we could watch the lights twinkling above and below.  And then, we turn Cousin Brucie on the radio , and then,  who can tell?

That music has lingered for many of us from that era, and it always spelled romance.   And that is why so many seniors would many years later enjoy the Great Auditorium Doo Wop shows.

Years later,  Eileen and I would have Doo Wop parties in Ocean Grove for a handful of friends and relatives.  We would walk on a warm summer evening to the Great Auditorium, and then, after the Doo Wop show, we would walk back along the Grove’s narrow streets, the aroma of flowers in the air, and folks on  the porches would ask, “How was the show?”

And we would chat briefly and then continue home for coffee and dessert.

This is Kenny Vance with a sample tune from his  “Lost and Found Archives..”  He was a regular at the Great Auditorium Doo Wop shows,  and he had a special relationship with the OG crowds.  He would always have a part where we sang along, and the audience loved it.