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WILKES-BARRE — The big, hot yellow thing in the sky made an appearance on Wednesday — the first day of summer — and delighted visitors at Kirby Park.
Kingston resident John Provadopoulos brought his two granddaughters to the park and sat on a bench to enjoy the weather while they played on the playground.
Provadopoulos will spend two months in his hometown of Athens, Greece, starting in August. The last time he was there was three years ago, and he spent four-and-a-half years there.
“I have a place to stay, I have friends on different islands I go visit, it’s nice,” he said.
He added that the weather in Greece is not much different than where he lives now. He said that sometimes it even rains at the same time.
“It’s OK, I’d rather have a little bit wet summer … instead of having it dry, then everything’s yellow … everything is green and beautiful here,” he said.
Rain was also no concern to local woman Connie Kostelac. She found herself walking for exercise in the park during a bit of rain that fell in the late afternoon, but decided to tough it out.
“It’s just a little drizzle, that’s all,” she said. “I’ve still got a couple more walks to go yet.”
Kostelac is hoping to enjoy the summer with her family and friends and to get outside to walk like she was on Wednesday.
“Hopefully it gets warm and stays warm instead of this back and forth,” she said.
Esha Ifill, of Forty-Fort, and Herb Estus, of Shickshinny, decided to spend their first date in the park on Wednesday. They met online and decided to go out for breakfast and a walk.
“It was just a spontaneous thing. … Let’s meet up, and see if there’s a connection,” Estus said.
“We’re enjoying the nice weather,” Ifill added.
Ifill is hoping to go to the beach, to the county fair and horseback riding throughout her summer, saying that she thinks it “will be a fair one.”
“I think no matter what the weather is, it’s always a good day,” said Estus. “Whether it’s raining or sunny … it’s all about your perspective.”
Estus plans to spend his summer similar to the first day of the season.
“My summers consist of days like this. Just getting on the motorcycle and getting lost on country roads,” he said.
Fred’s at Kirby Park, the snack stand co-owned by Suzanne Kelly and Sue Henry, celebrated a busy day. This is the stand’s first year in this incarnation, but it has been open on and off for a few years under different owners, Kelly said.
“The whole idea here is to get families to the park. I think Fred’s is a good way to do that,” Kelly speculated.
The stand has something for everybody, Kelly said. The menu boasts grass-fed burgers, nitrate-free hot dogs, fresh fruits and vegetables with hummus dip and even a vegan burger, all for the price one expects at a park.
“We want families here, and we want them to be able to feed their children and their grandchildren, so we have reasonable prices,” she explained.
“We’re hoping the sun continues to shine … we just want to see more people at the park like today. It’s wonderful to see all the families here.”