A column originally published in January 2016.
That December Sunday was unusually sunny and warm, drawing locals to Lititz Springs Park for duck-feeding duty.
A 6-year-old girl had an attentive feathered audience clamoring at her feet as she scattered food over the web-footed throng, until they waddled noisily off to inspect a new group of humans toting bags of bread.
Waiting on a grandson
Jimmy and Jill Susa, missionaries in Venezuela, had come to town for the birth of their seventh grandchild, a boy who would be the firstborn for their daughter, Jaclyn Harnish, and her husband, Josh, of Lititz. They stood by the springs on Jaclyn’s due date with no sign of the arrival they had traveled so far to see.
“We did a couple of laps trying to get it going,” Jaclyn joked as the family fed the ducks under pleasant skies.
“It’s a great day for a walk in the park,” Josh said.
Then came the rain
The wind picked up, rain began to fall and the temperature dropped quickly. Jill, who had been enjoying summer in the Southern Hemisphere, tightened her scarf and urged me to put on my raincoat. I did more than that: hat, gloves, scarf and my long down coat, which I hoped contained no DNA from any Lititz paddlers.
The chilly rain didn’t stop a group of young cousins who arrived as others left for shelter. They lined up along Lititz Run and lofted food toward noisy, appreciative fowl in the foul weather.
Raindrops sent rings across a leaf-dotted puddle in the parking lot. Ducks dabbled in the run while others toddled alongside, bright orange feet sloshing through muddy puddles. Some stopped to drink the murky concoction.
A boy and his bike
Meanwhile, a boy on a solo mission pedaled his red bike through the rainy park, stopping to check on a photojournalist trying to stealthily photograph a squirrel. He parked beneath the gazebo roof and sat for a while on the wooden deck, out of the rain.
A tattered flag
Raindrops rolled down the red paint of the Reading Railroad caboose. Above it, an American flag with tattered red and white stripes whipped dutifully in the wind. Was it due to be replaced? Perhaps the staff at the train station welcome center, or local Scout leaders, could answer.
The end of an era
Nearby, production was winding down at the historic Wilbur Chocolate factory, then owned by Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate North America. The plant would soon go quiet, its work shifted to more modern facilities, as the town mourned the loss of a beloved landmark and workers mourned the loss of their jobs. Rain pelted bricks laid by hands generations ago and trickled down windows where workers once gazed out at a Lititz sky.
A double rainbow
That same Sunday, that same sky produced what may have been the most magnificent rainbow ever seen over the town: a double arc of color spanning the horizon, with Lititz in the middle.
The park through the seasons
Lititz Springs Park is the heart of the borough in every season, from the July Fourth candle illumination to winter walks along the run. On days like that one, it offers a little bit of everything: families, ducks, weather and wonder.
About Lititz Springs Park
Lititz Springs Park sits at the heart of the borough, a short walk from Main Street. Its spring-fed stream, shaded paths and historic gateway make it a favorite spot for daily walks, family outings and community events throughout the year. Many residents say a stroll through the park is one of the simple pleasures of living in Lititz.