4 replies to this topic

[Phil Hackett]

This is a test of sorts. If it works, great! If not delete this....

 

From X... the sound will be off so find the speaker thingie in the video...

 

The 1960s were the same except, maybe, a little more....

 

https://x.com/cattur...XUYY7HA-SWJQl-Q</a>

[Dave Crevie]

Actually, most of those activities went back before 1970. I was too old for a Big Wheel, but they were uber popular with the younger kids. Our hose had a long driveway, which had a downhill section once you got past the mid point. Then there was a large apron before the garage door. The kids that had Big Wheels used our driveway to get up speed, then spin out on the apron. Used to drive my father crazy when he was home. The plastic wheels made a racket you could hear a block away.

 

There was a lot of homebuilding in my end of town in the 50's and 60's. Wherever they were digging a foundation, there was a big hill at the back of the lot. Most of the dirt was mostly clay, so if there was a rainstorm overnight, we would slide down the hill, which was very slippery due to the clay. We would return home covered in mud. Our moms weren't excited about that.

 

We didn't have a lot of money back then, so most of our toys were ones we could catch. We had salamanders, turtles, frogs, bullheads we caught in the creek.  Snakes we caught in the wetlands a stone's throw from my house. I had a couple of pet squirrels I rescued as pups. It was a good time to grow up.     

[Don Weaver]

We didn't have a lot of money back then, so most of our toys were ones we could catch. We had salamanders, turtles, frogs, bullheads we caught in the creek.  Snakes we caught in the wetlands a stone's throw from my house. I had a couple of pet squirrels I rescued as pups. It was a good time to grow up.     

 

 

Dave - I agree, it's so sad that today's kids will never experience this "good time" growing up.  

Don

[Phil Hackett]

My brother, in response to this video, also added: "We were transported in the back of pick-up trucks, cars didn't have seat belts, older kids in the neighborhood had firecrackers, cherry bombs and M80's from Tiajauna, bow and arrows, BB guns, model glue that could get you high, and an occasional Playboy magazine "borrowed" from a friend's dad.  We survived and were taught valuable lessons by our parents, bullies, teachers and policemen - respect for others and a modicum of tolerance. Some spanking too!"

 

I might add, from childhood along with my brother, playing around the "polywog pond" (tadpoles) trying to catch frogs, snakes and lizards and daring to cross the railroad "trestle" that crossed the pond (this was hardly a trestle but, you know, kids imagination). We did capture polywogs/tadpoles and brought them home to watch them mature. The polywog pond would be considered some type of hazmat area that would be fenced off and patrolled now.

 

I would catch snakes and bring them home to a somewhat proud father and a very unhappy mother. The 6 and 8 foot snakes were tough to deal with as a kid and they're fast!

 

We'd play "catch us if you can" with the Hughes Aircraft security when they would come around (probably from boredom) and chase us off the vacant Hughes land in the area. No one was ever caught and no parents ever knew this was going on.

 

Oh... and drinking from a garden hose? When we were away from any of the homes of the group, any available hose at any house was good to drink out of.....

[NSwanberg]

Big Wheel nightmares.

We live on a court.

As soon as school got out for summer it was clackity clackity clack around the court right under my bedroom window.

The kids, including mine, sure had fun.

I learned to use ear plugs.

A local ice arena would have Big Wheels on ice.

That was a hoot.