Growing up outside of town, we had a stock pond, I went barefoot and fishing all summer long. School started the first Monday after labor day and let out June 1st.
We always had a garden and I was in charge of the weeds, I carried a small salt shaker with me everywhere, I would get what I wanted to eat out of the garden, spit on it and wipe the dirt off. I drank out of the water hose. I would stay up in a lightning storm so I could collect nightcrawlers for the next day's fishing.
We always had a dog and a cat, the cat HAD to be a good mouser and the dog to scare deer out of the garden.
I always had a bike and if I didn't ride it to school I walked... rain,snow, whatever.
When we got older we hitchhiked, the lake was our favorite place. We would do odd jobs or collect pop bottles to get a little cash so we could rent a horse to ride or a canoe to paddle.
Our shorts were cutoffs, shopping was to be avoided and shoe shopping was the worst day.
We always were the ones stuck licking the green stamps to put in that little book, that ruined me, I buy self stick envelopes now.
Collecting blackberries was an all day job, I was given a bucket and told not to come back until it was full, so of course I ate some, took a nap, arrived in time for dinner.
Drills at school included nuclear war along with fire. We said two pledges each morning and EVERYONE went to the football game Friday night. Our only dress up day was picture day.
Halloween was a town holiday and someones' house was papered, parafin waxed and egged.
Orange Crush came in a bottle and Royal Cola ruled.
We had no house phone,colored tv or air conditioning, the out house was out back, everyone had a transister radio and you only bought a used car if the stereo was good.
This is some of what I remember.
