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Into the Outdoors: Things Baby Boomers Can Relate To

This week, we are going to kick things off with some material to which Baby Boomers can relate. Recently, I saw ads for a couple of old time sneaker brands, Keds and PF Flyers. This got me to thinking back to years ago, when we called them tennis shoes. Each spring, virtually all of the guys would get a new pair. Of course, not all of our parents could afford the top brands, we had to settle for less expensive models, which were, in fact, just as good. Red Ball Jets were pretty popular. My parents were devoted Montgomery Ward customers, so my shoes were always Skips. They would usually last until fall, despite the rough treatment they received.

My reason for mentioning these shoes is the activities we carried out while wearing them. We virtually lived outdoors. We only stayed inside if it was raining or we were being punished.

All day hikes in the local woods were a mainstay for us. We would often leave home in the morning and not return until evening, when we would sit down to whatever our mothers had prepared, and stuff ourselves. Often, we would so the same thing the next day. We had a lot of fun, but I can’t help but think that we learned a lot about the nature around us as well.

We also spent along and in the “crick.” We did a lot of fishing for chubs, often catching dozens in a single afternoon. They were then released, probably to be caught again another day. We got a lot of crawfish, which we called crabs, too. They were also released, although had we known how delicious they were, they might have met a different fate.

Most of us guys had BB guns. You could get a huge tube of BBs for a dime, so a lot of our time was spent plinking. One of out very favorite targets was frogs. There was a large pond in the neighborhood, and it was teeming with the critters. We would shoot them until we got enough for a batch of frog legs, which my mother would fry up for us. I still love frog legs to this day, but they are frightfully expensive. Every once in awhile, you come into a good deal on them.

Frogs were, of course, not our only targets. Cans, bottles just about anything that would make a noise when hit, were fair game.

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of time travel. Growing up in the Boomer era was indeed something to be cherished.

Here is an excerpt from a news release by PFBC.

“Sunny skies after days of rainfall can tempt the boater in you, but don’t be lured into a false sense of safety when water conditions on our rivers and streams remain above average and pose additional risks,” said Mark Sweppenhiser, Director of the PFBC’s Bureau of Boating. “High, swift currents can quickly overwhelm even experienced boaters. Under these conditions, a life jacket isn’t just smart, it’s essential.”

In addition to higher water levels and swift current, swollen rivers and streams can become filled with hazardous debris such as downed trees, which can be difficult to see. Such obstructions within a waterway, known as strainers, allow water to flow through them, but create a suction effect for passing watercraft and swimmers, potentially pinning them against the object and making it difficult to escape.

“If you arrive at your boating location and the water is running high and fast, and visibility is poor, please consider waiting to go boating on another day when conditions are better,” added Sweppenhiser. “If you are a first-time boater, especially paddlers on kayaks and canoes, understand that conditions on most of our moving waters right now are not appropriate for beginners.”

In the photo by Denny Steiner, we can see that the river has less than ideal boating conditions. Be careful.

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