Sports/Recreation

For a youngster growing up on the farm in the 30s, 40s and into the 503, there was no shortage of recreation and sports, much of it the home-made kind. A favorite standby was the rope swing with its long track record of fun for young and old. Lacking a suitable yard tree, Dad erected two posts and a crosspiece out in the open which provided us with free swinging for years. For inclement weather we even had a swing hanging from a beam in the pump house. As kids we had a number of small iron wheels which soon were made up into little wagons pulled with binder twine. The raihoad slope behind the garage was a cherished spot for coasting these simple playthings as was the steep tip of the lane where it joined the road. For years I got great mileage out of an old light wagon wheel in the hub of which was inserted a 30-inch stick trimmed and greased at the axle end. This favorite my and I covered much ground sometimes at great speeds. In the mid 403 my sister purchased an old bike which was road- worthy but barely. The chain frequently kept coming off and the Sprocket wheel stripping its gears, but it was on this old machine that I learned the thrill of riding a bike and covering many miles of road.

A most practical item in those years was a sponge ball. I scarcely remember our having more than one at a time and eventually it would get out of round with rough usage or with the cats chewing on it. I for one spent many hours throwing the ball against the end of the barn, pretending to be in the midst 0f a famous ball game. By throwing the ball high, low or wide