Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Today is my birthday and I took a little trip.

This morning as I awoke, I closed my eyes and I could see, as if it were yesterday. I would get up really early Saturday mornings to watch cartoons, cause Mom would be tired of us in house by 10am and kick us all outside, I was happy to be outside. I remember how great the air seemed to smell early in the morning and watching the world wake up, I would run down to my friend’s houses, just as their Mom’s were kicking them outside, and we would begin our adventures.

Running through cow fields, Playing swords with old sticks, sneaking out to old man McCall’s pond, catching big fat frogs and having jump races, playing inside a huge old rusted out, fallen down, grain silo. Then we would sneak back in our houses and check the couch and love seat for "lost" change and then walk to the nearest store, a little gas station "Bob's Market" about 2 miles away. We would buy an Abba Zabba or a Big League Chew or maybe some candy cigerettes, then we would walk over to our buddy Eddie's house after all it was only another 2.5 miles from Bob's. It never really seemed that far to me.

Then we would walk back home and eat some lunch. My step Dad would be up by now, after working the graveyard shift at the mill, and today he was working on his old Chevy truck, shhh don’t tell, but he let me try a sip of his beer, eeeww that is some awful stuff.

Later Dad finished working on his truck and told me we were going for a ride down to Bob’s, Dad let me get a chocolate milk and some M&M’s, Alright Dad! Then for some reason Dad pulls over about a mile from the house and says “Son it time you learned to drive” What an awesome day! At first things were a little shaky, but I was gettin it. Then we came to a stop sign, the stopping part was easy, I didn’t even stall it, but then it all went wrong, the stop had a small little tiny hill and I stalled and I stalled and I stalled , but Dad never lost his cool and kept suggesting different things to try “Son you need to feather the clutch”, “no, give it a little more gas”, then I smelled something burning and my heart sunk, I thought for sure Dad was going to kill me, but he just laughed and said the old clutch was tired and that maybe he better try it once and see if we could get home.

We made it of course and Dad said next week I could help him change out the clutch. We got home just in time for supper, Mom made fried chicken, mashed taters , and peas. After super we watched Happy Days, and Dad said I could set-up our old canvas tent out back and that me and my buddies could sleep outside tonight.

What a beautiful night, not a cloud in the sky. We stayed up late and talked about the day, and argued over whose frog was fatter. We decided that we would go fishing tomorrow after church. Slowly my friends fell asleep and I looked up at the stars and thought what an incredible night it was, and as I drifted to sleep I was wondering who was going to catch the biggest fish the next day.

Then I woke up 25 years later, where walking 3 blocks to the store is "uncool", “Can you drive me to my friends?”, “why would I get up early Saturday to watch cartoons I can watch them right now”, where making your kids go outside to play hurts their feelings, and “Dad, who is Fonzie?”

I sure my parents will read this and remember when a little boy asked them “Who is Howdy Doody?” and “what do you mean, tv wasn’t always in color?”

Unfortunately the world is rapidly changing.....not always for the best.

Nice story mate

Happy Birthday Ultralord

Thanks Axl!

It would be great to hear from others about times when they were growing up.