I grew up in a small town in NW PA called Tionesta.  It’s the county seat of Forest county, the least populus county in Pennsylvania.  Since there aren’t many people, you might guess that there are a lot of trees and outdoorsy things to do.  Of course, with a county name like Forest, could there be any doubt?  Anyhow, I lived every bit of my childhood there (since I was 1 or so) and grew up as a country boy.

What exactly it means to be a country boy varies from person to person I suppose but I figure that there are a few common denominators.  I grew up exposed to nature and critters and dark skies and simple life.  There was ugly stuff about living in the country too, but I choose to ignore all of that stuff.

(the Tionesta dam)

So, anyhow, I grew up near a town of 600 or so people.  We lived a few miles out of town in the boonies.  Actually, when you get to the boonies, you turn left and go a bit further.  Anyhow, in the country, we got into all sorts of things.  I have mentioned a few things on here before…we were about gardening and making maple syrup, boy scouts and camping, wishing on the stars and laying under a shade tree chewing on a piece of grass.  I learned about guns and shot all the time.  It was wonderful!    

I miss those things…sometimes more than others.  The funny thing is, though, I guess I can do all those things now too, but I think there is something special about being a kid in the country.

Do you have memories, past or present, of being a kid in the country?