Born in ‘46 in the Adirondacks, too. I had an idyllic childhood where we were free to roam all day until suppertime or dark. Walked to and from evening school activities along with everyone else.
We were never afraid and no one was ever in any danger (other than the usual accidents). I even rode my bike all the way to the fort and spent the day exploring all over the fort grounds many times. Walked up a nearby mountain sometimes on the road and sometimes through the woods. Walked to the beach every day in the summer. We never locked our doors, even when we went out of town and no one ever broke in or stole anything.
My children are a little younger than you and, although they had a much freer childhood than today’s children, there were already lots of restrictions and I wish they could have grown up as I did. I pity my grandchildren and their children... I’m thankful to live in Texas now which is probably as close as you can get to the good ol’ days anymore!
I was up in the Tri-Lakes. Moved to AZ in 95 with my daughter. It was still rural here even then in a lot of ways.
But Tupper, Saranac and Lake Placid are now about destroyed so I hear. The ecos wrecked what was left of the logging industry (my families’ business for 100 years). Now it’s a hipster retreat with regulations for everything you can think of.
As has been said...damn those bastards to hell.