We made the coolest bike jumps in The Field. Our bike path went down an almost verticle drop, with the required dirt ramp, helped along with boards "found" at a house construction site. We never wore helmets. We made a neat-o tree fort with the left-over boards we "found". There was also a pond in The Field. We made a pier from the wood we "found" and in winter, we would shovel it off for ice skating. Our bike path was excellent for sledding, tobogganning and saucering. Remember those metal saucers, the ones where your butt froze to it?
When The Field was being readied for new houses and roads, we would pull all the survey sticks out of the ground, every time they were replaced.
How dare they wreck The Field!
BTW, it's people our age who are making the kids wear helmets. I'm happy to say, my kids never owned a helmet.
How dare they wreck The Field!"
Holy space warp! We had The Field over by my house in San Jose. We'd throw sheets of corrugated sheet metal (stuff we found) out there in the summer, where it would get all hot during the day. Go out a few times a week or so, and that's where the bluebellies, alligator lizards, and the occasional gopher snake would be.
The Field was right next to the The Creek, where we found salmanders and leopard frogs, and The Dairy, where we'd take our dog to chase the cows.