Growing up in Camas
The Ball Park
We lived above the Little League baseball park. Both my brother and I played there. It was convenient because we lived a few minutes away and it was a home away from home. We played sandlot with neighborhood kids. Sometimes organize little games inventing our own rules, arguments maybe a fight once in a while. I caught without a mask and took a foul tip in the kisser knocking out a few teeth and a concussion to awaken to dad waving the how many fingers in my face. Braces, teeth popped back in by Dr Williams. Sometimes we would take the dogs Peanuts a beagle and Benny, variety unknown to play with us. One day that will live in infamy was the afternoon me and my brother were down there with the dogs who loved to race around the fields all excited chasing our baseball. I loved watching Benny racing around making sideways turns, fat body short stubby legs all a blur. I brought my new fiberglass 30 lb bow and some arrows down there with us . For some reason after we got tired of whacking baseballs and catch i thought i would shoot it. No dogs maimed or either of us. But i did get a bit tired of target shooting of imaginary targets and decided with no sense at all to shoot it straight up while standing near second base. Bad idea. I suppose i was not familiar with that Hiawatha tome at that time. “I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to earth I know not where…”
Well I shot it straight up, way up…there was what seemed a very long pause as bro and I watched it sail… then at its peak it turned arcing downward. That was when the freak out dance began and many curse words spewed forth. I looked at Rick he at me and we started dodging around running around and back and forth frantically as Peanuts and Benny looked super excited and raced around too cutting circles and racing around with us. Oh crap the dogs! I remember in a frantic milisecond recalling the later realized myth of a penny dropped from the Empire State building would pass right through ya if hit you in the head. That was my focus then.
It landed 4-5 feet from me with what i remember as a thud! And a quivering shake. And heartrate reaching ER bpm’s I am sure. My brother and I talked a while( probably 30 seconds taking turns) we gathered the dogs and leashes and stuff and walked up the hill home. It was between us. Mom did not get told the story. I was the older brother. I needed to keep my surmised mature judgement reputation in tact.
The Ball Park
We lived above the Little League baseball park. Both my brother and I played there. It was convenient because we lived a few minutes away and it was a home away from home. We played sandlot with neighborhood kids. Sometimes organize little games inventing our own rules, arguments maybe a fight once in a while. I caught without a mask and took a foul tip in the kisser knocking out a few teeth and a concussion to awaken to dad waving the how many fingers in my face. Braces, teeth popped back in by Dr Williams. Sometimes we would take the dogs Peanuts a beagle and Benny, variety unknown to play with us. One day that will live in infamy was the afternoon me and my brother were down there with the dogs who loved to race around the fields all excited chasing our baseball. I loved watching Benny racing around making sideways turns, fat body short stubby legs all a blur. I brought my new fiberglass 30 lb bow and some arrows down there with us . For some reason after we got tired of whacking baseballs and catch i thought i would shoot it. No dogs maimed or either of us. But i did get a bit tired of target shooting of imaginary targets and decided with no sense at all to shoot it straight up while standing near second base. Bad idea. I suppose i was not familiar with that Hiawatha tome at that time. “I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to earth I know not where…”
Well I shot it straight up, way up…there was what seemed a very long pause as bro and I watched it sail… then at its peak it turned arcing downward. That was when the freak out dance began and many curse words spewed forth. I looked at Rick he at me and we started dodging around running around and back and forth frantically as Peanuts and Benny looked super excited and raced around too cutting circles and racing around with us. Oh crap the dogs! I remember in a frantic milisecond recalling the later realized myth of a penny dropped from the Empire State building would pass right through ya if hit you in the head. That was my focus then.
It landed 4-5 feet from me with what i remember as a thud! And a quivering shake. And heartrate reaching ER bpm’s I am sure. My brother and I talked a while( probably 30 seconds taking turns) we gathered the dogs and leashes and stuff and walked up the hill home. It was between us. Mom did not get told the story. I was the older brother. I needed to keep my surmised mature judgement reputation in tact.
