As a young teenager living in the navy housing project, (Komandorski), just outside of Pleasanton California, and attending school at Pleasanton Jr. High. And then Amador High School in the early sixties. My friends and I had plenty of rollin' hills and creeks to play in.
It was a wonderful place for kids to grow up. Fishing, hiking, being chased by a bull or grazing goat on occasion. The warm summer nights for staying out late. And the cold months didn't seem to bother us too much either. We'd be outside, even at night.
There was this one nearby hill that we used to climb that offered a commanding view of our homes, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, and on a clear day Livermore. On the side of that hill was a steep landslide that we called Devil's Landslide. There was a tree sticking out at the top, where someone had tied a long rope to a branch that stuck out. And we would swing from one side of the landslide, to the other with about fifty feet of air below us. Don't let go! Pretty scary. That was our high tech amusement ride that offered thrills and danger. Other times we would slide down the long slopes of dried grass on cardboard boxes. All for free. Thank God, because being a military dependent back then was often difficult. Fathers deployed for long periods. Little money for the basics, and the fact that we were far from military hospitals and stores made it harder. The military quality of life for dependents back then didn't even come close to what it is today.
But those hills were there, and often green and soft. And seem to offer a peaceful and calming charm. We played war games in the tall soft grass. Ironically, the thought never occurred to us that just a couple of years away, we would be in the armed forces ourselves HA!
While playing hide and seek in the tall grass sometimes a Meadowlark would suddenly take flight nearby, startling us, and revealing it's nest. It was the only bird I've known that had it nest on the ground.
Most all of our entertainment was provided by the surrounding terrain, friends, and our imaginations. It was an interesting time. The Beatles were sweeping the country. And we would listen to their songs on the radio, monophonic of course. Everyone wanted Beatle clothing and haircuts.
But every now and then my mind goes back to that time and place. I know it can't look the same now. But I'm glad that I was a part of it then, and the fun times we had in our younger years, on those rollin' hills, In Pleasanton, CA. :yes: