Column: Woods & Water, by Dick Herfindahl

At times, the world around us seems to change at a pace some of us older folks might have a hard time keeping up with. Change is always inevitable, but in this world of change some things remain constant: the excitement in children’s eyes when they catch their first fish or see a deer standing at the edge of a forest. The wonders of nature still hold many mysteries for a child to explore that they won’t discover sitting in front of a computer or TV set.

This is a world that we as adults can introduce them to through hunting, fishing or camping. Taking them on a long bike ride on one of the many trails we have in this great state is a great way to get close to nature and the great outdoors.

As an adult, I’ve never been a great bike enthusiast, but I can see where it could be very enjoyable and a great way to exercise. What better way to get that close to the outdoors feeling than to ride a bike on a beautiful summer’s day. Can you see where I’m going with this? Welcome spring and summer!

As a kid growing up north of town, I didn’t have the luxury of going from Point A to Point B in a car or sports utility vehicle; my usual mode of transportation was walking or my trusty bike. As I grew older, I was allowed to venture further away from the homestead on my bike and eventually take a trek to town or to a friend’s house a few miles away.

The first bike I had was an old Schwinn that had belonged to my uncle Lloyd. It was one that came equipped with a headlight, and I’m sure it was the Rolls Royce of bikes in its day. At the time, I was actually too small to ride it. It was pretty rusty, which must have curbed my enthusiasm to try riding it. I never rode that bike much, but looking back it would probably bring a good price on “American Pickers.” On one of my birthdays, I finally got a bike that I could ride: a brand new Coast-to-Coast bike that was shiny new and just my size. I had to learn to ride a bike on the grass in my yard and on the gravel road that ran alongside our house because I was forbidden to ride on the blacktop.

As I grew older, I was eventually allowed to ride it to town. On one of my trips, I stopped at Russell’s Toyland to check out the latest race cars and Army men. When I came out, someone had stolen it! I was devastated to say the least, but after a few days it was found by someone and turned in to the police station. Whoever took it took the time to slash the tires before dumping it in the lake. For a naive country boy who was surrounded with kids who respected one another’s property, this was a serious blow to my trust in human nature. Those darned city kids!

Getting back to the fun of bike riding, it was a way to be independent, and it opened a whole new world. I can’t remember how many times I rode to my friend Jim Foley’s place to spend a Saturday playing in the hay barn or exploring some nearby woods or a creek. This was indeed a great way to spend a day, and thanks to my bike I felt like I could go just about any place I wanted. Hammer Road was gravel at the time, so that was challenging if you happened to hit a mound of loose gravel.

Having a bike to ride to town opened up a whole new outdoors world for me. I would grab my fishing pole, put a small container of sinkers and hooks in my pocket and dig some earth worms for bait. An old Buss fuse box would usually hold enough hooks and sinkers to last the day. I would carry the worms in an old tin can. With nail and hammer, I’d put a hole on opposite sides so I could make a handle with a piece of baling wire. That way it would fit over my handlebars.

I don’t know how many times I came home with my prized stringer of dead bullheads and sunfish in tow. My mother would roll her eyes when she saw the stringer but would clean the fish with me after making sure that we only kept the fresh ones. The rest of them were buried in the garden in the back yard. I remember how proud I felt when riding along Bridge Avenue with a stringer of bullheads dangling from the handle bars. I eventually figured out that keeping those fish wasn’t as much fun as catching and releasing them for another time. Those were just simpler times with kids making their own fun with what they had available. What we had available to us back then was what nature gave us and the challenge to use our imagination. As much as things are different today, we still have plenty of opportunities to step away from all of our electronic toys and take a little time to enjoy our natural resources. We need to pause and spend a little quality time outdoors with our youth because they hold the future of the outdoors in their hands.

Until next time, get out and enjoy the outdoors and start making a few memories of your own.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

 

Dick Herfindahl’s column appears in the Tribune each Sunday.