Memories.

Hiding in the big Forsythia bush, reading a book, in my Secret spot. 

Walking with Dad in the field, the grass coming up to his knees, and my chest.

The power being out, and Mom and I "camping" in the trailer, because we could have heat.  (Tomato soup and hot dogs, too!)

The smell of my Grandpa E's Roses, when we went to Portland to visit, while listening to jets take off overhead, since they were in the flight path of the Portland Airport.

Squirreling up in the hay bales, playing with the kittens, watching the cows come in and nose the hay and grain in the manger.

Grandma E letting me butter toast for the family breakfast.  I don't know how many I buttered, but I know it was a lot.  She had a six slice toaster, I think, and there seemed to be a lot of people there that morning.

Better yet, when Grandma E would make fry bread.  Have that with butter and honey, oh, it was just awesome...

Helping Dad put in fence posts.  I was old enough to move the truck forward, he would have the big hammer (a pipe with a length of log on the end), and  he would smack the fence post in with maybe one or two strokes, then tell me to move forward...

Helping Mom with Thanksgiving dinners, getting all the dishes, and spoons, and forks all in the right places, so we had something to serve with when things came to the table.

Helping Grandma M in the garden, as she would throw out ashes from the firebox, before she would go in and start the fire for the next day.  Then getting permission to go out in the woods, with the admonition that I was NOT to touch the Foxglove, or I could poison myself.  (She had this thing that Foxglove was the origin of Digitalis, and I guess thought I would have a heart attack?)

Grandma and Grandpa E's water in Portland, that would come out the color of milk, and then fade to clear, because of bubbles.

Grandma and Grandpa M's water, which was from the hill, and going out to put a screen so that it would not gather leaves to plug the water pipes... And then needing to paint the screen black, because the shiny screen would attract bears, who would mangle it, thinking it was a fish...

Picking over 140 quarts of tomatoes, because Dad didn't think we quite had enough in the container.  Mom did a LOT of canning that year! 

Feeding cows, feeding cats, feeding dogs, learning to drive a tractor, learning to fish. 

So, what kid memories do you have? 

Small towns.

Had to update my computer security, so I sent an email to the guy who usually does it.  Basically a, when can I come in and get this, and let me know how much so I can pay you.  I was fully expecting a "come in Thursday, after 10 am" or some such.

I received a reply email, with "here's the code for your new update, bring the funds in when you have a chance."

Huh!  I suppose there is something to going to the same person for a while, but I thought this was kind of cool.

But I have noticed, that it seems like that in this area, that isn't really THAT unusual.  I know that its' very common for clerks to ask about your pet/child/job and how they are, and if family member x is doing okay... I have heard it termed "fish bowl".  Now, when I was a kid, it was annoying, good or bad, it would get to my parents before I got home.  (Not just me, all of we kids were 'monitored' and remarked upon in the local grapevine.)  Occasionally, I had to be careful who I saw, or told about Christmas/birthday presents for my parents, because I knew they would probably be on the phone to Mom, "oh, you're going to LOVE what she is getting for you..."

Urk. 

But. 

The flip side of that, I knew I could contact most any of the adults I knew, to get assistance, contact my parents, or even get tar off my feet. (Note to 8 year old self, walking barefoot on the road where they had finished paving not a day or two before, in 90 degree weather. Don't. Just. Don't.)  

Now, it seems to not be as common.  It's still there, peeking out from time to time, but I am not as familiar with some of the local families, there aren't as many community items that "everyone" goes to.  With the internet, there are ways to meet people, even through the local school news website, or the local paper. (Yep, still a real paper, but a much diminished one.) 

But I do know that if people see something, magically they show up.  When Husband had brought back a sailboat, from our attempt to become sailors, we were going to put it in our barn.  We went from Husband and I, and the boat, to a group of about 10-12 people (mostly guys), who were just as eager as all get out to see the boat, find out what was happening, did Husband need any help, are you going to do anything with it now, etc, etc, etc...

When my Mom and I were in the car wreck, Dad asked for help to get my apartment cleaned out.  I think he asked one or two people, I gather that there was about 20 or so there, bingo, to help.  Now, this lead to some... Different packing styles, (to this day I will never figure out why my nylons were packed with a cheese grater, and someone carefully wrapped bath towels to safely transport... my toilet brush), but it was taken care of, and we ended up getting all the the detritus of a college student home, before the landlord could charge in and make a stink about an extra month's rent...

And it wasn't limited to family.  Where Dad worked helped with building a ramp while Mom and I were wheelchair bound. 

I think that small towns, and the closeness, are still there.  I just think they are more hidden, and you just have to look a bit quicker to see them.  But it's nice to know it's still around.