“Launched by Alan Burnett and Kat Mortensen in 2009, Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind (they don’t have to be sepia) become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history, in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images.” This week’s theme any of the following- Children: Dogs: Prams: Sticks
The Worm Stand
My grandparents owned and ran a duck farm on Eastern Long Island about 60 miles east of New York City. On the southern end of the property was the Peconic River. My grandparents had several bungalows near the river and wooden row boats. In the summer, and before central air conditioning, my grandparents, aunt and father would stay in the bungalows because it was a little cooler there. A vacation of sorts.
My grandmother’s family was from Brooklyn and would frequently come out to the ‘country’ and stay in the bungalows also. My Dad recounts what fun it was to have cousins around and to go out fishing on the river.
One summer my dad, on the left, and his cousin Warren Earle decided to build a worm stand. They dug their worms, placed them in tin cans with some dirt and were ready to sell them to the fishermen that would rent the rowboats from my grandparents.
I love this picture of an innocent time when young boys figure out a way to have fun and make some money during a lazy summer. The bungalows haven’t been used in over 50 years and have fallen down but what a great memory of a time gone by.
What would it be like to have those days of no TV, telephones or gaming systems back for kids in the Summer?
Enjoy the journey,
Debby
What a great picture! They even constructed the stand. Industrious boys.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll have to remember to ask my Dad how much money they made. My brother and I sold worms one summer years later but never built a stand and only lasted one day, I think.
DeleteIt would be great to have those days back. Communication, imagination, inginuity, resourcefulness. A lot of things today’s kids don’t have a chance for.
ReplyDeleteYes, it would!
DeleteYes, those were days when children had time to use their brains, and were pushed by the elders to come up with inventive ways to use that time. Not to mention sweating during those hot summer afternoons unless you had water nearby in which to immerse yourself! Good post!
ReplyDeleteThank-you Barbara. Yes, those were the days.
DeleteA fun picture that certainly captures that innocent time. I remember attempting one time to become a bait worm tycoon. Finding worms turned out to harder than I expected and too much work digging.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. Yes, my brother and I lasted a whole day years later doing that same thing.
DeleteVery enterprising young men! Reminds me of when our son collected lost golf balls off the local golf course at night, brought them home, scrubbed them clean, put them in egg cartons, and resold them to golfers looking for cheap golf balls! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, I like the golf ball idea also.
DeleteNice post. This is right up there with the lemonade stand as an example of youth entrepreneurship during the summer months. Quite a nice sign as well!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! I asked my Dad how they did with this adventure and he said they did well and then moved to a candy stand and someone made them fishing lures to sell also.
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