Dad’s Facebook Page – circa 1935.

It’s a little weird, but cool, to think that I spent yesterday painting the trim on this very porch, since this  is now my house. Here it is in 1935 with neighborhood boys posing for a Jr Audubon Society photo showing off their bird house project.

I found this scrap book last week, which is timely since it is Father’s Day. As long as I can remember, my dad was old. I mean, I was just joking with his last week that I am about half his age, so I only knew him with grey hair, and he was retired by the time I graduated high school. As a confirmed ‘accident’, I am not even included in the big mural of my family that he painted on the wall of our kitchen in 1952, since all of my brothers and sisters are at least ten years older than me, and then, ten years later, I came along.

My father ( upper left) and his friends hiking on the rocky slope of Mount Monadnock, New Hampshire 1936.

The boys of the Wildwood Nature Club have the last names of many who still live in our neighborhood today. Their offspring continue to be our neighbors, which is nice in a world where most people are transient. With nicknames like Pudge, Nipples, Spibby, Rudgy, reading this book is like watching a period film like Cider House Rules or October Sky. The boys spent most of their time hiking and camping in the New England area during the depression of the 1930’s.

 Dad took remarkable candids of his friends skiing, playing hockey or just fooling around, which is rare for that time. Most people posed for camera images. Dad had an early interest in photography, and he was able to build  a darkroom in one of the spare rooms upstairs complete with glass plates and equipment. I never knew what camera he had, but we have album after album of photos from this era, many focusing on the boys’ adventures exploring.

Dad at age 19

I hope you enjoy these, I only posted about 15 images ranging from their membership in the Burgess Radio Nature League, to their affiliation in the National Audubon Society as Junior members, and more. Later, I might show some of my dad’s sketches and photos from his trip with Roger Tory Peterson to Muskungus Bay in Maine as they looked for Puffins ( a bit of history, perhaps!).

Dad is alive and well today, although his hearing is going as is his eyesight, he still visited with his girlfriend today and fed the birds and squirrels before returning to her house for a few nights. He lives with us most of the week, and spends long weekends with his ‘lady friend’ Clair, who is a spry youngster at 85. Little devil.

 A page from my fathers scrapbook showing his pen and ink talents. I thought that it was interesting that this page shows that the Massachusetts state bird was once the Veery. I’ll need to look that fact up.

My dad on the left, with his friend as the wore skis in 1936. Looks like getting married was worth noting in the book, since many had this tag line added at a later date.