Toys were us, so to speak

My earliest childhood memories come from a post-World War II environment. My toy soldiers were lead and my toy tanks were tin, made in Japan from tin cans discarded by the U.S. military occupation forces. When they broke you could turn them inside out and read the labels on some of them. Spam tins were popular.

As I got older, wartime shortages began to disappear and we got things made out of rubber, like the heads on kids’ dolls, which had previously been made of some kind of plaster composition that smashed when dropped, or accidentally thrown against the headboard in the crib. This was how Bosco, my stuffed monkey, was done in. My cousin showed me how this worked. As you may have noticed, I have never forgiven him for this.

As we got older, we discovered the glamorous violence of the Old West. We all had our gun sets. The most desirable was a double action revolver, big enough for Dirty Harry, that had individual cartridges that you could take apart and insert a cap into, then load and fire. The fact that it took about five minutes to load the six cartridges that came with the gun was a minor inconvenience. (Note: Although movie cowboys routinely clocked each other with their gun barrels and shook it off, it doesn’t really work that way.)

Which reminds me, in those days kids did not automatically get every new toy that hit the market. When we were a little older, we could save our 25-cent allowances, denying ourselves the pleasure of a Pepsi and a Baby Ruth during the week, until we scraped together enough to buy that $5.95 Ideal Stage Coach with horses that you hitched to the coach and plastic-leather reins and a rifle in the boot with a driver that actually held the reins. The doors opened and shut and you could stuff things inside. Basically, what you had here was a doll house for boys.

It was hard to save that much, so we learned to ask for money for our birthdays. With a couple of birthday dollars and a two-month advance on our allowance, it was just possible to save up enough. Having acquired this magnificent piece of Cowboynalia, I now settled down to enjoy. Unhitch the horses. Hitch up the horses. Put the driver in the driving box. Get the rifle from the boot and force it into his hand. Now take it out and place the whip there, then the reins. Open the doors and close the doors. Hmmm. Now what?

Gee. I could sure use a Pepsi and a Baby Ruth about now.

Bill Abrams continues to keep hold of the reins to his coach, however small, which is parked alongside his homestead in Pine Plains.

Latest News

Big Blue lax wins Founders League

LAKEVILLE — The Hotchkiss School girls lacrosse won the 2025 Founders League championship with an 11-10 victory over Choate Rosemary Hall May 21.

The Bearcats battled back from behind by as many as four points.

Keep ReadingShow less
Marvelwood lacrosse goes back-to-back in HVAL

The Marvelwood lacrosse team poses for a group photo May 20 after winning the HVAL title for the second year in row.

Photo by Lans Christensen

KENT — On Tuesday, May 20, Marvelwood School lacrosse defeated Woodhall School 15-9 in the Housatonic Valley Athletic League tournament final.

It was second straight HVAL championship win for the Pterodactyls and their fifth league title since 2018.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mountaineers strike gold at BL track championships

HVRHS sophomore Ryan Segalla went three-for-three May 17 with Berkshire League gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m races. He was also on the gold-winning 4x400m relay team.

Photo by Riley Klein

Berkshire League track and field wrapped up a season of competition with the league finals in Litchfield May 17. The BL festival followed with decathlon, heptathlon, steeplechase and hammer in Falls Village May 20 and Thomaston May 21.

The events included athletes from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Gilbert School, Lakeview High School, Nonnewaug High School, Northwestern Regional High School, Shepaug Valley High School, Terryville High School and Thomaston High School.

Keep ReadingShow less
Salisbury approves traffic detour for June NASCAR event

Lime Rock Park is slated to host the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Friday and Saturday, June 26 to 28, in Lime Rock, Connecticut.

Photo by Nathan Miller

SALISBURY — First Selectman Curtis Rand agreed to sign approvals for changes in traffic patterns and a “hauler parade” for Lime Rock Park’s NASCAR event June 26 to 28 after a lengthy and detailed discussion at a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen Wednesday, May 21.

Lime Rock Park is hosting a weekend of NASCAR events. In anticipation of a larger than usual crowd, park leadership has asked to have one-way traffic on Route 112 — Lime Rock Road — from the junction of Route 7 and Route 112 to White Hollow Road and the main track entrance between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and one-way traffic in the opposite direction between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28.

Keep ReadingShow less