Memories from Harste

My years in Harste were good and wonderful.I explored the woods and hills around the area.The big river was the Line River that started in Goettingen as a cartesian spring which I saw on our class field trip.There was also a big salt mine in the same area.The Harste River (Flus) started in a cow barn and bubbled up like a cartesian well too.The river had a trout type fish (florele) but I never caught any by hand like the big boys did.That river was also my swimming pool and I learned how to swim the breast stroke.I never knew the free style or Australian stroke at that time and never got good at that stroke even though I was on the college swim team in1959-60.The coach saw me swimming breast stroke and he needed swimmers desperately that knew how to breast stroke.No records were set and I don't think I warmed the pool up with my speed either...Track was my sport.The same coach for both sports.

Near the river was a pond and the big boys got ahold off abandoned bomb shell halves.These metal shapes served as boats and we all had a lot of fun with them.I guess good use can be made of terrible things if you mix them with boys and water.I don't remember girls participating in that activity.

The big boys always started new things that us younger ones imitated when they left the scene.There was a big stack of straw bales on a nearby farm.The big boys rearranged that pile so it was full of tunnels and with limited entries.We spend hours chasing each other through those dark tunnels.It was a good thing I was not allergic to dust and straw pieces but the knees and pants got a tremendous work over.

We also had another group play of robber pirates.My older brother was the good guy and me the bad guy.My gang captured a girl and his gang had to get her back.I forgot the details and the rules.Well ,the big brother captured me and I didn't give up so easily.The struggle got a little serious and my pants got ripped.When we got home...I was punished for getting the pants ripped.My father's belt found my rear end in a hurry.My big brother of course did not suffer.His clothes were fine for he was stronger and held me down until I called Uncle and that took a while. I think I resented that for a long time and maybe I still do.