Front porch rocker memories

 

I bought my wife a pair of wooden rocking chairs for our front porch last year. It was probably one of the best investments I’ve ever made.

It’s so peaceful to sit back and take in the nature around us as we look upon our rural property and enjoy the sights and sounds of our woodland and domestic critters. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in my rocker on a Sunday evening talking on the phone with my parents when there was an explosion of bright red cardinals across the yard. There must have been a dozen or more flitting about and singing their song.

It reminded me of the day we first drove onto the property to move in. I pulled the moving truck up the driveway and cardinals flew everywhere, mixed with blue jays and a host of other birds. A few squirrels scampered about. It made me think of the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. That’s how we came to call our little hobby farm the Southern Acre Wood.

Whenever Sandy and I settle into those porch rockers, we find peace and serenity. We can look out across our driveway to our pond and watch the ducks and geese as they swim and play. Our chickens will come up and beg for treats. Charlie, our golden retriever, will bring us a tennis ball to throw for him. Each spring and fall we have humming birds that zip around.

Frequently the deer will wander over to drink from our pond. I enjoyed watching them until they started decimating our garden and devouring our duck food. Still, there is something pleasant about watching them move about in a small herd, especially when they have babies.

In the evenings we listen to the owls hoot, the frogs croak, and the crickets and cicadas chirp. The sounds of nature are very soothing. It’s one of those things that many people are missing out on in modern life. Life is meant to be lived outdoors, not wasted away with digital entertainment. We need fresh air and plenty of sunlight.

Relaxing in the rockers has brought back a flood of memories of my childhood in rural Niwot, Colorado. We didn’t have a front porch or big rocking chairs, but we had a big yard and a small neighborhood to play in. As long as we had our chores done, we were free to roam around our little community and play with our friends.

It was not uncommon for us to grab our tacklebox and fishing poles and head to the Frog Pond where we drowned a lot of worms and goofed off in the adjacent creek. We rode our bikes everywhere, that is, until we were old enough to drive a car. We played Little League baseball on fields that are now covered in houses. The cornfields where we used to shoot at ducks, geese and pheasants during hunting season are also paved over with high-end homes.

Our little neighborhood group used to play hide-and-seek type games until well past sundown. In fact, they were more fun in the dark because it was easier to sneak around. Living along the foothills of the Rockies meant a lot of camping and hiking in the mountains. Our Boy Scout troop went camping once a month, even in winter. It was especially enjoyable in the snow.

To be sure my brothers and I watched a lot more TV than we should have, but it was just a small fraction of time compared to what the average person watches (or games) today. We didn’t have cell phones, video players, computers and such. We didn’t spend hours scrolling through social media sites. We drew pictures, read comic books, built models, and jumped on the trampoline (without a safety net!). We used our imaginations to create endless fun, especially with our action figures.

I regret that my children didn’t grow up doing those things, but they had a good, albeit different life. Still, those are some of the things I mull about sometimes when sitting on the rocker and soaking in the joys of life. The best times we have with the rockers are when Sandy and I talk about our plans, hopes and dreams. It’s moments like these that make the investment in the rocking chairs one of the best I’ve ever made.