Why I Am The Way I Am...Childhood Memories Part 1

I don't know why, but I've been thinking a lot about my childhood lately. I think I'm just anxious for summer to get here & most of my favorite childhood memories were during summertime. And most of the time, I was at my grandparents' farm.
One hundred acres full of adventure. I don't think there is any place on that property that I, my sister and my four cousins did not set foot. There were the usual haunts, like the barn, the barnyard, the creek, the fishing pond just east of the house.
Then, there were much more mysterious destinations, such as up by the huge old walnut tree towards the southeast area and the property line to the north which deathly frightened us for no good reason; perhaps it was because of the old bones we'd find and the fact that it was about as far away from the house as we could get. Right on the verge of unfamiliar territory. If we crossed that fence, were we going to be shot by some crazy landowner? As children, we thought the most eccentric thoughts. Besides the fact that we were seemingly miles away from home, when you enter the field on your way to the distant property fence line, you enter into a charming valley with the most wonderful creek on your right side and a beautiful tree-covered hillside on the left. Of course, when you're a child, these woods can be terrifying--you don't know what kind of ghosts and goblins are watching you from behind the grapevine-draped trees. Grapevines that we would often use as a swing set on sunny days that we knew we were safe from whatever came out on cloudy days.
Looking back, we spent so much time outside I can't believe Grandma allowed it. In country that was filled with snakes and snapping turtles and numerous opportunities to break various bones, I can't imagine letting my children wander off for hours upon hours without supervision. But, that was my childhood. And I loved it. And I miss it. We knew what we were doing. We were safe. We were "street" smart, or in our case, "gravel-road" smart. This was true freedom to have the best time of our lives.