Red and Rover by Brian Basset for March 27, 2023

So much better now with the cork-like playground.

Oooh I remember ‘gravel knees’

Not gravel. Cinders. Sifted from the ashes of coal-burning furnaces.

Yep, that’s burned into my memory. That’s why my jeans always had holes in them. I did a pivot to flag football. Never looked back until today. Everyone have a great day.

Rover felt a disturbance in the Force.

The Force is strong between these two.

There was sand under mine! Red, those bars are dangerous in more ways than one. Be careful!

How did we ever survive recess?!

Hey! That gravel was put there to cushion your fall. LOL

Rover !!!!! Rover !!! Maybe you need to get Red’s MOM !!!

The Army taught me well, that was the only way to get to he mess hall in basic.

I remember that particular device. I would often grab onto the side of it, whip my legs up and over, then hang from my knees. I’m lucky I never had a fall while doing that!

Hope there’s an arc here

After falling from the monkey bars, Red was heard saying:" Oooh oooh, ahh ahh!!" from the pain.

We had a deep clay trench just like the swing sets – often filled with water for several days after a heavy rain.

Ours at my grade school was much higher than Red’s. I think it was adult-sized. As a second and third-grader, it was challenging – but I climbed like a monkey, so I managed. One of my friends wasn’t so lucky (or agile) – she fell and broke her arm. And, we continued playing on it! (Except for her of course – can’t use them with a cast.)

Never had any injuries on our playground then went back about 5 years and saw rubber mats under it all.

Yeah, they were called ‘cinders’… And it is true – a boy and his dog are linked telepathically.

Poor Red …… at least this shows how close Red and Rover are …… luckily for Rover he just senses Red’s pain and doesn’t actually feel it …… :)

Man’s best friend has ESP. i like it.

Been there, done that.

Back then they put concrete and gravel under the swings and under playground equipment. Now they have these rubber chips there for the soft children of today.

Been there, done that, gravel drive, 60+ years ago. Still have the scars.

Ours was blacktop but off to one side were more monkey bars and the swings with gravel under them. I could still see traces of scars on my knees in my twenties.

Been there, done that as an elementary student, on a paediatrics rotation, and as a father. Not fun in any instance. But rewarding when the patient, and their mum, give a smile.