During the winters of the 1950s and 1960s in Portland, Oregon there were several storms that produced measurable amounts of snow on the ground that lasted a few days. 

Unfortunately there weren’t very good winter clothes and shoes or boots like those of today, or at least we didn’t have any. But that didn’t stop my friends and me from spending some time outside. That is until we got so cold and wet we couldn’t stand it any longer. I remember my friend Joe Hoffman hated winter and still does, but he did join in sometimes.

One of the crazy things we seemed to enjoy when we were in grade school was something we called “hooky bobbing.” I don’t have any idea where the name came from or how to spell it. 

Anyway, at the intersection of Oswego Avenue and Fessenden Street there was a blinking, four-way stoplight. We would hide, and when a car would stop at the light we’d crouch down and run out into the street behind it and grab hold of the rear bumper. When the car accelerated we’d slide on our shoes down the snow and ice covered street until we were going so fast we got scared and let go. How fun was that!

Looking back I’d say it was really pretty dumb, but we did a lot of dumb things in those days.

Ken Kaiyala
1-8-25