What are your life-long hobbies?

Stainz

Stainz

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Fifty years ago last month - on my birthday - my Dad, a truckdriver, arrived home in Indianapolis with my new shortwave receiver from Lafayette Radio in NY, near where we had until recently lived. It replaced my two transistor homebrew receiver - and in a big way. It would start a life long hobby of shortwave broadcast listening. Today - fifty years later - I am still listening to Radio Australia on 9,580 kHz in the AM (06-08 local - 11-1300 UTC).

So... what do you still do now that you did as a youth?

Stainz
 
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I think that I was about 12 yo (1959) when I borrowed $25 from my uncle to buy a used Federal photo enlarger. I started developing B&W film for neighbors in our basement and paid it back in a few months.

Around 1965 after earning enough money from delivering papers and other odd jobs, I bought my first SLR - a Nikon F w/50mm f1.4 Nikkor. I'll never forget opening the shipping box - what a thrill.

I still have that camera & lens:

84157064_QrVYu-M.jpg


I have enjoyed photography for 50+ years - today it's a digital darkroom with a Nikon D700 & a half dozen or more Nikkor lenses. It never gets old.
 
Stainz said:
So... what do you still do now that you did as a youth?

Stainz
Click to expand...

Fishing, saltwater and fresh water. Small game hunting, upland birds. Don't get out to the ocean much these days and I miss that most of all, since I live so far from the seashore now. Fishing has many rewards....in addition to the fish. It is very relaxing and stress reducing. Have found it to be so all my life since I was big enough to hold a rod.

Cheers;
Lefty
 
Guns and shooting obviously. Now 67 started shooting when 9 years old.

Cars, FAST cars! Do to my age I started being interested in fast cars at a early age. Hung around with the big boys learned a lot and my first car I bought in 63 was a 59 Chevy 283 power pack with the rare 4spd trans.. Did a lot of work and it was kind of quick for the era. Had a few muscle cars later in the 60s and put most all my money into them and had a couple real fast ones. That was the era of street racing and I did a lot of it (that was then folks, its totally illegal and dangerous do not try it now) did a lot of sanctioned strip racing also. Since then I have always had a nice car than was faster than most and today my "summer ride" is a 07 Z06 Corvette.

Guns, cars and novel reading (Tom Clancy& Frederick Forsyth are favorites) have been with me through the ages and if all works out well will continue!
 
Over my lifetime I have tried a little photography, but never really got into it. I also tried collecting guns. I am still interested in guns and have a few, but I wouldn't call it a collection. I like watches and have a few, but again it doesn't really qualify as a collection. At one time my real interest was antique automobiles. I have a few of those, but I am not currently too active in restoring them and my 1950 convertible which I restored in the '70s and '80s needs some touch up and it just sits in my garage. Today, I am retired. I work a little, and am interested in accumulating real estate. I am a bit concerned that when the USA's economy gets going again we will have a period of runaway inflation.

A lot of things explain my change interests. Life changing things like divorce, job losses etc. Now in my retirement I am interested in accumulating some wealth and preserving what I have. The stock market hasn't been real good to me these last twelve years. Stocks tend to climb in inflationary times, but they really don't keep pace with the true inflation. CDs, bonds etc are out of the question IMO due to low yields and more risk than people normally assume. At one time I competed in a pistol team, but no longer compete (eyesight problems). I still enjoy shooting though.
 
Hot rodding motorcycles. Not real fast like the big sportbikes and not slow like V twins. Just old 79-86 Suzukis running 10s-11s in the quarter, around 110-125 MPH. I plan to do it until I can't throw a leg over one, or can't stand the heat at the track. Although I really didn't start that until I was in my late 20s, but I've been driving things wide open ever since I drove out of my Dad's sight.
 
A couple of things for me.
My Christmas present when I was 10 was a soldering gun and a Heathkit shortwave radio. That started me on ham radio and I'm still doing it (K4BEV). I also started a telegraph key collection while in high school and I'm still doing that.
Also at about 10 I got a Herman Wouk book for my birthday - "The Caine Mutiny" - I'm almost finished, btw :)

Actually I now have all of Mr. Wouk's novels in their first edition. Time to start "The Winds Of War" again and then "War And Remembrance" - It's been about 20 years since the last time that I read them....

Oh - And HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES - My mom's brother, Uncle Mike, was a career Air Force man. Every 5 years of so he'd rotate in to be our town's USAF Recruiter and he had a Pan Head. I absolutely fell in love and still ride, but up front now :D
I'm down to one now ('93 FLSTC) and it's probably my last, but I love to ride. The scoot's broken right now, and its too hot out to work on it --- But soon......
 
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Lifelong hobby. Easy. Reading. I remember the first book I ever read... "Go Dog Go!" I got it off the bookmobile that came by the school once a week. At home there were not any books. I thought the bookmobile was heaven. The summer before second grade, my family moved to a large city where there were libraries. I never dreamed such placed existed. When I saw the school library I was in awe. I've enjoyed reading ever since as a child I found out I could go to the library and read whatever books I wanted to read. Today reading is still my favorite hobby. Currently I am reading Hatcher's Book of the Garand for pleasure. For work I am reading Turning Points in the Life of Jesus. Later I will read The Life of the Shepherd, Farmer and Village in Biblical Times.
 
Lot's of hobbies over the years, but the ones with legs - those I still maintain a high level of interest and excitement for include:

1. guns
2. photography
3. fitness
4. reading
5. travel

Out
West
 
Swimming/snorkeling/scuba-diving, music, motorcycling, photography, and dogs. I have always been interested in those things, but as others have mentioned, have had to break away from them off and on over the years for different reasons, some my fault and some beyond my control. I remember when I was a lad, my mother tried to do the piano lessons thing to me. I was too dumb to understand what she was trying to accomplish and, like most boys, had no interest in being indoors, sitting at the piano for 30-45 minutes most evenings. Maybe someday I will start over again with the piano.
 
I ordered a Berns-Martin Triple Draw Lightnin' holster for my Chiefs Special when I was 16 & a Tom Threepersons carved holster with matching belt from S. D. Myres shortly thereafter. I still have both rigs
& have pursued a life long interest in matching classic revolvers with
vintage gun leather.
Like brucev I've been a lifelong reader. I rarely go to sleep before reading
for 15 minutes up to an hour. Vacations are for reading as well.
Regards,
turnerriver
 
My tasts and intrests havent changed from the dawn of my memory. Old classic guns and everything else. I have never been interested in new or contemperary guns, motorcycles, airplanes, trucks or autos. If I was rich I would own a museum of old vehicles like jay leno. I never have been in the least competitive in anything but I am at my best in any means of driveing, rideing or flying. I have always been a student of western history, always a conservative yet a gambler.
 
When I was a lad my dad would make wine. He didn't grow grapes but there was plenty of the wild variety on the property. I enjoyed helping and I learned a lot from him. When I got older I started brewing beer at home and have been brewing for over 40 years. I've made beers that weren't so good and some so good that my friends ask for it.

For me, brewing beer is a hobby that is a stress reliever during the process and long after.
 
From child- and early adulthood, I've always read voraciously. I've played guitar for over 40 years, and am just coming to grips with the hands going south from age and abuse! Played in bands, recitals, weddings and all that, but enjoy guitar more for purely personal edification.

The care, raising, training of dogs has been my thing for decades now. It's been the single most rewarding "hobby" I've ever pursued.

Amateur astronomy...since 7 years old when I got my first telescope, a cardboard, 2" reflector from Gilbert Scientific. I still remember the first jaw-dropping views of the moon! I was hooked.

Blood and guts type backpacking, ice climbing and mountaineering...although too old for it now, there's nothing more inspiring than earning your way to the view at 20K feet.

This thread just reminds me that I need to play more...I think I'll take the afternoon off and get the dogs into the water....

Len
 
DeadAye said:
Actually I now have all of Mr. Wouk's novels in their first edition. Time to start "The Winds Of War" again and then "War And Remembrance"
Click to expand...

Two of my all-time favorite books! I have read them many times. My wife doesn't understand how I can enjoy reading the same book repeatedly. To me, they are like having a conversation with an old friend: the words may not change, and nothing new may be learned, but it's the relationship that is important.
 
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