Old Flyer
3 posts
Aug 31, 2007
4:16 PM
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Hi All, I am new to the list and thought I would tell you a short story about my childhood in the Canton Akron Ohio area. I was born in 1948 and I got my first rollers in 1957. I met kid in school and decided to go visit him, when I got to his house I found out his dad had rollers, his name was Roger Baker. Once I saw those rollers I was hooked and Roger was the type of person that if you had any interest at all in the birds then he could lite a fire under you and you could really get into the rollers. My brother and I both flew rollers and our first loft was the top 5 foot of our old out house, my dad just helped us put a bottom in it, I never knew anyone when I was a kid who built a loft out of new lumber, everyone including the adult fanciers would use used lumber or anything they could find. I grew up in Copley Ohio this was Roger Bakers home town, I rememberthere was 26 kids flying rollers just in my neighberhood and Roger got most all of us started in them. He would put lawn shows on for us so we could show our flying rollers and he would take us to flys and I remember him coming to my house to pick me up and take me to the Stark County fair for the big Fair show, I remember him pulling into my driveway in a VW bug with 3 more kids in it and he would come up to the door and I remember when we were ready to leave he would say well Jimmy show us your birds, I often wondered what he thought when I would take him out back and I would jump up in that ole Crapper I mean pigeon loft and I would show him my birds just as proud as I could be. Roger would tke us to the show and then afterwards we would all go to Russ Harter's house in Canton for a picnic and he fly fly kit after kit for everone, what great times, I'll never forget them thanks Rog....... Jim
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tapp
295 posts
Aug 31, 2007
6:29 PM
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Them are great memories Jim, I like them storys of years ago.
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Tapp
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RUDY..ZUPPPPP
198 posts
Aug 31, 2007
6:38 PM
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Memories that are never forgotten...Jim
RUDY
Last Edited by on Aug 31, 2007 6:40 PM
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nicksiders
2116 posts
Aug 31, 2007
8:46 PM
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There was a lot of pigeon guys in my home town in Central Illinois when I was growing up, as well. There damn sure is not that many now.
Memories of my childhood are good, very good.
Welcome to the site, Jim
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Nick
Last Edited by on Aug 31, 2007 8:46 PM
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Richard
74 posts
Sep 01, 2007
12:41 AM
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JIm
You met and knew one of the best gentleman in roller hobby. Actually one of the best in the world.
His wife was just as sweet.
Richard M
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Old Flyer
4 posts
Sep 01, 2007
1:36 PM
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Tapp and Rudym It seems like the older I get I like to talk about the old days. Jim
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Old Flyer
5 posts
Sep 01, 2007
1:39 PM
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Nick, Thanks for the welcome, same way here, our club has really gotten small over the years. It just seems like the young kids have other interest. Jim
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RUDY..ZUPPPPP
199 posts
Sep 01, 2007
1:42 PM
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Hi Jim sometimes i wish i would of been born in the 50's
Im 38 yrs old but feel like 50 .lol
Your friend in the sport
Rudy
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Old Flyer
6 posts
Sep 01, 2007
1:42 PM
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Hi Richard, Yep I think your right, Joyce always seemed to support Roger and all the traveling he did with the birds. I don't know if it was that way all the time though LoL. Jim
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Old Flyer
7 posts
Sep 01, 2007
1:49 PM
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Rudy, I gurantee you it was a different time, we never had much money but my six brothers and sisters and I had a ball growing up. For the boys we were always hunting, fishing, swimming or playing baseball or even flying some rollers. In my years flying rollers as a kid my brother and I only had one hawk attack and we were thrilled to see it and we free lofted our birds all year, little different know. Jim
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Ballrollers
866 posts
Sep 02, 2007
7:45 AM
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Jim,
I was born and raised in Canton, Ohio, as well. I have a trophy that I won in 1963 for Best Old Roller Cock at the Stark Conty Fairgrounds when I was 14 years old! So that I could get a picture of it, I just had Joe Quinn present it to me again, 44 years later, at the recent Akron Canton Roller Club's Fly. Were you there? I just got back from Canton.....again......(40th high school reunion), and looked up some of the old-timers whose birds I used to watch fly when I was a kid. Fond memories to say the least......Look me up if you make it down to Carolina for the convention...
YITS,
Cliff
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Old Flyer
8 posts
Sep 02, 2007
7:19 PM
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Hi Cliff (The Big Unit) I flew in fly, you were here at my place I think lol. Are you getting them birds wound up for the convention? Jim
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Ballrollers
868 posts
Sep 02, 2007
7:27 PM
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Jim,
OK, now I think I know who you are! LOL! Yes, the Futurity Kit is looking good. It's a challenge getting birds from a dozen lofts to work together as a unit. There will be lots of good action individually, I predict, but not much in the way of big, simultaneous breaks. But they are flying at a good height and a nice slow speed and starting to really commit to the roll. Wish you could be here.
YITS,
Cliff
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