Happy Little Trees... an ode to PBS... or just a trip down memory lane.

Yesterday, we were awoken to the prodding of B, politely requesting waffles. Of course, yesterday he wanted C, not me to go downstairs. A and I followed a few minutes later.

Anywho... we flipped on the tube, (I still like tubes versus LCDs, plasmas, etc. but that is a post for another day).

zipping through the guide, what do my eyes find? The best of the joy of painting! Yes, Bob Ross, the happy tree guy. I was always, and continue to be, amazed at how quickly the man could take a blank canvas, and in a matter of minutes create a landscape so realistic it you'd swear it was a photo.

It was cool to watch again, and listen to him talk. The contradiction of a voice that would be perfect for bed-time stories, and talent so amazing that you would hang on every word.

It reminded me of a time when there were only channels two through thirteen, many of which were duplicates, and I was the remote control. (commercials start... cue: "Rob, flip it to Hee Haw for a minute") Channels 2 and 4 were both NBC, 6 and 11 were CBS, 7 and 13 were ABC, 3 was the blue and red updated local weather and current time channel (really only useful for our Atari 2600), 5 was WTTG long before it was FOX 5, 10 was DC 20 (home of the ever popular Captain 20), 12 was the Christian Broadcasting Network, and then there was channel 8, PBS rarely watched during the week (I never really cared for Sesame Street, especially after Mr. Hooper died), Mr Rogers was only really interesting during Picture-Picture segments. But on the weekends, after a morning of cartoons, wrestling, kung fu theatre, and creature feature on DC 20, before Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw (what a combo there), there was the underwater world of Jacques Cousteau and The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross.

What a great time to be a kid, the 70s and 80s. A special treat was going to the Tastee Freeze for a small swirl cone, or a trip to Skate Land with a couple of friends, where we'd blow all our money on Pole Position ("...Prepare to Qualify!"), or a trip to the old mall when it was just the mall, having a slice of Tony's Pizza or a Bavarian soft pretzel while sitting on the ledge in front of Langrall's listening to the soundtrack of a trip to the mall in the 70s, the organist in the piano/organ store.

Good Times... Good Times...

dyNOmite!