Hi! My name is Ashlyn Anstee, and I tell stories with words and pictures. Sometimes, that’s picture books (like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Select “Hedgehog”), or graphic novels (my series “Shelby and Watts”), and sometimes it’s animation (I’ve directed at places like Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network).
This column, “For the Fun of It”, will also have words and pictures. Sometimes it will be stories, or how-tos, or thoughts. A little bit of everything. Hope you enjoy!
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It is time. Time for me to talk about my childhood backyard. It’s going to crop up in stories, I’m sure, so let me give you in an overview.
I grew up in Vancouver. The city has changed a lot, and houses there are now pretty fancy and big. For the price of a condo in Vancouver, you could buy a castle. Pretty bonkers. My childhood home is long gone, having been cut down in the Vancouver way to make some townhomes, which is great because hopefully at some point the increased density will mean more affordability. We can only hope.
But this isn’t about the house itself, but the backyard. We had a truly amazing backyard. It was super long, and it backed up into the cemetery. Mountain View Cemetery is Vancouver’s only cemetery, and has been in SO MANY TV SHOWS, you probably recognize it. We sometimes would watch them film X-Files there, but they also filmed Dead Like Me, the new Flash Movie, Battlestar Galactica, the list goes on).
Here’s a map from memory of the yard.
Also, before I dive into the Barrel of Terror, I should mention that I’m the youngest of three, and I have two older brothers. I wanted very much for them to think I was cool, so I really was pretty feral. I loved climbing, and dirt, and forts.
I’ve tried to figure out a Barrel of Terror picture book for years, but it’s tough. Because on the surface, the concept is pretty absurd. It started with a big plastic oil barrel that came with the house.
The Barrel of Terror
It had a screw on lid, and it was glorious. When you are a kid, any found object is a toy. And this barrel became one of our favorites. Because I, as the youngest, could actually fit inside.
First, I had to check for slugs (Vancouver, as a cold wet place, has a lot of them).
Then I would climb in, they would literally screw on the lid (listen, it was the 90s, safety was not as important, and they would roll the barrel around the yard.
It was AWESOME.
Also, we had a teeter totter, and they’d roll me on one side, then jump on the other, and I’d go flying through the air.
Then finally, I’d emerge, all staticcy from the plastic in the barrel.
We called it Barrel of Terror. The worst part is that I don’t think I could ever recreate that experience. I’m far too big to fit in a barrel now.
What I love about childhood (and what I think about when I try to write them), is the ways that we interact with our environment. Whether you had a yard or not, or shared a room, or made your own little fort, kids find ways to make their space their own. They use things in ways we don’t expect them too. Ask any 90s kid about the boxcar children- we all wanted the ability to make our own little space!
Was there any weird toys you made as a child? Did you do anything dangerous? I am betting you did, even if you would never let your own child climb into a barrel. Now, as a grown up, have you found any ways to bring a bit of that back into your life?
Thing of the Week
I love leaving little piles of stuff around the house. I call them my “creativity piles”. Unfortunately, I really do work creatively better when I have my supplies all spread out around me. But I live with another person (my husband Grant), and cats, so I cannot live in a home slash junkyard of creativity piles. So now I have a box.
I used to have a box as a kid for my school stuff. I would toss all my work in there, my backpack, kind of like a locker but for at home.
My current box holds whatever supplies I’m currently exploring, but might want to use on the couch in front of the TV. I’ve got some art stuff, some books, and my planner. This way, I can come inside and work, or watch a show, and not feel tied to my desk or studio space.
But the MAIN REASON I’m recommending this box is because it has a soft top, which means cats can sit on it. DUAL PURPOSE. Yes, it’s covered in fluff now. But now I don’t feel bad about having a weird random box next to the coffee table because sometimes, Prince sits on it, and looks like a lil king.
okay love you bye.
I loved that buried bathtub. I didn’t know about the barrel of terror. Uour backyard was so cool.
I laughed so hard at Barrel of Terror because I know exactly what feelings you’re describing. We used to steal those big wooden cable spools that were left at home construction sites, tip them sideways and run on them (like a circus bear on ball) around the cul de sac. Those things were heavy and could easily have crushed us if we were clumsy enough to get caught under one of its sides. But we didn’t care. It was the BEST thing to play on! 🤦🏽♀️