Sunday Morning Shoes

The horseshoes are kept in a shed directly next to the picnic table across from the pits. Compared to the rest of the area, this shed is relatively new and doesn’t seem to fit in. It looks nice… but doesn’t fit the natural setting of the pits. Deciding to play shoes isn’t a thought that needs to be pre-meditated. Because the pit is in my neighbor’s back yard, it’s a quick easy walk to enter into the space. Within 45 seconds of deciding I want to play I can be at the shed opening up the door to get the shoes out. I try to get into the pits at least twice a week. I play on Friday afternoon after work and Sunday morning before starting my day. Of course this is weather dependant but I’ve been lucky recently with this beautiful New England weather. I’ve played shoes in the rain before. It’s not as bad as one would think, I mean, a little water never killed anyone did it? The only problem is the pits get muddy, so unless you get a ringer or a direct shot, you have no bounce in the sand at all. This is surprisingly good practice because your shot must be dead on.

 

On sunny days, the pits seem to relax me. Being from the country I enjoy relaxing in the woods and not thinking about the hustle and bustle of the city. The birds singing and the leaves blowing are very peaceful. Especially now, in the autumn. I love this time of year when the leaves are turning colors and the cooler fall breezes are blowing around. Friday afternoons, the sun has been shining all day warming up the air. I drive home with the windows down in my new car and the stereo up. Its such a feeling of freedom knowing that you have two days off from being in the office. Homework is another story but I’m not thinking about that after a full workweek. I find that because of this, I shoot a much better game. My friends are normally around the pits on Fridays so when I get home, I just hop right into the mix.

 

Today is a Sunday though, and the feeling is much different. I worked on homework all day Saturday so I’m pretty tired today. I tried to get up early, but it just didn’t happen for me. I got outside at about 10:15 and stayed out for an hour and a half. My roommates were still sleeping and my neighbors were gone for the weekend, so today I was by myself. On Friday, I was frustrated with my shot so I spent the whole time today working on my shot from the far pit to the near pit. Remember, the near pit is the hardest pit, which causes a wilder bounce. I started to feel more comfortable with this side when my phone rang and I knew I should probably stop anyways. I put the shoes away in the shed and shut the door. I figured I would relax for 10 minutes before I went inside to finish my homework.

 

I sat down on the green plastic picnic table and just relaxed. I ended up day dreaming and thinking about this past summer. The pits do that to me sometimes. I vacationed on the Cape this summer and spent a lot of time at Hampton Beach in my Camaro. I spent two years building my car and finally ‘finished’ it this summer. I spent just about the whole summer in it at the beach (that is as long as there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as my car doesn’t see water). Although there was no ocean today, it reminded me of this time because I was so relaxed and free to the grind. This summer was great. I was on vacation the entire three months. I mean, I worked… 40-45 hours a week, but it’s the first summer I didn’t have homework to do in the past three years. This felt good. Every weekend was dedicated to the things that I wanted to do, not the things I had to do. For some reason, I went back there today and for a mere 10 minutes I felt the same way. The emotional feeling of the pits is always pleasant to me.

 

I realized I should spend a few more minutes in the pits and think about place-identity this week. Similar to my last post, I feel that the pits are a very basic layout and simple to remember. I think the discrepancy in the way that people see the place is strictly due to their background and how they grew up. Some like to be in the woods and some don’t. I see the pits as a relaxing place to hang out alone or with friends. Others see it as a scary place that they wouldn’t go to unless there is a large gathering. This seems strange to me, but I know its true because I’ve asked. Even my neighbors, who the pits belong to, don’t use them unless someone else is out there already playing. They come out once they see us, but we never come out to find them there. I asked them about this on Friday of this week and they told me simply, they come out for the social aspect, not the game itself. I thought it was because they were scared of the stone staircase or maybe the woods. I guess I was wrong…

Cognition

Due to its lack of complexity, the horseshoe pit becomes an easily memorable location. Its small size as well as it basic layout allow most all inhabitants to remember exactly what it looks like. Once you enter into the pit, you are faced with two main choices. You can either move to the left and relax on the picnic table, or turn right and enter into the pits. Although there are an infinite amount of possible locations to inhabit in the space, these are your main points of interest. Everyone that enters the space may see these two areas differently, however, they are very distinct. The pits to me feel extremely antique, with the old wooden fence and stone staircase. In my mind, this begins to stick out and forms an immediate image that translates into a memory. On the flip side, to someone else, the space may feel completely different. The old fence and the stone stairway may translate into nothing and they focus their attention on the picnic table and horseshoe pits. If cognitive mapping was to be done in this location by a friend, and myself I would be willing to bet that the maps would be completely different. This theory can be related back to the book “Invisible Cities,” by Italo Calvino. In this book, the main character, Marco Polo describes to a friend his adventures through different cities in the world. However, as the book comes to a conclusion, Polo reveals that all the cities were really the same place. He was just interpreting them differently due to his immediate perception. This is extremely fascinating because he essentially proved the point that cognitive mapping is never the same. Even the same person will most likely never see the same place twice. Every little variable has the ability to completely change your perception of a place and in turn, alter the attitude, experience and memory.

 

When I enter into the pits, I ascend the staircase and proceed directly to the pits. I like to stand on the side closest to the staircase, as overgrown woods obstruct the other side. However, if someone else is already at the pits, I will ‘walk’ to the other side. When one team has to go to the furthest side it is said they must walk. It’s a general term used in all sporting activities, often meaning the losing team. Warm-ups normally last a few tosses and then it’s into the game. Both sides of the pits have a very different feel to them. When throwing to one pit, it is evident that it has much more sand than the other. The shoes seem to hit this pit and dig in very well, causing them to not bounce out. However, throwing to the other pit is much more challenging. This pit has much harder sand and often causes the shoes to bounce around more than you would like. This is another reason as to why I like to stand at the closest pit; this is the hard pit, the soft one is located on the far side. The imagery is also extremely different depending on the side you are throwing from. When at the far end, you have the distractions of people at the picnic table in front of you at all times. Although you are closer to the noise and distractions of the picnic table at the close pit, your back is turned to them allowing you to block them out better. Out of sight, out of mind, right? This experience and these variables allow the pits to give off a different attitude caused by many factors.

 

The attitude in the pits is very much dictated by the weather and the inhabitants. The area can be a bright enlightening location, or a dark gloomy stressful destination. The attitude felt in the space can make the users have an enjoyable time, or not. Attitude can, and probably will be, described differently by all inhabitants. The grounds keeper of the pits might not enjoy them as much as they are constantly mowing the lawn, and keeping weeds out of the sandboxes. I assume there are grounds keepers here. I’m always at work during the day, but when I get home at night and I look over to the pits and the grass is never long, and the sand is often groomed. I would like to ask whomever it is that takes care of the pits to add more sand to the closer pit, but, that’s almost an impossible task with work and school. Being that the pits are used mainly at night and on the weekends, the players don’t need to deal with this hassle and only enjoy them when they want. As with many spaces, the horseshoe pits have the ability to change attitude and change your attitude on a constant basis. Because they are natural, in a natural setting, they can change on a minutely basis. A bad day with the shoes can immediately ruin your mood and mess up the rest of your day or night. Practice helps to minimize these types of days, but nothing can eliminate them. The ringer is worth three points, but if you undershoot by a quarter of an inch... you’re out of luck and only get one. This makes the games drag and the tempers flair.

 

Although the horseshoe pit is clearly meant for one purpose and one purpose only, I can understand how to many, it could be perceived as something different. When you look at studies done by researchers in relating to cognitive mapping, you are able to understand that both age and gender play a large roll in the way someone sees a space. For example, a young child in the pits may see them as a sand box and a place to play with their toys. On the same token, an old lady may see them as a place to garden and to plant flowers. While these are a couple obvious uses for the space, it can clearly be used for many other activities. The choice to play catch with a baseball or football is a valid option in this area. Because it is open and long, playing catch would be possible in the area. I have never seen this happen here, however it is easy to imagine it. I also like to think up scenarios in my mind of if this were to happen. A horseshoe pit is used for horseshoes, not catch. So, if I were to enter into the pits and someone was playing catch would they leave? Would I ask them to leave? I don’t know, I’ve never had to deal with this; however, I contemplate it almost every time I approach that old stone staircase.

 

Once play has ceased, I pick up the shoes and head down the staircase. If you thought going up this pathway was tough, you should try going down it. I’m glad I wasn’t doing a leg exercise up there, as I don’t think I would make it down the stairs…

 

-The Ringer

Brighton Horseshoes

A horseshoe pit, on Mt. Vernon Street in Brighton, MA is to be the focus of my study in this blog. The horseshoe pit is not quite regulation size, however, still provides a tangible playing experience. The stakes are located a mere 27’ apart opposed to the regulation 40’. Although this distance is short, throwing techniques are still learned and perfected here. Understanding the way the horseshoe needs to be spun and how to determine its ending location are the two key aspects in horseshoes. Although you can’t put your full power into your initial shot, the set up and techniques are still the same.

 

Directly behind the pits, is a small concrete area with a relatively new green plastic picnic table. This table provides a location for players to relax, as well as bystanders to watch. It is located a safe distance behind the nearest pit, however, still close enough to view the entire area. This table is separated from the pits by an overgrown walkway, which has dirt and grass coming through it. This describes the tactile environment, which can be considered mostly natural. Besides the plastic table, concrete pad, and the metal pins, the environment is completely natural with grass, trees and sunlight. The overall area is approximately 50’X30’; this includes the pits, walkway and seating area. 

 

The pits are located off the street and up an uneven set of old stone stairs. The entry into the space is an obstacle and immediately sets the tone for your experience here. It feels old and out of place in the city, however, exciting and welcoming. There is also an old wooden fence as well as a metal railing on one side. This helps to frame the space making you feel enclosed and safe. Coinciding with the stairs, the weather holds a strong effect on ones initial feeling upon entering the pits. On two sides of the pits, there are large trees that overhang the far sides. On a cloudy day, these trees provide an eerie shadow that makes your experience much more depressing than on a sunny day. The pits seem gloomy and abandoned on these days when no one is around. However, as soon as the sun comes out, the colors of the trees and the natural environment can make you feel as if you’re in the middle of the country, not three minutes away from busy Chestnut Hill Road and Washington Street.

 

This brings up another interesting point about the pits. Although they are so close to the heart of Brighton, on a summer’s day, you feel as if you’re the only one around. When you are alone, before you start to play you can feel a cool breeze coming from the trees and only hear the sound of birds singing and leaves bustling. Occasionally you can hear a siren or loud horn coming from the surrounding main roads, but besides that the pits remain peaceful. While practicing alone, there are three distinct sounds that occur. You have the sound of the shoe hitting the pit boxes. These boxes are made of wood, and when the metal shoe hits them its makes a deep hollow sound. The second sound is when the shoe hits the sand inside the pits. This makes a dark thud sound as if something was dropped straight down from the sky (as it basically was). And the third sound, the most gratifying sound, is the sound of metal on metal. When the shoe hits the pin, a very distinct clanking occurs. This noise is usually the sound of at least one point if not two or three. A ringer is worth the most points, but its not the only way to score.

 

Being in the space alone can be relaxing and peaceful, however, as soon as more people are added into the equation, the atmosphere becomes completely different. The normal noises at a horseshoe pit continue, but are now much more frequent. With two people on a team, and four people playing at once, the thumps, and clanks happen much more often. There is also a lot of talking that occurs around a horseshoe pit. Its not the fact that horseshoes doesn’t take concentration, but more the fact that while playing, it becomes more of a social occasion with friends and a few beers. Chatter also comes into play when the picnic table fills up with bystanders. These people are often waiting their turn, or just getting off the pits. They discuss horseshoes for the most part, however, it’s not unusual for the topic to move onto other issues.

 

The physical experience at the pit changes quite frequently. Its sometimes-solemn mood is accompanied next time by a much happier experience. The pit provides a get away location to just sit and think, while at the same time, can be used as the location of a gathering of closest friends, and even strangers. There is something about being in the woods that brings people together. It’s a natural bond that you can feel in this space as you become one with nature. 

Horseshoes and their environment

This blog will study a horseshoe pit in Brighton, MA.