CHAPTER ELEVEN: 
     
    
   
   
    
     w 
     
    
   
   
    
     ntil the neighbourhood developed, the Murphy home was 
     
    

    
     surrounded by hay fields and wild grass. One of the favourite 
     
    

    
     rites of spring for the young Murphys was to light the fields 
     
     on fire to burn the dead vegetation. While one was starting the fire, the 
     
     others would stand close by to extinguish it in case it got out of control. 
     
     Most of the time the strategy worked, but on at least one occasion, 
     
     the fire department had to be called. It was a fun thing for the young 
     
     Murphys to do, but it caused Kathleen no end of concern. Although she 
     
     watched over the activity closely, she never interfered. That left each of the 
     
     children with the freedom to be adventurous and with the courage and 
     
     confidence to take risks. Ever since that time, when each of the Murphys 
     
     began igniting ideas, business plans or career goals, Kathleen continued to 
     
     hover, hoping they wouldn’t get burned. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The hedgerow at the end of the first field behind the Murphy home was 
     
     called the backwoods. Hours were spent in the fields and backwoods. 
     
     There were lots of children in the growing neighbourhood — more boys 
     
     than girls — boosted in part by the seven Murphy boys. Other families 
     
     were the Carraghers, the Dohertys, the Roaches and the Younkers; not 
     
     far away were the Mathesons and the Stewarts. They all played street 
     
     hockey and football, built tree houses and along with other activities they 
     
     organized by themselves, generally kept busy. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A couple of older boys in the neighbourhood, Robert Stewart and Bobby 
     
     Doherty, had established a track around the fields to run laps as part of 
     
    
   
   
    
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