Young enough to be a son of the "Greatest Generation" yet too old to be a "Baby Boomer", the boy grew up in the 1940s and '50s in a small rural town on Long Island. In a four-volume series he presents his memoirs as little time capsules, set in the context of their happening, unembellished, for the most part, by later events or other accounts. In this volume, the first in the series, the boy describes the unique playground of his youth, a world dominated by woods and waterways and the remnants of Vanderbilt opulence. In a sequel, "Idle Hour Retrospect - A Native Son's Study of 20th Century Oakdale", the adult adds historical context, gained from later research, to the scenes of "Idle Hour Romp".