In the summer of 1979, three friends and I rented a small house in Lanesville, New York. We spent weekends and our summer vacations there. Occasionally, we drove in to Woodstock, but we spent most of our time walking along the Ashokan Reservoir and swimming at North Lake. The best day of the summer happened by chance. We had spent the morning and early afternoon checking out yard sales from Lanesville to Fleischmanns to Margaretville. Tired and hot, we had just stopped on the side of Route 28 when a young boy with a towel over his shoulder slowly bicycled by. I asked if he knew of a place to swim. He said “Yes, just follow me.” He led us down a narrow road to a giant tree overlooking a flowing creek. Another boy was there, holding on to a thick knotted rope tied to a large tree branch. He smiled at us, then swung out into the air, let go of the rope and landed in the water with a great splash. He popped up and waved us in. We followed as quickly as we could. The water was clear and cool and felt fantastic.

Larry Racioppo returned to South Brooklyn in 1970 after two years in California as a VISTA volunteer. He took a course at the School of Visual Arts, began to photograph his family and friends, and has never stopped.  His latest book, I Hope I Break Even, I Could Use The Money: Photographs from Aqueduct Racetrack 1972, will be published next month by Blurring Books.