Similar background, only got hooked on the commodore BBS scene... I'd ride my bmx bike holding a box of floppies to a friends to hack on, with the warm smell of manure rising up through the air. (Turlock)
Yeah, a ride down Monte Vista Ave was a pretty "pastoral" experience.
Going from toying with analog electronics to getting to use an actual computer was pretty exciting, at least for somebody in a rural area who could not afford such toys otherwise. Putting simple graphics into the Apple was a stroke of genius and made it quite an experience to play with.