Between the 2nd & 3rd grades, Mom had joined Aunt Nig as a cook at the TB Sanatorium, and we were given free housing. It was and old Quonset hut in the base compound as a large family we had the entire hut, many were divided into duplexes. Since it was a former Military installation, all were in neat little rows on each side of a large open area that served for guest parking if some one came to visit.
lines of telephone poles laying on their sides marked the parking. We kids liked to play there and walk along the poles, pushing each other off, and such. It was our playground. One day as we were playing we looked down and there was my first Rattlesnake. I jumped back and to the other side of the pole and ran to get the shovel to kill it. I chopped its head off and was very proud of it although it was very young, maybe 14 inches long. with the base being in the middle of natural desert, Rattle snakes were a way of life, and we saw and killed many more. Outside of the fence was pure desert, with sagebrush and other plants. many made thickets where we could play hide and seek, or where some one had dug pits to get sand for a project we had gullies and sand hills. Our imagination was the limit. We could go up past the hospital to the old hangers and runways and explore. the hangers were our jungle gyms. climbing up into the rafter or what were left of them we never considered it was dangerous. We would race our bikes around the concrete slabs of the tarmac and runways. We could not go near the hospital itself because of the patients but we had our own little world to do as we pleased.
Another benefit of living there was Sunday Drag racing, The "Imperial Valley Timing Association" had turned a runway into the drag strip, and we simply walked out into the desert and around the ticket booth and back into the racing area, there were no grandstands, cars lined up along each side of the runway and tailgated it. umbrellas, lawn chairs and ice chests everywhere. Saw a lot of good racing there. Wish there were something like it here and now.
Saw one of the biggest rattlesnakes I have ever seen there it was killed and hung on a sign at the fire department, it was near if not over 6 foot hanging by its head left a great impression on me.
I had returned to good ol' PU for my third grade, and had to ride the school bus everyday. I remember my Grandpa Rutledge was in California for a visit and had carved me a toy rifle out of a board, I was so proud of the rifle and took it to school to share with everyone on the bus going to school a bigger boy took it and broke it in half, I was devastated, I got of the bus crying and my teacher took it and said I can fix it for you, but I never saw that gun again. After School my sisters found out about it and the kid lived at the housing complex, and Well they took care of him for me LOL. Always there to defend their baby brother.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Following the crops.
At some point during or just after my 1st Grade year, Mom decided we could make a better living being "Fruit Tramps", she talked Dad into quitting hauling hay and following the crops. We had two "trailer Houses", and followed the lettuce from California to Texas I think, I know we wound up at a relatives in Western Oklahoma, where Mom Dad and the older kids were picking Cotton to get the money to get us back to California. I remember living in a trailer park where Patsy got bit by a dog. And I remember seeing what I think was my first rattle snake. I was leaving the cotton field and it was in the row laying across the row,I refused to keep going and a farm hand with a tractor picked me up and took me to the car. Phyllis got tired of pickin' cotton, so she grabbed a green boll and pulled hard, when it released it hit her in the nose giving her a bloody nose, so Mom sent her to the car to watch me.. LOL In the long run, Dad wound up calling his sister to borrow the money to get home. I also remember huge Watermelons on the farm. bigger than I was. And it was the first time I saw a "Fraidy Hole"... Funny but i could not put a time on these events until I started writing this, I know when we returned to California, we set the trailers under a pole barn on Uncle Andrews place and lived there for my 2nd grade year. The girls lived in one trailer and Mom Dad and I stayed in the other.
During my 2nd Grade year I faced the death of a good friend for the first time. Kenneth Waldrop was doing his news paper route when he was hit by a speeding driver and killed. He was my best friend at the time and has never been far from my thoughts. I also remember having my first "girlfriend" in 2nd Grade her name was June, I changed schools in 3rd grade and never knew what happened to her. I changed schools every year after 1st grade until i went to 8th grade and 3 years of high school in one district.
Again the summer brought Swimming and fishing trips, and camping in the Laguna mountains between us and San Diego.
For a fact I cannot remember which summer things happened, but some of my summer memories include
1. Coming back from a fishing trip to the Colorado River we stopped at an irrigation canal and caught over 50 perch.
2, Fishing at Weiss Lake near Brawley and catching perch off the pier, you could watch them in the water and actually see them take the hook. Caught a few Catfish there also. Usually went there with Uncle Leonard and his 14 foot runabout boat and lots of fun. Fishing Swimming and boating.
3. Went to Glencliff Campgrounds for week or two long camping trips, There was a small lake/large pond over the hill that we swam in. But I will cover Glencliff Memories in another Blog...
4. long weekend and week long camping at the Colorado river, near Imperial Dam.
5 Cookouts at "Wienie Roast Hill" out in the desert near the old Navy Base.
These were the same summer memories I had every summer. LOL Life was good.
During my 2nd Grade year I faced the death of a good friend for the first time. Kenneth Waldrop was doing his news paper route when he was hit by a speeding driver and killed. He was my best friend at the time and has never been far from my thoughts. I also remember having my first "girlfriend" in 2nd Grade her name was June, I changed schools in 3rd grade and never knew what happened to her. I changed schools every year after 1st grade until i went to 8th grade and 3 years of high school in one district.
Again the summer brought Swimming and fishing trips, and camping in the Laguna mountains between us and San Diego.
For a fact I cannot remember which summer things happened, but some of my summer memories include
1. Coming back from a fishing trip to the Colorado River we stopped at an irrigation canal and caught over 50 perch.
2, Fishing at Weiss Lake near Brawley and catching perch off the pier, you could watch them in the water and actually see them take the hook. Caught a few Catfish there also. Usually went there with Uncle Leonard and his 14 foot runabout boat and lots of fun. Fishing Swimming and boating.
3. Went to Glencliff Campgrounds for week or two long camping trips, There was a small lake/large pond over the hill that we swam in. But I will cover Glencliff Memories in another Blog...
4. long weekend and week long camping at the Colorado river, near Imperial Dam.
5 Cookouts at "Wienie Roast Hill" out in the desert near the old Navy Base.
These were the same summer memories I had every summer. LOL Life was good.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Still on the Home Place.
Most of my memories on the home place were the same as any young man growing up in the country in California's Imperial Valley. We didn't have really cold winters, and many Christmases were spent in shirtsleeves, something I really miss. My Mom was from Oklahoma, and my Dad was the first of his Texas family born in California, so I guess I was just a southern boy in that strange land called California. I was raised with the same values and traditions that my cousins in Oklahoma and Texas were. Both families had strong southern roots migrating from places like Tennessee, North Carolina, and such through the southern states like Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. My Mom's family did venture to Illinois then back south.
We ran barefoot , and shirtless in the summer, and in our case a large part of the Winter. Although we didn't have many creeks, the valley was crisscrossed with Irrigation canals, and ditches, which gave us plenty of swimmin holes, in fact ours were just outside our door. A large irrigation canal, the Townsend ran from the east to the west from the Highline until it dumped into the Alamo river. which was not much of a river at all LOL, but basically a drainage for the waste irrigation water from the fields. When the farmers were needing water they would request it and the Townsend would run full. at this point it was too swift and deep for the younger kids, but the older one had a blast. That was where the older kids had a rope hanging from a eucalyptus tree. They would swing to the center of the canal and drop into the water. Well I loved doing that also but had to have a bigger kid carry me. I choose Phyllis. And Phyllis got tired of having to take me every time she swung. She decided that it was time I learned to swim, and having been told that if you throw somebody in they will learn to swim or drown but usually learn to swim she threw me in. Well I didn't learn to swim, and one of my older boy cousins jumped n and rescued me from drowning.
When the farmers were not irrigating the canal ran much lower, and the lock in front of the house held back enough to make a neat swimmin hole for the younger kids. With the large eucalyptus trees for shade we had a blast. Also when the field we were in was being irrigated, the small ditch in front of the house was good for the younger kids. We had an old thrashing machine in the area in front of the house that made a great jungle gym, and flatbed trucks and other machinery to play on. We had pigs, and chickens and dogs and cats. Dad and Uncle Andrew hauled hay during the season, each having a flatbed truck and were quite often working on the loaders, trucks or other machinery in front of the house. Andrew got a kick out of grabbing grease and wiping it on me, and teasing me. Well one day they were working near the chicken pen, and I was i guess gathering eggs, I stepped in a pile of crap, and got a great idea. I carefully walked to where Uncle Andrew was and wiped the crap on him, laughing and yelling "Chicken shit, Chicken Shit" He took it quite well and everyone had a good laugh. Revenge had been mine!
I remember Sunday dinners, Mom cooking and baking everything. I remember learning to wring a chickens neck, boil the water and pluck the feathers. I remember Mom humming and singing old gospel while she cooked and did house work. My favorite was "The Old Rugged Cross". She was a typical southern house wife. Great at crafting, sewing, and cooking. These are my fondest memories of my mom. I remember watching Dad and the others killing pigs, and butchering them in the yard. Going fishing to the Colorado river on the Arizona Border. Or to the Salton Sea camping swimming, and fishing. Maybe a camping trip to Glencliff Campground in the Laguna mountains.
Another memory I cannot leave out was starting school at "Good Ole PU", Pine Union elementary school was 1/2 mile down Townsend from my house, We could ride the bus but mostly walked. We didn't do kindergarten, and on a hot September day, Meredith, Douglas and I all entered school together. The only other name I can give you from that class is Paul Denton. Paul was a big boy for his age and was a great friend. Of those four boys I am the only one still alive , Meredith left us in 1972, Douglas in around 1984, and at some point I heard about Paul, he was working at the "Top Hat" bar and was shot by a customer.
Just as school was starting, my sister Patsy and I were fighting around the house and she started chasing me with a butcher knife, I ran out the kitchen door, pulling it closed behind me to slow here down. Well in the process I caught the middle finger on my right hand in the door latch cutting the tip off. Mom came home and we had found the tip and she ran me quickly to the doctor in town. He couldn't save the tip, but bandaged me up, and sent me home. That night we were just sitting down to eat, and I had loaded my plate with mashed taters and gravy, fried chicken green beans (Not canned). and a biscuit when the phone rang. It was the doc, and Mom said "Son don't eat anything we are taking you to the hospital so they can do surgery on your finger"! They took me to the hospital and I had plastic surgery on my finger and spent a day or two. I started learning to work with my left hand as I had a huge bandage and splint on my finger but it healed and does not affect me today.
We ran barefoot , and shirtless in the summer, and in our case a large part of the Winter. Although we didn't have many creeks, the valley was crisscrossed with Irrigation canals, and ditches, which gave us plenty of swimmin holes, in fact ours were just outside our door. A large irrigation canal, the Townsend ran from the east to the west from the Highline until it dumped into the Alamo river. which was not much of a river at all LOL, but basically a drainage for the waste irrigation water from the fields. When the farmers were needing water they would request it and the Townsend would run full. at this point it was too swift and deep for the younger kids, but the older one had a blast. That was where the older kids had a rope hanging from a eucalyptus tree. They would swing to the center of the canal and drop into the water. Well I loved doing that also but had to have a bigger kid carry me. I choose Phyllis. And Phyllis got tired of having to take me every time she swung. She decided that it was time I learned to swim, and having been told that if you throw somebody in they will learn to swim or drown but usually learn to swim she threw me in. Well I didn't learn to swim, and one of my older boy cousins jumped n and rescued me from drowning.
When the farmers were not irrigating the canal ran much lower, and the lock in front of the house held back enough to make a neat swimmin hole for the younger kids. With the large eucalyptus trees for shade we had a blast. Also when the field we were in was being irrigated, the small ditch in front of the house was good for the younger kids. We had an old thrashing machine in the area in front of the house that made a great jungle gym, and flatbed trucks and other machinery to play on. We had pigs, and chickens and dogs and cats. Dad and Uncle Andrew hauled hay during the season, each having a flatbed truck and were quite often working on the loaders, trucks or other machinery in front of the house. Andrew got a kick out of grabbing grease and wiping it on me, and teasing me. Well one day they were working near the chicken pen, and I was i guess gathering eggs, I stepped in a pile of crap, and got a great idea. I carefully walked to where Uncle Andrew was and wiped the crap on him, laughing and yelling "Chicken shit, Chicken Shit" He took it quite well and everyone had a good laugh. Revenge had been mine!
I remember Sunday dinners, Mom cooking and baking everything. I remember learning to wring a chickens neck, boil the water and pluck the feathers. I remember Mom humming and singing old gospel while she cooked and did house work. My favorite was "The Old Rugged Cross". She was a typical southern house wife. Great at crafting, sewing, and cooking. These are my fondest memories of my mom. I remember watching Dad and the others killing pigs, and butchering them in the yard. Going fishing to the Colorado river on the Arizona Border. Or to the Salton Sea camping swimming, and fishing. Maybe a camping trip to Glencliff Campground in the Laguna mountains.
Another memory I cannot leave out was starting school at "Good Ole PU", Pine Union elementary school was 1/2 mile down Townsend from my house, We could ride the bus but mostly walked. We didn't do kindergarten, and on a hot September day, Meredith, Douglas and I all entered school together. The only other name I can give you from that class is Paul Denton. Paul was a big boy for his age and was a great friend. Of those four boys I am the only one still alive , Meredith left us in 1972, Douglas in around 1984, and at some point I heard about Paul, he was working at the "Top Hat" bar and was shot by a customer.
Just as school was starting, my sister Patsy and I were fighting around the house and she started chasing me with a butcher knife, I ran out the kitchen door, pulling it closed behind me to slow here down. Well in the process I caught the middle finger on my right hand in the door latch cutting the tip off. Mom came home and we had found the tip and she ran me quickly to the doctor in town. He couldn't save the tip, but bandaged me up, and sent me home. That night we were just sitting down to eat, and I had loaded my plate with mashed taters and gravy, fried chicken green beans (Not canned). and a biscuit when the phone rang. It was the doc, and Mom said "Son don't eat anything we are taking you to the hospital so they can do surgery on your finger"! They took me to the hospital and I had plastic surgery on my finger and spent a day or two. I started learning to work with my left hand as I had a huge bandage and splint on my finger but it healed and does not affect me today.
Earliest Memories.
We lived in the country 7 miles north of Holtville, California, on land owned by my Uncle Leonard.
There were 160 acres there, divided into 3 fields, the front parcel was 2 40 acre fields that ran along the highway, and had a drive way leading to Leonard and Jessie's down the center. Their homestead was a small parcel of an acre or two in the back field. The house my family lived in was the old family house that my Grandpa and Grandma had lived in. When they moved from Texas, they had a different place near the highline canal, but had bought this 160 acres. The house Had set in the middle of the front field, but was moved with skids and Caterpillar tractors to the southwest corner of the back field. I remember seeing pictures of the process years ago. A lot of the family lived there at the time, Leonard & Jessie were 1/4 mile north of us,and My Aunt Naomi (Nig) and her Husband Jim Rowland, was 1/4 mile west, another 1/4 mile west of her was my Uncle Andrew's Place. Andrew was married to my Aunt Alma, he was my Dad's brother and she was my mom's Sister. Leonard had 6 kids, four older, and two sons Meredith, who was my age, and Wayne just younger. I spent a lot of time at their place, and they at ours. Aunt Nig had 4 older children as well, and also had Doug, My Age, and Keith, a few couple f years younger, near Wayne's age. Again we all played together but I was closer to Meredith and Wayne. At some point, my Aunt Nig got a job as a cook at the old Naval Air Base, that was turned in to a Tuberculosis Hospital, and was given free housing and moved there. Andrew and Alma bought some land on the edge of town, and had their House moved onto it from the corner. Leaving just the two families on the home place.
Part of my memories of that era are stories told by my parents and older sisters. One of Phyllis's favorites is the time she broke here arm and I waited other hand and foot while she was recovering, then Betty got injured, and I would not do anything for her. Also Phyllis likes to tell of the time she was tired of having to take me swinging on the rope over the canal, and threw me in using the swim or drown technique, one of Leonard's older sons rescued me from that on.
Another Memory of mine is learning to ride a bicycle. I was getting ready to turn 5, and the girls were teaching me to ride a bike on my own, also they were tired of hauling me around LOL, They would put me on the bike and get me going and I would crash and refuse to get up. Well summers in Holtville are HOTT, and every time I would refuse to try again they would pour a 2 gallon picture of Ice Water over my head. I finally learned to ride, because I wanted to live LMAO. After learning to ride I was sure I would get my first bike on my 5th birthday. Well that day came, and I waited with eager anticipation for Mom and Dad to come back from town. When they arrived I could not see a bike, so I asked did I get my bike??. Dad look sadly at me and said, "Well we couldn't afford the bike right now so we bought you a cap pistol and tomahawk, with holster" "it is is the back seat!" I was crushed, and slowly went to get my Birthday present from the car, everyone watched and knew I was disappointed. When I opened the back door of the car, there were the gun and tomahawk, but the holster was wrapped around the crossbar of my brand new Schwinn. I was ecstatic, I pulled it from
the car and started riding it around. Dad adjusted the seat and I headed for Meredith's & Wayne's to show it off. Well beside the dirt road there was a cement irrigation ditch and I managed to ride right into it. I got up retrieved the bike and continued on to their house. I rode into their yard and ran into their old blind dog, and they came out all excited for me. Meredith Wayne and I were as close as brothers, since I had no brothers, and I spent many night in their company. Seems like everything we did was done together. even if it was their family going to the lake or Salton Sea, I went along. Leonard and Jessie were like a second Mom and Dad.
There were 160 acres there, divided into 3 fields, the front parcel was 2 40 acre fields that ran along the highway, and had a drive way leading to Leonard and Jessie's down the center. Their homestead was a small parcel of an acre or two in the back field. The house my family lived in was the old family house that my Grandpa and Grandma had lived in. When they moved from Texas, they had a different place near the highline canal, but had bought this 160 acres. The house Had set in the middle of the front field, but was moved with skids and Caterpillar tractors to the southwest corner of the back field. I remember seeing pictures of the process years ago. A lot of the family lived there at the time, Leonard & Jessie were 1/4 mile north of us,and My Aunt Naomi (Nig) and her Husband Jim Rowland, was 1/4 mile west, another 1/4 mile west of her was my Uncle Andrew's Place. Andrew was married to my Aunt Alma, he was my Dad's brother and she was my mom's Sister. Leonard had 6 kids, four older, and two sons Meredith, who was my age, and Wayne just younger. I spent a lot of time at their place, and they at ours. Aunt Nig had 4 older children as well, and also had Doug, My Age, and Keith, a few couple f years younger, near Wayne's age. Again we all played together but I was closer to Meredith and Wayne. At some point, my Aunt Nig got a job as a cook at the old Naval Air Base, that was turned in to a Tuberculosis Hospital, and was given free housing and moved there. Andrew and Alma bought some land on the edge of town, and had their House moved onto it from the corner. Leaving just the two families on the home place.
Part of my memories of that era are stories told by my parents and older sisters. One of Phyllis's favorites is the time she broke here arm and I waited other hand and foot while she was recovering, then Betty got injured, and I would not do anything for her. Also Phyllis likes to tell of the time she was tired of having to take me swinging on the rope over the canal, and threw me in using the swim or drown technique, one of Leonard's older sons rescued me from that on.
Another Memory of mine is learning to ride a bicycle. I was getting ready to turn 5, and the girls were teaching me to ride a bike on my own, also they were tired of hauling me around LOL, They would put me on the bike and get me going and I would crash and refuse to get up. Well summers in Holtville are HOTT, and every time I would refuse to try again they would pour a 2 gallon picture of Ice Water over my head. I finally learned to ride, because I wanted to live LMAO. After learning to ride I was sure I would get my first bike on my 5th birthday. Well that day came, and I waited with eager anticipation for Mom and Dad to come back from town. When they arrived I could not see a bike, so I asked did I get my bike??. Dad look sadly at me and said, "Well we couldn't afford the bike right now so we bought you a cap pistol and tomahawk, with holster" "it is is the back seat!" I was crushed, and slowly went to get my Birthday present from the car, everyone watched and knew I was disappointed. When I opened the back door of the car, there were the gun and tomahawk, but the holster was wrapped around the crossbar of my brand new Schwinn. I was ecstatic, I pulled it from
the car and started riding it around. Dad adjusted the seat and I headed for Meredith's & Wayne's to show it off. Well beside the dirt road there was a cement irrigation ditch and I managed to ride right into it. I got up retrieved the bike and continued on to their house. I rode into their yard and ran into their old blind dog, and they came out all excited for me. Meredith Wayne and I were as close as brothers, since I had no brothers, and I spent many night in their company. Seems like everything we did was done together. even if it was their family going to the lake or Salton Sea, I went along. Leonard and Jessie were like a second Mom and Dad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)