Dad told us a story about when he was younger he would take his bow and shoot arrows across the street to hit wooden telephone pole. The pole was located across the street from his home in Ogden, and he used it for target practice. He always made sure to dig out all the metal tips left in the pole.
(Ralph 2013) Time , looking backwards, travels so fast, it appears to blend itself into one continuous blurry event. In driving up Logan Canyon last week, we passed the sign for Mantua. Mantua... I had not even thought about our "event" there about 54 years ago. Do you remember?? We were tent camping on the back of the mountain with mom and dad. Greg and David were toddlers and I don't think that Kathy was yet born. We were in the infamous ford station wagon in that big green tent dad had just bought. It was pouring rain and had continued to rain for the whole time we were there. Everything was soaked and finally dad ( actually mom) decided that we'd had enough, but when dad tried to start the car...nothing. I remember he said something about 'water under the distributor cap' although that meant nothing to me then,( and still doesn't today). There we were...stuck , stranded with nobody around for miles. Dad did not want to leave mom and the babies so you and I were picked to walk out for help. I still remember the adventure! You were maybe 13 and I about 10. Mom made us some cold left over pancakes for a lunch and they pointed us down the rough, rutted, muddy road where we were to walk until we encountered someone or got to the town. ( can you imagine parents doing this today?) There was absolutely no regard for our safety or well being. We were to hike, all alone through bear and mountain lion infested wilderness. We discussed this possibility of being consumed for dinner as we walked out and actually saw a nice buck along the road. I remember feeling very safe with my older brother. As you remember, after about 3 or 4 hours we encountered a man in an old battered dodge pickup who you convinced until he agreed ( but was not happy about it) to drive us back up, and he pulled the old station wagon until it started. Dad gave him 5 bucks. We had saved the day! We arrived back in Ogden a day late and Grant Gardner fired both of us for not showing up for work. All in all a fun adventure.
(Ralph 2013) The pigeon raising, the tea boiling in the tool shed, growing from replicating the ancient Chinese gun powder formula to the bulk manufacture of rockets and class c explosives, dealing with Grant Gardner, pheasant hunting (Poaching) in your old blue car in Cain Valley, catching perch by the hundreds at low water at Pine View reservoir and of course our great deer hunting on Monte Christo. I still have visions of that monster buck deer that stood in the road while you , Tom Welch and I were desperately shoving and pushing each other trying to climb out of that Volkswagen and get a rifle ready. That buck enjoyed the Laurel and Hardy routine for a minute or two and then calmly walked away into the forest. You were, and still are, the champion cloths pin match gun maker. I don't remember how many acres of June grass we burned, but I am sure you were the main reason that the fire station stayed open across the street. You set the way before me, quite literally, in school where, by the way, you made it very tough on me to compete in your footsteps. I know that more than one teacher was disappointed when it was evident that I was not the student that you were! You finally taught me how to factor quadratic equations when Mr. Ellis had quite given up. You showed me how to work hard and tackle head first any of the many life's challenges that come to us all. I am sure that I have never thanked you for all you did for me in our growing up years. ..so, I'm thanking you now! Thanks big brother! I just hope you had as much fun as I did! Thanks again for everything.. Love Ralph
Dad told us a story about when he was younger he would take his bow and shoot arrows across the street to hit wooden telephone pole. The pole was located across the street from his home in Ogden, and he used it for target practice. He always made sure to dig out all the metal tips left in the pole.
ReplyDelete(Ralph 2013) Time , looking backwards, travels so fast, it appears to blend itself into one continuous blurry event. In driving up Logan Canyon last week, we passed the sign for Mantua. Mantua... I had not even thought about our "event" there about 54 years ago. Do you remember?? We were tent camping on the back of the mountain with mom and dad. Greg and David were toddlers and I don't think that Kathy was yet born. We were in the infamous ford station wagon in that big green tent dad had just bought. It was pouring rain and had continued to rain for the whole time we were there. Everything was soaked and finally dad ( actually mom) decided that we'd had enough, but when dad tried to start the car...nothing. I remember he said something about 'water under the distributor cap' although that meant nothing to me then,( and still doesn't today).
ReplyDeleteThere we were...stuck , stranded with nobody around for miles. Dad did not want to leave mom and the babies so you and I were picked to walk out for help. I still remember the adventure! You were maybe 13 and I about 10. Mom made us some cold left over pancakes for a lunch and they pointed us down the rough, rutted, muddy road where we were to walk until we encountered someone or got to the town. ( can you imagine parents doing this today?) There was absolutely no regard for our safety or well being. We were to hike, all alone through bear and mountain lion infested wilderness. We discussed this possibility of being consumed for dinner as we walked out and actually saw a nice buck along the road. I remember feeling very safe with my older brother. As you remember, after about 3 or 4 hours we encountered a man in an old battered dodge pickup who you convinced until he agreed ( but was not happy about it) to drive us back up, and he pulled the old station wagon until it started. Dad gave him 5 bucks. We had saved the day! We arrived back in Ogden a day late and Grant Gardner fired both of us for not showing up for work. All in all a fun adventure.
(Ralph 2013) The pigeon raising, the tea boiling in the tool shed, growing from replicating the ancient Chinese gun powder formula to the bulk manufacture of rockets and class c explosives, dealing with Grant Gardner, pheasant hunting (Poaching) in your old blue car in Cain Valley, catching perch by the hundreds at low water at Pine View reservoir and of course our great deer hunting on Monte Christo. I still have visions of that monster buck deer that stood in the road while you , Tom Welch and I were desperately shoving and pushing each other trying to climb out of that Volkswagen and get a rifle ready. That buck enjoyed the Laurel and Hardy routine for a minute or two and then calmly walked away into the forest. You were, and still are, the champion cloths pin match gun maker. I don't remember how many acres of June grass we burned, but I am sure you were the main reason that the fire station stayed open across the street.
ReplyDeleteYou set the way before me, quite literally, in school where, by the way, you made it very tough on me to compete in your footsteps. I know that more than one teacher was disappointed when it was evident that I was not the student that you were! You finally taught me how to factor quadratic equations when Mr. Ellis had quite given up. You showed me how to work hard and tackle head first any of the many life's challenges that come to us all.
I am sure that I have never thanked you for all you did for me in our growing up years. ..so, I'm thanking you now! Thanks big brother!
I just hope you had as much fun as I did!
Thanks again for everything..
Love Ralph