Dreams and Hope, the plan for the future, or an opiate for the masses.
This does not look good to be an upbeat article. It may turn, my muse works in strange and mysterious ways.
I think we will try just free writing, and edit later.
The joys of an affluent childhood can only be described as wonderful. Nothing is impossible and almost nothing is denied. Bikes, motorcycles, horses, 400 acre ranch, private pond, shooting range, don't get much better for an 8 year old. Watching Neil Armstrong step on the Moon on our shiny new Color TV, was so cool. Anything was possible, we just had to try.
Problem is, good things don't always last. Dad was an exec at a trucking company, They merged with another Co, and there was too many V.P.'s. Shit Happens. He tried several ventures locally with mixed results and was offered a V.P. position at a trucking firm in Los Angeles.So we loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly... Well La Habra Heights actually.
The fascinating part of this segment is that the house we got was originally constructed by Walter Knott. Yes, the berry farm. OMG the roof leaked like sieve we found in the first rain, but it was a cool house once the rain stayed out. There was a Koi Pond and a beautiful Japanese courtyard that was the centerpiece of the U shaped structure.
This was obviously designed and constructed with someone with high tastes, I guess we were able to get it because the roof would not keep dew out. It came with considerable property in the adjacent hills. Lots of avocados, tangellos, lemons, and the Original grafted vines of the Boysenberry. To touch that piece of history at the source, I recognized it at nine years old, this is history.
The Boysenberry did not cure world hunger, frankly I prefer a strawberry preserve on my english muffin, but here I was, not only in the exact place where he made his breakthrough, I was eating the berries that WERE the breakthrough.
In retrospect it is very humbling to shadow greatness, 3 months later I almost burned the whole orchard by a tragic mistake. Dad saved the day.
To my knowledge, the original boysenberry still exist on that hill, I tried to kill it, thankfully failed.
End of chapter 1
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Just give me my bicycle and I could go anywhere even if the tires were worn off. I rode that son of a gun everywhere I went.
When I wasn't riding I was running. I could run faster than anyone I knew. I sometimes felt like if I just jumped up I would take off flying.
In fact I use to dream of flying all the time. I loved the feeling I got in those dreams. I would just do something with my body and it would float. I could see everything down below me and it didn't bother me one bit to be high in the air.
I felt like it took a certain balance in my thinking to maintain that floating feeling or else I would come tumbling down, but I was confident I had that feeling under control so it didn't scare me.
I should have been a deer or some other animal living in the woods. Of couse I wouldn't want to be around during deer season. I guess a bird, an eagle floating around in the air.
Energy.......did I have the energy. I could count my ribs. My daddy gave me Cod Liver Oil every day when he came home to fatten me up. I didn't want to slow down to eat.
What a childhood I had. I worked, but played like crazy. Now I work and never play. LOL
So Six..this flying feeling, you sure your didn't eat something strange LOL!!! I am kidding with you of course, sound like you both had beautiful childhoods..
Have you ever been swimming in an irrigation pond? Well I'd be afraid of swimming in one today with all the chemicals, but we use to ride our bikes out into the middle of this field and there was an irrigation pond we'd swim all afternoon in.
It was always nice and cool after hauling watermelons all day.
Never saw any snakes. It didn't have much growing around it. In eastern North Carolina the dirt is sandy kinkd of like the beach.
I had a box with arrowheads, tools for making them, clay pots, just all kinds of things.
I always loved those woods, though. I could walk for miles through the woods. It was so peaceful. Today I'd have to carry a gun. They say there are more bear in those woods than they have been in 100 years.
84, Just got here to read you. You are proud and appreciative of your childhood! That is so wonderful ! And what a story about the Boysenberry! That's really special that it is the original. How do you know ? Couldn't it have been growing somewhere in that same region, since the conditions were right? I know about trying to get rid of berry bushes... impossible, and yes, good for you that it is! Nice story, 84. Thanks
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Six, I live close to the Puget Sound. Every week-end I hear them shooting at something (illegally)...ducks and geese or water-fowl...are you sure you want to be a bird?
It sounds lovely, 84, really lovely!
Pretty much all of the places in my childhood have been torn down, except the house that my mother lives in. Not much is left there from my childhood, though.
An endangered species. LOL With a $5,000 fine. That should sooth my soul.
Beautiful Song Sixpick..
You seem pretty dangerous endangered, alright.
Hall & Oates are on that page of yours.. I was always a big fan of theirs. That particular song isn't one of their better ones, imo, and the speaker volume is too low, so I didn't put it up...but that started me listening to a bunch more. lol
This is so cool. I visited Knot's Berry Farm when I was about '51 when I was 5 yo. Got lost, well I thought I was. Mom and dad were watching me as I wandered off. Great story, leaky roof and all.
84, I am so happy you shared a piece of your childhood with us! I am glad also that you have these memories that anchor you to something beautiful!
Very nice! I bet 84 is going to like this one.
Now was your father able to fatten you up on Cod Liver Oil, Six?
Sounds like you had a dream of a childhood and were able to go on to fulfilling your flying passion - wonderful!
Dang. Not more than a few minutes ago I posted that to the "Eclectic" music article that has been going for awhile. I love ol IZ.
Got me. I can't keep myself all perked up, let alone anyone else. Hell, I don't even know what happy is anyhow.
Probably why the blues and old hillbilly tunes where every love song contains a hammer murder make me happy.
Just as an aside, these were the the original boysenberries hybrid by Walter Knott. Really weird claim to fame, but there they were, in my yard.
Didn't know you were a Tar Heeler. Western NC here.
Yeah, I think all the Bears are having some sort of tactical meeting around my cabin. They are relatively benign but I wouldn't hike around with a box of Krispy Kremes. Those critters love donuts as much as I do....