Downhill Ride
Jackie Linville reminded me of my Pink Schwinn bike today. What a beauty she was! We rode all over creation, and once I even got the nerve to leave home on my bike. It was after school one evening when I left. I got all the way down by Dale Elliott's house before it started to get darkish, and I changed my plans! Another great adventure on the Pink Schwinn was to speed down a hill and jump a ditch. I'm not sure who put me onto this, but there was a ditch at the Grade School that was the best for hitting and flying into the air. Then you could land the bike right beside that big old tree close to 3rd base. The faster you hit the ditch, the higher you could fly. So we decided to start at the top of the hill on Avenue D, right there by Jim Hall's and Jackie Linville's houses. I flew as fast as I could down that hill, jumped the ditch, flew higher than ever before, and landed not beside the big old tree, but right smack into the big old tree - face first!! Can you imagine my Mother's reaction when I peddled up to Dr. Hogaboom's office with tree-burn completely covering the right side of my face? My "need for speed" probably ended that very day. I've never liked speedy roller coasters and never wanted to drive really fast - except that one time in Judy's brand new car! But that's another story!
posted by Kathy Bain Dunn @ 8:00 PM
6 Comments
6 Comments:
Kathy, you described that ditch very well. I remembered exactly where it was. In fact, you aren't the only one that's referred to it in a blog. I can't remember if it was John or Glen or who, but evidently you Westside kids used that ditch for jumping often. I remembered it from the years I went to school on that side of town.
Me, too. That ditch was great for jumping. I used to ride my bike everywhere, too. I remember all the times riding it to Morris Creek and going swimming, but one time I rode it out toward Wister Lake, until mother found out about it and drove out in the car and stopped me. Boy, was I in trouble! She made me ride back and I cried all the way.
Hold on a minute! When we played ball there 3rd base was down toward Mr. Keller's classroom and I don't remember a ditch or tree down there. I guess someone moved 3rd base. I spent a good part of the past 5 years building bikes for Wal-mart and Schwinn still makes great bikes but they are all made in China. Good story Kathy!
In my day (1947-1954), home plate was near the old concrete burn pit, first base was on the west with a hump between it and the street/ditch, and third base was on the east toward Nina Dozier's and B. J. Keller's classrooms. There was an oak tree on the west side as well, We often played a unique form of "workup" in which Jess Langston, the custodian, batted for everyone and we just ran the bases. If we were tagged out, then, as in regular workup, we moved to right field to start over. There was always a line of kids waiting to run and we stood at home plate on the east side since Mr.Langston was left handed.
OK, I'm directionally challenged, but I've worked this one out. By the early-mid 60's there was a tetherball pole over by Keller and Dozier's rooms, and second base was over in that direction. Home plate was on the southwest corner of the playground, and third base was over by that tree with the incinerator just north of that. I spent seven years there wanting to go dust erasers on that concrete monster. Never, not once! I never knew why until I started to teach. The only kids who got to go dust were the ones the teachers needed out of the room for a break!
So THAT'S why I got to go dust erasers so often! I always thought it was 'cause I was 'special'....
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