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Or go on a tire ride?

Tire rides

May 05, 2009 @ 08:22:46 am



Two cousins lived on a farm one road over West of our place. Ed and George. They were about my age and often rode their bikes over to hang out. On one particular day we were poking around our junk yard when one of them picked up an old truck tire carcass. "Hey hop, wanna go for a tire ride down the hill yonder"?

'The hill yonder' was our front pasture. It was a long, not too steep hill, that ended at a creek at the bottom. The creek was only a few inches deep, except where I dug a deeper pool.

"We'll get wet" I pointed out. "So what. It's hot today".

So, off we went, pushing that truck tire up the long hill. George went first. We pulled the sides of the tire open so George could wedge himself in, then shoved him off. Just as we expected, the tire rolled downhill, leapt off the creek bank and fell over in the creek. George pried himself out by the time we got there, but was too dizzy to stand for a few minutes. Ed went next, then me, then my younger sister, Angel. We were all soaked but laughing until lil' brother Daryl wanted to ride. I said no and Daryl started crying.

"Sh!t, let him go. He'll just cry until we do", Angel advised.

So, we wedged Daryl into the tire and shoved him off. About two tire revolutions into his ride, the screaming began. Daryl must have been struggling to get out because the tire began wobbling, turned at an angle and went off the creek bank into the pool I had dug out.

We ran down the hill, wrestled the tire out of the waist deep water. Poor Daryl. He had been under for a short while, so dizzy he didn't know which way up was. As he was freed from the tire it became obvious he had vomited and dirtied himself. Ed, George and I got his clothes off and washed him up in the creek. I cleaned out his underwear and overalls as best I could. Since he was always having little accidents, I thought no one would think anything else happened. Silly me.

After we got Daryl cleaned up and calmed down and dried out, we rolled the tire back to the junk pile. Ed and George said goodbye and peddaled off for home on their bikes. That evening at supper, Even though he promised not to say anything, Daryl started telling the tale of how we all nearly drowned him by stuffing him in a tire and rolling it into a pool in the creek.

Dad gave Angel and me more chores to do and forbid me from digging pools in the creek. Ed and George couldn't come over for awhile. Fun summer days that we all somehow survived.

that was a wonderful story hoppy!

that day sounds like everyone had so much fun!:guitarist

poor Daryl......again!:yh_rotfl

:wah:

Sometimes it's amazing to me that any of us ever reach adulthood.

When I was about ten, the skateboarding craze hit for the frst time. No-one was doing the tricks they do nowadays. At school, we just raced eachother down the tarmac drive. It was steep, so good fun, but we had no protective gear whatever. Just shorts and t-shirt. And there might be perhaps thirty boys across the width of the drive all hurtling down the slope (about 1:4, from memory) in a pack.

The catch was, just at the bottom of the slope were a couple of speed bumps. None of us really fancied hitting them at the speed we were going by the time we reached the bottom, so the finishing line was reached by turning hard left before we reached them, and was the gateway into the cobbled yard where the incinerator was.

Cobbles are very effective brakes for a skateboard....

The amazing thing is, I don't remember anyone getting seriously hurt. Chuckle. I was the maniac who invented the running start. My board was rubbish, and I needed some way to get ahead...:wah:

Thank God I was grown by the time skateboards came along. My kids had 'em though. We bought band-aids by the case. Good story Clodhopper.:wah::wah::wah:

Clodhopper;1320688 wrote: :wah:

Sometimes it's amazing to me that any of us ever reach adulthood.

When I was about ten, the skateboarding craze hit for the frst time. No-one was doing the tricks they do nowadays. At school, we just raced eachother down the tarmac drive. It was steep, so good fun, but we had no protective gear whatever. Just shorts and t-shirt. And there might be perhaps thirty boys across the width of the drive all hurtling down the slope (about 1:4, from memory) in a pack.

The catch was, just at the bottom of the slope were a couple of speed bumps. None of us really fancied hitting them at the speed we were going by the time we reached the bottom, so the finishing line was reached by turning hard left before we reached them, and was the gateway into the cobbled yard where the incinerator was.

Cobbles are very effective brakes for a skateboard....

The amazing thing is, I don't remember anyone getting seriously hurt. Chuckle. I was the maniac who invented the running start. My board was rubbish, and I needed some way to get ahead...:wah:


speed bumps? what are you nuts?:yh_rotfl your a maniac is right!:wah:

Hoppy and Clodhopper, you kinda sound like this: (click on the link)

http://www.forumgarden.com/forums/peopl ... ost1320781 :wah:



Have you ever run across several train tracks with a train coming and your friend trips and you have to go back and help her up..............and you get up and out of the way in time and survive to tell about it? This did happen to me when I was eleven.

along-for-the-ride;1320782 wrote: Hoppy and Clodhopper, you kinda sound like this: (click on the link)

http://www.forumgarden.com/forums/peopl ... ost1320781 :wah:



Have you ever run across several train tracks with a train coming and your friend trips and you have to go back and help her up..............and you get up and out of the way in time and survive to tell about it? This did happen to me when I was eleven.


Would you care to elaborate? It sounds like a good story.

AFTR: I think most folk have at least a few experiences like this. You clearly have! And age eleven...Go on. What was the story?

It's about learning limits. I think it's an important part of growing up. I do worry that these days we deprive kids of that learning opportunity.

Thinking back to my story, the bit that I haven't mentioned was that in many ways we were very sensible about it: Nobody interfered with another rider - it wasn't a rule, it was just taken for granted no-one would be that stupid. And as far as I can recall at this distance, no-one was.

In my opinion, kids just before puberty are more (how do I describe it?) sensible and mature? Than they will be again for years after puberty. Often many years. But they have little sense of their limits.

I was in Florida when the Skateboards hit the market. With no hills to speak of, they didn't offer much in the way of entertainment or transportation, except as a tow behind someone's bicycle, or motorcycle.

That worked pretty well until Walter spun out into the path of the Police Chief.

As for tires, we would tie an inner tube to the back of a boat, and and take off up the river, with a few guys hanging/sitting on the tube.

The challenge was to be the last guy hanging on to the tube after a few zigs, and zags. Sort of a high-tech "crack-the-whip"

LarsMac;1320809 wrote: I was in Florida when the Skateboards hit the market. With no hills to speak of, they didn't offer much in the way of entertainment or transportation, except as a tow behind someone's bicycle, or motorcycle.

That worked pretty well until Walter spun out into the path of the Police Chief.

As for tires, we would tie an inner tube to the back of a boat, and and take off up the river, with a few guys hanging/sitting on the tube.

The challenge was to be the last guy hanging on to the tube after a few zigs, and zags. Sort of a high-tech "crack-the-whip"


It's interesting to see how adaptable kids can be. Or inventive. Good memories.