skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I have some great memories of my late brother Frank. One was due to my first 1940 Ford coupe. She was a fast rod hot when I finally got it all fixed up. It had a 1953 Mercury engine with three carburetors, aluminum heads and a full race cam. She was painted Bahama blue with red and white rolled and pleated upholstery. It had a three speed transmission in the floor. She was my pride and joy.
Frank asked to drive the car on the last day of school one year. I had taught him how to drive and he had only had his drivers license for a week. OK, Frank you can drive the 40 but you must take it easy with her she's real fast. Frank assures me he will take very good care of the 40. I was already out of school and still living at home and working for my Dad building houses.
Dad and I were sitting on the front porch in the swing when Frank pulled into the driveway later that day. Frank got out of the car and as he approached the front porch he had his head down. Dad sensed that some thing was wrong and ask Frank, "Son what's the matter?" " Doug Motlow took my drivers license away" Motlow was one of the two state troopers in our town. " Frank why did he take your license away? " I think it was because I squealed my tires." Frank isn't telling Dad all the story.
A boy in Frank's class had his brother's car for the last day of school and would get up behind Frank and try to pass him. Frank would gas the old 40 and leave him in the dust. It happens several times that day with the same results. Enter state trooper Motlow. Guess what; he had the same black Chevy as Kenneth is driving. It's Motlows personal car and he is on his way to pick up his patrol car at the highway garage. When he pulls up behind Frank on Cedar lane and tries to go around him; Frank thinks it's Kenneth and floors the 40 and runs down Cedar lane with the tires smoking. He has to stop for the red light and Motlow catches up at the light and is out of his car and takes Frank's license away and tells him to get his butt home.
The next day Dad calls Motlow and ask why did he took Frank's license away and Motlow ask Dad to meet him at Cedar lane market. When Dad goes and meets Motlow , Motlow says yes I took his license away. See that black tire mark that's two blocks long running down to the red light. That's why I took his license away, he wouldn't let me pass him. If that red light hadn't caught him he might have killed someone. I'm going to keep his license for two weeks and I hope it will slow him down.
This episode did slow Frank down and a couple of years later I sold him my 40 Ford coupe. I was to get the first chance to buy her back but when Frank went to sell her; we had started a family and I didn't have the money to buy her back. The guy he sold the car too totaled her when he hit a power pole after losing control.
That's me in front and Frank in back in 1962. This is the only photo I have of the 1940 Ford Coupe.
I'm amazed at the technology I have seen advance during my life. I've not been one to jump into the latest gadgets on the market. We are usually the last of my relatives and friends to make a purchase of a new item. My wife was always the last to get that new appliance that saved her some work in the house or kitchen. Her sister was always the first one to get the latest new state of the art appliance. One Christmas I was determined that my wife was going to be the first one to get one of those new microwaves. Low and behold she was first and she thought I had gone off my rocker. She sure was proud of her new microwave and let everyone know about it.
Telephones have come a long way since her parents got their first phone. It has been handed down to her and I refinished it years ago when we moved into our new house. Man, it is ancient. To use that phone you had to ring up an operator that was on duty night and day. She would in turn connect you with the party you were trying to talk to. Each person in the area that had a phone had a certain ring that alerted that person that the call was for them.
Who would have thought that we would be carrying small phones that had no wires and we could stay in contact with everyone we know. I have always bad mouthed people using those dad-burn phones in public places and talking while driving. It annoyed me to no end when we went out to eat and someone close by got a phone call. " Yeah, we are at Shoneys eating" or what ever dining establishment we were at. People never say anything I've over heard that was that important. I sure didn't see any need for a cell phone. The kids all had them and wanted to get us one but we refused their offers.
Christmas this year as we opened our gifts we got a cell phone from my son as our present. He had put us on his plan. " Dad and Mom it's all taken care of, my treat." Both of us thanked him for the gift but we don't like to use cell phones. He spent some time showing me how to work the phone. Hey, it's like a computer and after about 30 minutes I was hooked. I was texting and talking to everyone on my list of contacts the next day. My grand daughter has taught me a lot about the phone. I still turn it off while out to dine and don't text while driving. Wife will use it to talk on if I contact the person she wishes to speak . She still bad mouths the cell but it sure didn't take me long to change my mind on the advantages of having the latest technology.
From an old ancient monster phone to a cell phone proves that times have changed for the best. CALL ME????
A trip on Saturday of 100 miles from my home brought some amazing sight seeing. I have been hunting 10 red cedar boards for the old truck I'm building. All my searches around my area have been unsuccesful. I had seen an add on the net about some red cedar and called the man who had the cedar. He said he didn't actually have the cedar but he knew a man who has a sawmill that he buys lumber from. Well this just threw up a red flag and I didn't think it would be a good idea to travel 100 miles to be disappointed with the cedar. He told me he was going to the mill on some other business and he would see if the cedar was what I wanted. I wanted dry red cedar with very little white in it. He promised to call me the next morning but didn't. He did however called me on Friday night and said he was able to pick out 10 boards for me and had them at his barn. I sure was very apprehensive about going to pick them up and almost told him on the phone that I had changed my mind. Since he had went to the trouble of getting the cedar boards I decided at least I should go and check them out. I was sure he was buying these from the sawmill and was going to resell them to me if I like them.
My wife didn't want to get up early for the trip. I told her we could eat breakfast at Shoneys but she still didn't want to get up early. I called my son and he was ready for a road trip. Underway and we made it to Manchester and stopped at Shoneys for a breakfast buffet. Great food and when we came back out to my truck my son noticed the right front tire was real low on air pressure. I had checked and air all them up before I left home. He suggested we go down the road to Wal-Mart's Tire Service Center. They had just opened up and they got right on fixing my problem. We had decided that the value stem had gone bad when I put air in it at home and it had been frozen and might have cracked. Three men worked on getting the truck on the tire lift and got the tire and wheel off and replaced the value stem and put the tire and wheel back on and man was I amazed when they give me the bill to take inside to pay $2.20. The best deal I have ever got at Wallyworld.
A nice scentic drive by the directions the guy's wife had given me to their location. Several different highways, turns and roads. The directions were right on the money all except one that said go 4 miles and turn left on to their road. It was more like a country mile; it was 5 miles. Adam was waiting for us and I couldn't believe the 10 red cedar boards he had for me. They were just what I wanted!! The price was also very fair. There are still a lot of honest people in this world. Since the road we were on was the Burgess Falls State Park I ask how far are we from the park and is there a waterfall. Two miles away and there are 4 waterfalls to see, We decided that since we are this close to the park we just have to see the waterfalls. Adam had said you want be disappointed and we weren't.
As we arrived at the parking lot and stepped out of the truck. The raging river was flowing at a very high rate of water over rocks and it was indeed a white water river. The roar of the water was over whelming. The sign said there were four different falls within a three quarter mile radius. One 20 feet, 40 feet, 80 feet and the big one 3/4 of a mile away was 136 feet tall. We begin walking down the path that was besides the river; it was very rugged and some spots on the trail were frozen and I almost slipped down once. Yes, I stay as far away from the river as the path allowed. Some places had railings near the high bluffs. We incurred several flowing wet weather springs that cut across our path. The middle falls was very impressive to view and was 1/2 mile from the parking lot. Finally we arrive at the biggest falls and the roar of the water cascading over the rocks and falling 136 feet into the river below was indeed worth the trip and the walk. It amazes me at the natural sights we have around my home that we have never seen.
This trip I was reluctant to take turned out to be one I want forget.
His name was J.W. Keller. An all American boy if there ever was one. J.W. was a friend, classmate and team mate of mine all through school. He had all the qualities required to make him a rare individual. He was a straight A student all through school, an athlete, class president each year in high school and the most popular boy in our class. With all these great qualities J.W. was still there to help anyone with their classwork if needed. Being small in statue didn't kept him from being a good shortstop on the baseball team and a great little guard on the basketball team. He was only five foot six but excelled in every thing he tried. He was the reason I didn't get to play first team in basketball but when I did play he was my greatest supporter.
Christmas 1957 J.W. was on his way to pick up his date for the dance at the Country Club. His sister had let him drive their new Studebaker car that foggy night. J.W. probably never saw the train that night as he went across the tracks; the crossing at the time didn't have warning lights or gates. The train plowed into the driver's door and carried the car 300 feet down the tracks before coming to a stop. Our Jaybird was dead at age 17. His life was short but his effects on my life has lasted all these years.
Attending his funeral at the Methodist Church was filled to capacity with people and flowers. Tullahoma High School named a trophy in his honor to be voted on by the members of his basketball team. The trophy was awarded to the player that contributed team spirit, sportsmanship and hard work to the team. I was the first winner of the J.W. Kellar Trophy. Each time I view the trophy I remember the great guy who's life ended way too soon.
