Christmas after the fact
Let me tell you just how cool Shootin’ Shell fanner 50’s really were! Every cowboy worth his leather “fanned” his gun when in a gunfight. Use your imagination. A simple act that would take half a page to explain. Shootin’ Shell was quite literally a projectile coming out the end of the gun. (yes, I suppose it could have put your eye out) What looked like a 50 calibre shell with a spring inside and a grey plastic projectile that looked like a bullet and pressed onto the shell. Sheets of circular caps with adhesive on the back that allowed your shootin’ shell to also be a cap gun. We had double holsters and spare bullets. We were SOMETHING!
Peachy Keen mentioned the decorations at Paw Paw’s trailer on the hill. I can’t believe I didn’t remember that. Pulling trees thru those wrappers and making it “our” problem that the customer didn’t think about how they were going to take a tree home in the family sedan.
Bikes! Transportation for boys! I can think of bikes at Glendale though I cannot remember how we got them home. I think my favorite bike was in Millington in what must have been 6th grade. I got a bike, I got a paper route, I went everywhere! I had a huge basket on the front to handle the paper route. I was a man of means.
Sang my first “Messiah” in Oxnard as a freshman in high school. Our choir director at school was the director for the city chorus group. He recruited from his choirs to make sure he had people he could direct. I certainly enjoyed it. I still have a copy in my library in case I ever come across a community singing.
We missed the brothers who could not make it to Mom’s this year. Those who were there had a good time and I believe Mom enjoyed everyone. Pizza is still an odd meal at Christmas but it sure is good relative to all the ham eaten in the days before and after.
Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night!
Uncle Westy over and out!
posted by unclewesty @ 9:41 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
There was a small hole in the grip that you put the bullet in then forced the shell onto it til the spring and clip engaged. I remember the PARAMOUNT RULE --- don't shoot Grandad!
That's the bike & basket that was involved in the face skid accident that Rob had at Emanuel Drive. You had the 'Navy Times' route in the hood. I had the 'Airforce' Route. You had customers--- I had barely enough to pay the postage for the next issue ;~)
By the -- we both got identical bikes that Christmas, chrome fenders with a red frame and a tank of sorts from the seat to the handle bars.
A neighbors dog was hit by a car and I raced to the owners house just down the street from our house. I dropped my bike in the drive and ran to the door hollerin to the lady that her dog was hurt. She dashed out of the house & into her car & ran over the front tire of my bike.
We were at pt Mugu before I could afford to get it fixed ;~)
Our first bikes at Glendale were blue & white. Yours was a big kids bike -- only fair cause you were a big kid -- mine was much smaller & I think Rob got a trike painted the same. I'll never know how Dad pulled it off.
Of course it was a rainy Christmas & we were restricted to riding in Grandads carport at the back of the house.
Post a Comment
<< Home