I grew up in many cities around the southern part of the United States. My Dad was a welder and my family followed him to the many places he worked. When I was real young, we lived in Melissa, TX where we rented a cozy house. In the back in a shed held tackle boxes full of lures and other fishing items. I was about three at the time and I picked up a lure and played with it. It wasn't long before the lure came alive and started poking my hands. I started screaming and my Mom came out and tried to get its hooks out of me but was not having any luck. She took me to the back porch and prayed while I kept crying. She touched it and the lure fell to the ground. To this day she says that was a miracle. I still have scars from that lure.
The first place we moved to was Franklin, AR where we rented a house in Cherokee Village. I do not remember much of that place. While traveling there I asked my Dad where we were going and he replied, "Kalamazoo". I liked that name but it never matched where we actually ended up :)
The next place we moved to was Tacoa, GA around Christmas. We went up the smoky mountains, got some cool moccasin boots. My Mom's favorite gem was turquoise and she bought my Dad a bolo tie with a turquoise center piece. We didn't stay long and after Christmas moved again.
The next place we moved to was Iowa where it was snowy and cold. I asked my Dad where we were going and he replied, "Kalamazoo". We bought snow suits that wrapped us from head to toe in warmth. We played out in the snow where I learned that playing with snow is not good for bare hands :) My Mom bought my Dad a real pretty blue stoned ring that had a star centered on it
The next place we moved to was Kansas where we lived in a three story house near a pond. It had a well with a pump we got our water from. We would use it to water the geese we owned and, of course, for drinking. I caught my first fish out of the pond with a green fishing pole. I threw out my line and a fish immediately jumped out of the water and took the bait. I freaked out, I was probably around four or five. I had my brother help me pull it in. The house was tall and one time my brother noticed a very large bee nest and one of us (he says me and I say him) disturbed it. Bees were everywhere. We ran inside and believe it or not the bees were trying to get in through light switches and electrical outlets in the house! My Mom called an exterminator and we waited for them to arrive. I believe this is the reason I have a great fear of bees to this day. I started pre-school and got involved in t-ball. One time I was headed out of the house to play with my Tonka Dump truck. My Dad asked me where I was going. I replied, "Kalabazoo, where else?" I would put my hands on the sides of the tonka truck, bent over and start running pushing it along. At one point the truck stopped and right in front of me was a snake! I left my truck where it was to fend for itself and ran to the house. I told my parents and my Dad went out to determine what kind of snake it was and grabbed a stick. He used it to move the snake out of the yard but would not kill it. He said it was a good snake (grass snake).
Around the first grade we ended up in Irving, TX where we stayed with my Dad's Mom, Granny. My Dad's sister lived in a mobile home across from Granny's house. There was a large field across from it that had large metal telephone poles holding power lines. I got my first bicycle, a BMX, and learned to ride it. Freedom! It seemed to me I rode it all over the town but I probably didn't get very far from the house. My brother usually rode with me. One time we played baseball as a family out in the field and I was playing catcher while my Mom was at bat. My brother pitched the ball and my Mom swung the bat. It connected... with my nose. There was blood everywhere. Poor Mom, she still cringes thinking about that day. She got me all fixed up though. My nose was not broke and I healed quickly. For Christmas one year, we got a puppy. We named it Blue. It was a blue heeler. We had that dog for many years.
Around the second grade during the summer we moved to Blue Ridge where we stayed with my Mom's Mom and Dad, Grandmomma and Pipa. We stayed there while we looked for a house out in the country. We found a house outside of Princeton, TX. It was on nearly four acres of land and had lots of room for three children. It was perfect, the best house I lived in as a kid. We lived in Princeton for five years. During our time there, I attended third to sixth grade and learned to play the alto saxaphone. In the back yard we had a shed and the sidewalk went all around our house and up to that shed. My sister and I rode roller skates all along that cement path all the time. One day I was skating and noticed a caterpillar and was making sure I didn't run it over as I passed it by. My sister did not know about it though and ran over it. I got real upset and cried about it. My Dad built us a basketball goal out on the lots to the left of the house. When it was done, it measured twelve feet tall. We didn't care, we played basketball all the time. In the very back of our land, we had a fence where we kept a horse named Charlie. I don't think I ever did get to ride that horse but I pet it all the time. I also shot my first gun out there. My brother had me shoot a 4-10 at a wasp nest. I didn't hold the gun just right and it kicked back into my mouth and hurt real bad. The bees evidentially were shaken by the blast because my brother was trying to get me on my feet and away from there. The place to the right of our house had a pond that we were allowed to fish on. My brother and I went out there one day and he was trying to hook turtles. He finally hooked one but when it got to the bank, we noticed it was a snake! We ran while my brother pulled it behind him still hooked to the fishing pole. Once we got it to our yard, we got a shovel after it and killed it. We laugh about that day all the time. In front of our house a good distance was the main road and under that road was a creek. We would go play under there all the time. There were centipedes and all kinds of bugs there. We also did a good deal of crawdad fishing there. One day I was coming back from there and crossed into the front yard between our bushes when I felt several needles sink into my ankles. I screamed and kicked off my shoes and ran to the house. I had been attacked by yellow jackets! Have I mentioned that I hate bees :P One morning while waiting for the bus, our dog went out into the road when the bus was pulling up with its yellow blinking lights on. A truck sped up to make it by the bus before the red lights started blinking and ran over the dog right in front of us. It was a sad day. Another time, my brother and I were playing with cowboy and Indian figures when another of our dogs was run over. My brother really liked that dog and cried for a long time. We still had our blue heeler, Blue though. That was my favorite dog. Before we sold and moved from the house in Princeton, we ended up giving the dog to a farmer that could use it to herd cattle. I still miss that dog and that house.
We moved to Alamogordo, NM during one school year at Princeton, TX. I don't remember how long we stayed but lived in a trailer park. From there we visited White Sands and played in the dunes out there. Its a great time if you ever get out that way. We walked in the forest and mountains, enjoyed apple cider, and my Mom decided we needed cod liver oil as part of our diet. I mean to tell you she tried to disguise the actual oil in our food and drink trying to get us to eat it. Don't ever try to eat it like that. It is the worst tasting stuff you will ever put in your mouth. We had a great time out there though.
We moved back to Blue Ridge and lived with my Mom's parents after selling the Princeton home. I attended sixth and seventh grade in Blue Ridge and the basketball team I was on won the championship my seventh grade year. I will talk more about the Blue Ridge farm in a separate post. We moved to Lake Tawakoni at the end of my seventh grade year where I began school at Rains ISD in Emory, TX. This is where I would grow up for the rest of my adolescent life before joining the Air Force.
As you can see I have lived in many places and adapted easily to each new place. I love to travel and I will post more about my travels as an adult soon.
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