Autos of beauty
1952 Ford Crestline and a 1952 Kaiser Travler New when I met Frank
For today (Saturday):
When your parents move often and you are a kid, you never know
what to expect at the next school or town. Sometimes it just ain’t fun. When we
moved to Valdese I met Guy Abee, Peter David Hunt, Paul Settlemeyer and the
brothers Jim & Bub Page, all unforgettable.
Betty Carswell was my first crush but she never knew it. LOL Robby
Cook was the lucky dude that landed her.
But the Garland Page family was the coolest folks I met, they had Frank,
a horse. and I got to ride
Frank.
(Pinto Image from the net)
Summer evenings on the front porch Garland would break
out the guitar. He had a voice of velvet. Bub & Jim were the ‘Everly
Brothers.’ ;-) They and Paul Settelmeyer sang in church. The Page family
could sing. I loved to join with them. They enjoyed some wonderful family time.
Bro and Sister Page farmed a small area and also raised hogs and
chickens. Garland worked for Kirksey, Sister Page in a local mill. Bub and Linda(?)
did the inside work Bub, the baker, cooked supper. Jim the outside chores. I tried
to help at times but was mostly in the way methinks.
I will never forget the times I had. The boys would borrow horses (they
got me a blind one once) and we would ride up into the mountains. I just knew I
was a cowboy.
Then one night I got a call, “Jackie?” Yeah Jim, “Frank is
dying.” I jumped on my bike (no light) and headed to the Pages’. I rode right by Paul's house and didn't stop, I was crying. How could this be? Ponies don’t die!
Frank had gotten into the oat barrel and ate too much then to
the creek and drank, he now lay on his side foundered. A Vet did everything he
could to save Frank, but to no avail he died.
Bub said he forgot and left the barrel uncovered. All I remember is everyone standing around crying. For a boy
in the eighth grade that was the saddest event ever.
The death of a big animal is hard to fathom for a kid. I don’t
remember how Frank was moved; you don’t pick up 1500-2000 pounds and put him in
a trailer
.
Frank was a pinto riding pony. Garland also plowed him. He was
replaced by another Pinto, I think Garland finally trained him to pull a plow
and he was ridden, but he was NEVER FRANK.
Kentucky and Florida have many beautiful horses, but none could
thrill me like Jim and Bub letting me ride Frank. He loved sugar cubes.
Nite
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