Riding

I went by the Advanced Motorsports BBQ Saturday. I was there early I
suppose. At noon, I was the only one there. I got lonely and left. Rode
around the Alvarado area and stopped at 1 of about 18 estate/garage
sales; couldn't get that used mattress in my saddlebags so had to pass.
On to Mansfield where I have a lot of memories. The town has grown and
it is hard to recall just where some of the events in my memories
occurred. The old building is still there that housed the drug store. My
first doctor practiced in that old drug store. Nowadays that would be a
conflict of interest. They served cone ice cream at the counter and the
doctor always bought us kids a cone when we came to see him. Talk about
health costs now and then. Often my mother had to make payments on the
office call it was so expensive. Another thing is that we didn't go to
the doc unless it was for something pretty serious. i.e., fell off a hay
truck, stepped on a rusty nail hidden in the cow shit at the Dairy, etc.
No, 'I feel run down' could you give me something crap.

The old jail building, which was the new jail when I last spent a night
there, still stands but no longer a jail. Early 1964, I was home on boot
camp leave, 17 yrs old and full of stop six beer, feeling as bad ass as
Walker feels now, southbound on the 287. There were 3 of us in my
buddies '57 ford, 312 auto, real slick, and he was proud of it. I was
driving 'cause my buddy thought he was too drunk to drive, and besides I
was about to go back to serve my country. I was approaching the
intersection with the only flashing traffic light in town. I saw that
'58 Chevy stationwagon coming Northbound down the hill. I turned left
right into his path. The impact hurt no one physically. Both vehicles
were 'tore up', and beer cans were everywhere. It was daytime and there
was a crowd, I couldn't lie my way out of this one. One of my buddies
told the cop he didn't know us, he was a hitchhiker we had picked up
just before the incident. The other buddy, the car owner, I haven't seen
or heard from since.
The Fine took all the money I had, money I was going to use for my plane
ticket back. There wasn't any calling daddy..I was responsible, I made
my bed and so forth. Prior to enlistment I had helped some bricklayers,
carrying bricks and mud for them. They were glad to have me back for the
remainder of my leave.

I headed out towards Briton, where Joe Pool has covered up my tracks I
left out in the hay fields along Mountain Creek bottom. I turned back
fearing someone may want another load of hay loaded, I can't work that
cheap anymore.

Back on the Mansfield hwy to Kennedale. The highway is being widened,
the old home place will soon have pavement damn near to the porch. As I
crossed Village creek I saw a flash of the sign that was displayed at
one of the first self service stations in the area back in one of the
gas wars. The sign read Regular 13.9.
The creek bottom where I'd baled hay is now commercial property. The
creek I used to cross on old Buck, a stubborn 23 yr old horse, to round
up dairy cows is too wide for me now, account Lake Arlington.
On top of the hill the beer joint is gone where I became drunk for the
first time. I was pretty old, 16, at the time.
I turned at 820, remembering when 820 wasn't there, and the Mansfield
hwy shared a reputation with Exchange Ave, and Jacksboro hwy as where
you would get your ass kicked.

A ride alone is sometime a hell of ride, not for the curves, but for the
memories. Dangerous too, daydreaming like that. I got home and thought
the time of ride passed quickly, and so did the original ride...

treat urself and others right ...louie

 

Good ride report.. I do that once in a while.. Just go by myself.. get back
to the place where it all began.. For me, it has been one helluva party..
C'ya

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

A ride alone is sometime a hell of ride, <<

Gotta tell you, that tale took me down memory lane too. I grew up on the
south side of Ft. Worth and am familiar with several of the towns you wrote
about. Back in 64 or 65 I had a '55 Triumph twin that I had just bored out
and put a special cam in. There was a short stretch of 820 that was finished
on the south side of FW and I decided to use it as a race track to "break
in" the newly rebuilt engine. Well, I broke it in all right. Somewhere on
the other side of 100 mph I burned a hole in one of the pistons about the
size of a dime. Seems I had the ignition timing off just a tad. VERY
expensive lesson to a 17 year old whose sole income was from throwing the
Ft. Worth Star Telegram.
___________________________________
Mick McHam Houston, Tx
'99 ST1100ABS STOC# 1134
'99 VFR800FI
website: http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham

 

I know where you're talking. It was West from the Mansfield Hwy. Lots of
'drag racing' went on, especially those with wannabe fast cars they
didn't want to be seen on the track at Forest Hill Dragstrip. A buddy of
mine had a sleeper '55 chev and used to race on that unopened stretch
for 6 paks. Another makeshift place was out by Everman bridge just down
from the dragstrip.
I guess you took that old Triumph around the Lone Star on Berry a few
times, racking the pipes up against the far wall on the way around.

...louie

 

Anytime. I made the Lake Whitney, Valley Mills, Blum, and points nearby
run today with a friend for Joshua. Nice and green this time of year.
Had a nice ride,, however no flashbacks.
After that me and the sheriff rode over to Benbrook, around the boat and
beach area, man, it's kinda scary over...lots of little mean looking
thugs hanging out... looks like a very likely troublespot for sure... I
image later this summer when school is out, watch out. ..louie

 

I know where you're talking. It was West from the Mansfield Hwy. <<

Yep, that was it.

dragstrip. <<

I raced a couple of times somewhere around Everman. Been so long I can't
remember where exactly but it might be where you're talking about. Seems it
was a well known night time racing road.

times, racking the pipes up against the far wall on the way around. <<

Man, you are really waking up long sleeping brain cells in my mind... !
Yes, we use to go to the Lone Star drive in. It wasn't very far from my
house which was right on the north side of Seminary South shopping center
(which was the site of Katy Lake prior to '63).
___________________________________
Mick McHam Houston, Tx
'99 ST1100ABS STOC# 1134
'99 VFR800FI
website: http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham

 

Mick McHam wrote:

uh huh, drained the damn lake for new, 1st of its kind around here
shopping center. If you haven't seen SSouth lately, it is on it's 3th or
4th last leg...ready for another lake at the location. You were north of
it you say... I am not too far south of that location at the present.
Did you know of Edgecliff Village. I didn't back then but now live
there..... c u up this way sometimes.. louie