Nine Year Old, Walnut Orchard and a Oldsmobile

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 A Vacaville Ca. Facebook History page reminded me of  "One Time Ago" back in 1969? When my uncle lived in Vacaville on Cherry Glen road and we would visit him every so often from the Bay Area and of course brought our mini bikes to ride on acres and acres of orchard property –

Our uncles little shack of a house was about an acre away from Highway I80 and you could see it from the freeway as you past by it – For decades we would drive past that shack and be reminded of back in the day when we were young - I believe it might still be there. Anyways – below is the rest of the story.

 There's that little shack of a house!

 

I was 9 years old and our father and uncle (RIP) were friends with whomever lived on the property in an old white lap siding house.

And one day we went for a visit and my father bragged to the friend that he taught us three boys how to drive stick shift and automatic vehicles when we were seven years old. (Which was true) Me and my twin brother Todd and Older brother Jody who is 1 year and 15 days older than us twins, drove trucks – Cars - Station Wagons – maintenance vehicles and a ton of golf carts back then, plus our mini bikes and motorcycles.

Well, on this one particular day, our father Les and Uncle Phil (Tink) were sitting around the back porch at the house next to the walnut orchard drinking a few beers with the older gentleman who lived there and after a few or more cold ones… I heard our father brag about us boys driving abilities.

The guy who lived at the house was slurring his words already, and said something in response to our fathers claim, like “no way!” or something like that. Maybe he didn’t believe our father or he was just flabbergasted that Us little pip squeak’s could drive an automobile! (plus, if you knew my father, he was a story teller at times and… at times, it was hard to believe what he was saying was true or not)

Anyways, the next thing I know, there was a challenge to my father, that; if his boys could drive a car, then he has to see it to believe it! And it just so happens he had an old Oldsmobile parked in the barn over yonder and the keys were in it. And that’s when I heard our father say, “Boys! Go over to the barn, start the car up and drive it through the orchard and show him” – Heck, I loved driving anything with wheels back then and I took off running and beat my twin brother to the driver’s side door so I could drive it first and hopped in – and my brother Todd begrudgingly hopped in the passenger’s side (We were always competitive with each other at everything we did) I think our older brother Jody stayed back at the house? Probably was a girl there? Anyways, I do remember some of the other smaller kids hopping in the back seat all excited and laughing.

It took a few pumps of the gas pedal while turning the key and the car sputtered to life – I could barely see over the dashboard and had to stretch my neck up higher to see better. it had an automatic transmission with a column shift lever and I put it in drive and slowly drove out of the barn

 

and off I went down the dirt path in between the orchard trees. Making laps up and down a long row of walnut trees.  I was having a blast making the turns as I slid the back tires a little by gunning the throttle and hearing the dirt fly up and smacking up under the fender wells of that old car.

Dust was flying everywhere! YAHOO!

 

And as in always – Twin brother Todd is saying “it’s my turn now – Hey! - It’s my turn!” (Me) as in always - I know for a fact it wasn't and I’m selectively not hearing him while wearing a grin a mile wide on my face! Oh - And the kids in the back? - They were bouncing up and down from the bumpy ride and laughing out loud!

After a few laps, all of a sudden, smoke starts coming out from under the hood? And then the car starts sputtering a little and so I quickly stop the car and shut the engine off and got out and ran to the front and opened the hood and poof!

A big flume of smoke billowed out and the unfiltered carburetor had flames coming out of it! – I hear in the background, kids screaming and my father, uncle and the guy who owned the car…. were Laughing out loud?  -  Until they realized that the engine was on fire! - I thought I heard my father saying something like “Get away from the car!” and a few other somethings from the other two inebriated adults, but I had one thing on my 9 year old mind… Yep, I was going to put that fire out! – The only thing I could think of, that was readily available? …Dirt…. Yep mother nature. 

I had seen it done lots of times on TV while watching old Westerns like Bonanza and other Cowboys and Indian movies, where they would snuff out the campfires by throwing dirt on it. So this quick thinking 9 year old brain of mine, grabbed two handfuls of dirt and threw it on and into the Carburetors intake opening and it seemed to be working?... Hmm the fire was still coming out of the carb… So I grabbed another two handfuls just to make sure and Walla! The fire was out just as I heard someone yell, “Hey! Don’t do that!” and then I heard another voice say – “Oh, Um, OK - Just leave the car there and you all come back to the house now” 

 

I realized after… that I probably shouldn’t have thrown dirt into the Carb, but also, I was very proud of myself for putting out that fire! Hey! – I saved lives that day! Ya that’s it! And shortly afterwards as I reflected on what had transpired, I believed I was somewhat of a hero that day… My 9 year old "proud of myself" brain reckoned?!

I don’t remember much after that, But I believe I remember hearing my twin brother Todd complaining that it was his turn next and he didn’t get to drive the car. And blaming me - wa-wa-wa all the way home - LOL

 

THE END