Don Pruett why are you sitting here?
I am flying back to Florida out of Vegas, after Havasu (in the 1970's). The airplane is in the air, and its time for me to drain my radiator. So I walk to the rear of the fuselage where the restrooms are, and the stewardess lounge area.
And there siting in the stewardess jump-seat taking in the view, is Don Pruett. And I was caught off guard because, I did not know Don was on the airplane. And I said to Don, why are you seating back here. And he replied, that he was able to stretch out his legs which comforted his hip.
And now with your post Jackie, I will assume that the Havasu twin rig was the culprit to Pruett's hip problem. And regards to Don's fighting spirit, as you mention in your post. I kinda saw that in Como. It was after hours, and Don was leading some of us Mercury guys around looking for a good time. And I remember walking into one of the local nightclubs in Como, and our entrance had a very tough macho vibe to it. But fortunately the evening was a calm outing.
I still smile when I think of Don Pruett. And is that not one of the better ways to remember someone with a smile?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jackiewilson
Was with PRUETT in Havasu when he decided he could fly the twin engine Molinari-----think it was the one Sirois had used the previous year-------Up and Away. He was ok with a fixed wing and Gyrocopters but a piss poor pilot in that particular craft. he tore his hip out and was airlifted back to Florida.
Jim Hunt drove the wreck back to Florida with me as passenger as far as Texas, tried to tell him Molinaris do not fly well or for long distances.
We left Orlando (was before he moved to Sarasota) some two weeks before Havasu. Picked the boat up in Oshkosh and did Route 66 clear across the USA .
He got into a fight in Tocumcari with a real life cowboy after showing off his dancing skills to this poor mans Dolly Parton, he left the guy with a broken nose and no hard feelings. By the time we got to Flagstaff he'd spent all the gas money and took my last $100 bill to fill the tank up.
Merton gave him a real hard time over that, so PRUETT just threw a skunk in his room, I never did get the $100 back.
Night Folks! MYGGWY.J.
Not a "kick in the head," but diffentely Kicks at Lake X.
It was not a “kick in the head,” but it happen to me twice.
Odell Lewis family and the Ridgell family lived on the western boundary of Lake X property (not on the Lake). Lewis family never lived on the Lakes’ waterfront like the Bakos, Ridgell and other families did in the 1960’s. In the late 1960’s there was no more families (and I think bachelors too) living down by the lake.
So its probably around 1968 -1969 time frame, and Odell and Mona Lou (named boats after her) just finished riding their horses. So they were cooling off the horses and were about to feed the horses grain (which they love to eat, after eating grass all day long). And we did this same routine with our family horse too.
So Mona Lou (Odell’s wife) asked me if I wanted to ride the Palomino gelding. I have never ridden their horse before, but I gladly took up the offer. So I got up on the gelding, and I found out the timing was bad. Why, because this horse wanted the desired grain mixture to eat, not to go trotting again with another person on his back.
So I take the reins and turn the horse out toward the grass field, and then its rodeo time!!! Ten feet from the feeding trough and, it becomes bareback riding for me. The horse rises up and starts bucking, and now I know he is hungry and wants to eat. So after riding several bucking kicks, I use one of his upward thrust as a dismount ejection. And then land on my feet, and immediately the horse calms down. And now he gets to eat.
I think Odell had already gone into his house, and did not witness my acrobatic dismount on one of his horses. The second Kick no one witness. The approximate seven acre field had some oak trees in the north section. Which I climbed and they had a lot of moss hanging from those trees. So I am in one of the trees, and Odell had a couple of Brahma steers (that I think he was going to put in his freezer later).
to be continued...
Post 1757.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jackiewilson
Many thanks to ALL the contributors for keeping this thread up and running.
Youngsters who only heard of these "Legends" by reading the old comics or talking to the old farts who attend the OFF meetings will maybe get an insight into the characters, boats and motors of an age gone by.
We should make it clear that all people, young and old alike are welcome. Just imagine at the end of this century being able to say to the grandchildren ----I once met Odell Lewis, Johnny Bakos and Bill Seebold------wouldn't that BE "A KICK IN THE HEAD".!
...
Thats it for today good night and God bless you all MYGGWY.J.
Again not "a kick in the head," but it was the Second Kick at Lake X.
I think Odell had already gone into his house, and did not witness my acrobatic dismount on one of his horses. The second Kick no one witness. The approximate seven acre field had some oak trees in the north section. Which I climbed and they had a lot of moss hanging from those trees. So I am in one of the trees, and Odell had a couple of Brahma steers (that I think he was going to put in his freezer later).
So I started ripping off some of the moss from the tree limbs, and throwing it down for the cows to eat. Now the bulls are directly under me, enjoying their meal of moss. The bulls have their heads down eating moss. I then hung down from one the limbs. And the stars lined up, because directly a foot beneath my dangling feet is one the munching bulls.
I let go of the tree branch and its rodeo time again!!! And the identical same thing happens again with the bull as it did with the horse. (But I think the time frame was, I first rode or tried to ride Odell’s bull before I got on his horse). Needless to say the bull was surprised or really shocked, that something landed on his back. And his bucking instincts went into survival mode. And after I dismounted all was okay between the bull and me.
And in professional bull riding it’s a success to stay on for 8 seconds. I think on both accounts I succeeded. And to this day I do not think Odell Lewis knows, about my encounters riding his horse and bull. It was a real Kick in the rear.
Yee Haw !!!
Post 1757:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jackiewilson
Many thanks to ALL the contributors for keeping this thread up and running.
Youngsters who only heard of these "Legends" by reading the old comics or talking to the old farts who attend the OFF meetings will maybe get an insight into the characters, boats and motors of an age gone by.
We should make it clear that all people, young and old alike are welcome. Just imagine at the end of this century being able to say to the grandchildren ----I once met Odell Lewis, Johnny Bakos and Bill Seebold------wouldn't that BE "A KICK IN THE HEAD".!
...
Thats it for today good night and God bless you all MYGGWY.J.
