Do ya wackos have a NON gearhead friends? Read on..

[Robby321]

Not talking family/relatives here. Just people ya know. Don't know why but hit me today.

Thing is my "family" all been gearheads, partiers, simpler lived life to the max, all died old and worn out!

The people I know here (even the neighbors)? ZERO suit and tie. All have "something" be it old muscle, old restored classics, boats, motors, bikes, hunters that LIVE for "Deer season", and the latest...the 1/12th scale, RC buggy rides. Always "something a call..come on over , check this out!"

Any have "straights ya know", that are amazed the stuff ya do? (to us natural, but some?.."yer crazy?"...(and ya gotta laugh!) Also should mention NOT THE KIDS!. THEY need "sparking the .
THATS COOL! "some day, that will be me!" Think it this way the young kids NOW! BUT, tell me what fired ya up for boats, bikes, etc?

Yep, we ALL were "kids at one time!"...(still are kids, just aged a bit), and "share a Kid" ride. Ever see "kids" harbor? Say "I wanna ride!" Take them out for a blast, fast and back.

PRICELESS ride, the kids. Future boaters, (got the "itch"?)

Tell me YOUR first..remembrance.. "when first in a boat that actually DID float! And dad fired the small motor?

[fichrman2]

I will chime in- We lived across the street from a canal that dead ended on an island growing up. If you even heard a boat coming down , you went and begged for a ride, then walked back from the end As we grew into our early teens - a 12ft john or game-fisher with a 10-15 hp was the BOMB. A friend of my older brothers had an 18 AquaSport , and would take us for rides all the time before we got our own boats.
Many spooky rides in my narrow 12ft John and a mid70's twin 18 Evinrude hanging on the back that I had, had to carry a cinder block in the bow It got like a beer can, the more your twisted it, the more it leaked. Used to pint the inside floor with Pilgram epoxy paint to seal the rivets - lmao
If you got up to piss, your had to tell you buddy, cause if you leaned to hard one way the gunnel would dip water at the transom and down she went-

[olboatman]

Robby My first boat when I was 9 was a 8ft pram that my dad had a 50ft rope tied to it so I couldn't row to far! Then the next summer dad got me a 12ft MirroCraft with a 2hp Johnny("48"I think) and I had to stay in the cove. Well that MirroCraft had a lot of different motors over the years including a 25 Wizzard (4cyl made by Merc) that flew like the wind. Went on to small runabouts (A-B utilitys) after that with different 50s 2cyl Mercs. What a great childhood!!!! BTW My best friend since we were 7yrs old and raced stock outboards together frames houses for me now and we own a offshore fishing Grady White together. Some things never change! Gary

[Robby321]

I'm out in the shop, but many pix house puter the "LONG ago".."introduction" boats..and bikes, Mini home built's, heck, I was BABY sat in my bros new 53 corvette! Dad a gearhead, as all the "family", as back in the 50's..EVERYTHING was new! W/E lake place us was the TITS! 45 miles from homebase..to the Ill "Chain of Lakes"..(Blarneys). Dad TOLD me after getting there Friday night."DO WHAT YA YA WANT..BUT. "when mom blows that whistle, get yer azz to food for you!. AND...BE IN THE DAMN CAR 5PM on Sunday, or ya staying here! (Did NOT want to leave, but?...get a azz whopping off dad if not!) The FREEDOM gave us kids was just to much to learn life. Parents and the older crowd there..a membership of friends, place was called the "White Feather Indian club"..on east side Crooked lake off 132 think, end the Munn road. Went back there decades later (2006 road trip). Thought the place would be leveled and condos? NOPE..just like I remembered it! Pull in, and out come a dude.."can I help you?" Said I grew up here, and my dad helped build this place. Names mentioned, and turns out I GREW UP WITH THIS KID! He's the "caretaker now", and said to me...

"there is NO way I will not do my best to "preserve" this place as is its you and mine "childhood great times"

The main house..where the community kitchen was (thats when all simple feed the kids, known and many relatives)..and the main house was rooms for the girls, with young kids. The guys and older kids crashed in the "Bunk House" 30 triple high "bunks". What below? Of course the "Rec room" (bar). Jukebox, full bar, and the old farts?..wasted and dancing to the "Beer Barrel Polka!"
Damn I got a zillion stories that place. ALL GOOD! Dad had a 17 cruiser..(after a Barrel back Century), bro a 20H Hydro, and a Baby Switzer. Plus the kids that lived there year round. Me and "Herby", would go out in the woods on a "Step through Honda 50"..(Ya meet the nicest people on a Honda?) Us with .22's, go squirrel hunting. Just too damn much fun!

Then was simple lets the kids run free, learn life, and the parents "needed to party". Only thing?

BE IN THE DAMN CAR 5PM Sunday!. Then wait until, "next weekend". Best damn times my life. More later and pix. To me the ONLY thing you should thumbs for damn sure aint texting or "gaming"..called "trim it out buttons, THE MOTOR! WAY more fun! More later......

[Robby321]

Back the house..some pix from then and later. Before first. I'm the little curly hair kid first, mom dad bro and sis..(all older) in a Pram my dad built with a 10 hp 'Elgin" King of the lake, as ya look and see the "rowers?" They where amazed! Then it got worse soon. Dads Larson Lancer, bro's Baby Swit, 20H with the a "speed master" gear case. Last is my dads "Amphicar, middle 60's now. Drove the road (for my mom pass seat, as dad was already at the lake..) as she KNEW "3 on the tree", but clueless a "floorshift!" So she drove, braked and I'd do "clutch) shift for her, and "OK" My Ma was a simple "great girl!" Trust me, without her? dad would have killed me for food...(damn, could I piss him off "me stupid") But he let me live....(and Splashing the Amphicar at speed!..Freaking grin at 14!..just do the door locks, bilge pump on, hit the water on the tires, start floating, out of gear, and engage the props! Then ya "tooted the horn, turn single on..Nav light on, do the lake and did a beach where NO car could go?..and leave tire tracks..(I was the MASTER of.."crop circles!"

[Robby321]

Post more pix, but saying I can't...more morrow.....

[olboatman]

Keep em commin bro-- I can't get enough of it!!!!!! I feel 10 again. Too bad my ex through mine out the ----. Gary

[Robby321]

Whoops, lousy pic bros Baby Swit/20H Merc. Next my first boat. Only 6 feet, McCullough vertical shaft to a gearcase under. Fire and go, rudder to steer. Made and sold like that too. Dad had to get one as he was a show of anyway! Called a "Skeeto" One pic I found of a restored one last.

[Robby321]

I'll tell ya it was a GREAT place to grow up. Small lake..(big to a kid), and LIVED for the W/E's! Pix I took 2006, hasn't changed a bit...like stepping back in the past. Do 3 a time. Main house and kitchen, bunk house and Rec room under..

[Robby321]

Bunk house, bar and where I get my first beer!

[Robby321]

The "swing" we sat on and told ghost stories late nite! Couple lake..

[Robby321]

Lake looking back up and lake..



Damn, the memories from there!

[olboatman]

Great stuff Rob! Thanks so much for sharing with us. I talked with my sis in Florida and she is going to check for old pics at the lake where we grew up. Now I just have to learn how to post em. Gary

[Robby321]

Great stuff Rob! Thanks so much for sharing with us. I talked with my sis in Florida and she is going to check for old pics at the lake where we grew up. Now I just have to learn how to post em. Gary

Pic posting easy. If not on a hard drive, need to scan. If on yer puter in a email, easy to copy to you in "pictures" then just link it to a post. We we can work ya through it. I love looking old pix. Thank GOD, my dad was a also a electronic head too..Radio and TV repairman, owed his biz and was a "photo freak". When he passed at 84 (born 1901, so EVERYTHING was new to all, and great times USA!)..my brother took all the old pix, old movies, (some from the 40's!), and movies went to VHS, pix scanned and saved. I still have the itch to take pix, and I have a ceder chest FULL of pix. But I DID do before a BIG mistake! Winter went through all and tossed WAY too many, as THOUGHT, "not relevant". Stupid move. Stupid, stupid, STUPID! I have 4 albums photos from me since birth, and ended when digital took over, so all lately on a hard drive..(and saved a flash drive, puter gives up the ghost"). Thing is after the early years, HS, ended up Nam. Old days were over. Finally out the service in 71. Friend mine had a lake house on the Fox Chain.

Well, here we go again, "Round Two!" SAME DAMN THING THERE! "Live for the W/E!". But then was "sex and drugs and rock and roll". Insane times! All had boats..(me my SS17 Switzer/XS1500), sleds winter, ice racing the bikes, etc. Actually cost me a divorce as was married in 75, PERFECT women for a "normal man", but I was far from normal...(she did 4 years college, when I was in Nam and Germany). Of course, she thought I would change but I needed to "make up lost time young" Never did like my M/C's, or fast boats..(and my wild azz). Divorced 77. And the funny thing here? SHE WAS A PSYCHO WARD NURSE AT THE HOSPITAL Guess she married a "unreachable /uncontrollable, don't GAF wacko! (Still at it too!)

Regrets? Yep, but I was NOT to be told "what to do, and behave"

"Born for fun, and sworn to none"...(less ya got beer? More that next..(first time really indulged)....

[Robby321]

Damn I gotta tell the story, the "first wasted" Probably 13/14? years old. Back at the "White Feather Indian club"

Thing is us kids SAW the wild times, the "elders", dancing and laughing there azz off in the Rec room. And like said, on our own W/E, JUST BE IN THE CAR HOME ON SUNDAY! Crooked Lake was east the Chain on 132. Closest town was Lindenhurst. And "Sherry's Bar". Sometime about 10pm, they all say "lets to town, and Sherrys bar!"..(this when drinking/driving was the norm).
So they all pile in cars and take off. Rec room never was locked..(nothing was!). So think 4 us kids decide to find out what the hell comes out that tap there that makes them so funny!. We took M/T quart soda bottles, and filled up beer out the tap. Got the hell out before caught. Down to the beach, and here goes! Can't remember much more, but the 2 that lived there year round, went staggering home. Me and my bud Jimmy Clark go hit the bunk house.

Well, he's on a top bunk. I'm lower and a few bunks over. Its about 1am, and parents are back and crashed. Start to hear that..(ya know that sound.."gonna toss lunch"?). Sure a chit he lets it fly off the side! Next thing I hear is one the elders say.."damn kids, been drinking our beer again!"

Lots commotion starting to happen, but I simple shut up, holding down a LAUGH!..and passed out. Great times!