By Staff
We conquered the gosh-darn snowy month of February.
It won't be long and you'll see convertibles and motorcycles coming down bare streets again, I hope.
I can't remember just when it was, but several of my friends decided to become motorcyclists for some unknown reason.
I think it was maybe just before the Korean war or after that Dale Richcreek, Bernard "Butch" Bournay, Dick Hartung and maybe Delmer "Bud" Emmons were the ones who bought motorcycles (used ones, I'm sure).
I recall one time we were out on M-40 North (now M-51) in front of where Dale lived.
My friend Butch had just bought one and I think they were trying to get me involved in their cycle fantasy.
Butch said, Charlie, try mine out and see how you like it.
I remember well how at the time there was major work being done on old M-40.
I took his bike down the road about a quarter mile, and when I went to turn around, I went (dropped) off the pavement into about six inches of muddy gravel.
When I got back to the guys, I had some very dirty, muddy pants legs.
After enduring their hearty laughter, it was then and there I decided I didn't want to join these Dowagiac motorcyclists, as I could see how dangerous they could be.
But would you believe it, I later became a partner with Aubrey Hawks and James Luthringer in a 1946 Aeronica airplane and learned to fly, which, in my opinion, was more safe than motorcycles. I still think those critters are dangerous.
How many remember when we used to heat our houses with those old coal-burning stoves?
You sure didn't want to put too much coal in on top of the flames or you would smother the flames and a lot of smoke and fumes would fill the stove and, suddenly, a big, loud puff would occur. The flames then started up once again heating the house.
Before our current refrigerator names like Whirlpool, do you remember names such as Norge, Gibson, Servel, Admiral and Ice-o-Matic back in the 1930s and '40s?
I like to reminisce about the Big Band era and the songs of some of their singers: Helen O'Connell (Green Eyes), Vaughn Monroe (Racing with the Moon), Ella Fitzgerald (A Tisket a Basket), Bonny Baker (Oh Johnny), Kay Starr (Wheel of Fortune), Ted Lewis (Me and My Shadow), Peggy Lee (Is That All There Is?) and Frankie Laine (Rawhide). And I can remember Glenn Miller band had Ray Eberle and Tex Beneke.
I remember when it got as cold as it's been lately, we used to stuff thin strips of cloth around the windows and door cracks, using the dull side of a table knife.