It didn't snow where I lived as a child, in southern California...so it's easy to remember the one and only snow that I ever saw there. I was about 4 years old...
It got cold enough to freeze our birdbath and fish pond. I remember that morning getting up and seeing the snow...I quickly dressed...went out and ran around the yard trying to catch the falling snowflakes from the sky.
I had never seen frozen water, outdoors and noticed that the birdbath water was frozen. I hit it with my hands...but it wouldn't break...so I went and got my grandfather's hoe. I hit it once...nothing happend...so I hit it again, and this time, the birdbath split in half and fell to the ground. Needless to say, I got a spanking but recovered quickly because the next thing I remember is putting on my roller skates, going back outside again...climbing onto the little bridge over the fish pond...which couldn't have been very easy with roller skates on because it was an arched bridge. I got the idea from watching the Ice Capades, which I had been taken to see many times.
I climbed over the railing, of the bridge, and planted my skates firmly on the ice...started to roll and heard a loud cracking noise...the ice broke. I went down under the water very quickly...and no sooner had I fallen I felt the hands of my grandfather lifting me out...soaking wet...cold and with roller skates on. I knew instantly that I was in trouble again.
That was many, many years ago...and to my delight the little bridge was saved and still exists. The bridge was part of a fish pond that had a lion's head fountain...the water came out of the lions mouth. The bridge was made of cement carved to look like logs by my grandfather...who was a sought after craftsman.
To see the bridge click the blog: Life at the Ranch
2 comments:
I do not remember that. I remember grandpa bringing a 200lb turtle in the back of grandpa's Model "A" pickup and the turtle had dates carved into its shell. We both got ride the turtle. Grandpa and dad loaded him back into the pickup and returned him back to the Huntington Gardens. I would imagine with some care that the turtle is still there.
I also remember you cutting your palm with an upside down (sharp side up) coffee can lid. In those days had sardine type roll around the edge keys.
This is grandpa’s (Pablo) garden at the library:
http://www.huntingtonbotanical.org/Desert/facts.htm
Of course you don't remember that...we lived in different cities until I was 8 years old.
It was my right palm & wrist that got cut...I still have the scar. Someone left the (tin) coffee can lid on the ground in front of the steps. I was coming down the steps, head first, on all fours and when I reached the bottom, my hand landed on the sharp lid.
I vaguely remember the turtle, but I remember going to an aligator farm & riding on the back of an aligator...that had a saddle on its back & a muzzle around its jaws.
I also remember the first time grandpa took me to see farm animals...the cow scared the crap out of me...and I have always been secretly afraid of cows...but don't tell anyone.
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