In the midst of the Alleghany hills – amongst the green and lush valleys – sits a little community-
Population – around 800 souls – and back then – I knew almost every one of them!
Eldred Pa.
The town sits on the Alleghany river which eventually flowed into Pittsburg – but – it flowed North first!
Yes – it left Pa. and flowed into NYS before flowing once again South through Pa.
It ends up in Pittsburg some three-plus hours away.
We would be considered the snow belt – some 80 miles south of Lake Erie and Buffalo N.Y.
I helped a friend of mine growing up with his paper route – his name was Brent – and we hung out.
He bought a go-cart with his money and he would let me ride on it.
He was two years older than I and eventually married my cousin.
Funny how that worked out – he graduated and I lost track of him.
The town nestled in the hills.
I would ride my bike everywhere – I had to be home each night for dinner and before the street
lights came on. Every night at 10 o’clock sharp – the siren from the firehouse would blow-
You could hear it all over the town – that was “CURFEW” for the streets –
I think no one under 18 could be out and about!
My first friend I can remember is the girl next door – her name was Sharon – and she had a big brother whom everyone called Sonny “KING” – and he dressed in a black leather motorcycle jacket and slicked his hair back like Elvis!
Sharon and I were like brother and sister – we would watch Lassie together – play on the front porch –
sneak a corncob pipe and gather silk from the corn and smoke –
puff it – in the big red barn behind the house.
We would walk to school together – and our route always was behind the main street along the tracks.
Behind the Eldred Garage and then on the tracks themselves.
Just before the creek – Lynches lived and behind their house was a tree –
like a little island raised up on a piece of land.
We would sit there and play our Kazoo’s together –
“THREE BLIND MICE”
That was all I knew how to play! LOL
She moved away and my sister and her husband moved in right next door!
Bill Luce – on the left – my brother-in-law.
Over his shoulder is the greenhouse I grew up in – my bedroom was the two windows on the second floor –
after my older brother Roger left for college.
Every morning I would wake up to the birds singing in the tree outside that window –
the Sunlight would come streaming in –
There was the main street – highway right out front –
and I would sleep and hear the sound of cars – trucks rolling by –
and then – the accidents that happen right there –
crashes would hit the cars parked there.
Some – I sept right through – others – would jolt me right out of bed.
That curb was where my best friend and I were sitting one early morning after midnight –
he was sleeping over and my parents had gone somewhere –
we got into the hootch under the sink.
My sister came out and grilled us –
“ARE YOU GUYS DRUNK”?
No I said and right at that time a car came
and the lights showed right on my friend – and he got sick –
and threw up all over the place!
” HE IS,” I said! LOL,
my sister always laughed at that and would tell the story many times over and over!
My friend and drinking buddy – lower right-hand corner!
We have reconnected about fifteen years ago at a class reunion –
he spent about a week here last October –
and we played golf once again – after some 55 years have gone by since we last played together!
My brother Roger and Sherry – a few years before he passed away – gone but not forgotten.
He was my hero growing up – ten years older than I –
named WHOS WHO in American colleges
OFFICERS TRAINING SCHOOL and a Lt. in the navy.
His bedroom became mine – when he came back I would sleep on the floor.
Thanks for reading Papa’s World – to be continued in livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
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