Back about 50 years ago when a country boy wanted to have transportation other than walk'n they usually tried trad'n for a mule. When they were too expensive or we didn't have anything to trade our mindes wandered to the advertisments we'd seen in those old time Field and Stream or Popular Science mags. We didn't have the tools, knowhow, parts or much of anything else to build those projects but there WAS an option therein. For $1.95 one could purchase a "kit" to change your old bicycle over to a MOTORBIKE!!! Well, we never had that kind of money either. But---we knew a kid that DID have that kind of money! His daddy was rich-he ran a grocery store in Noble. He just had to have one of those newfangled things so his daddy bought't for'm. After gett'n it he didn't know how to use it so somehow [don't remember how now] we ended up with it. It had all the necessary parts to convert our old bike to MOTORPOWERED! The engine was not included--you had to furnish your own. They were easily found as washin machines had'm. Most common were the Briggs and Stratton, cast iron jobbies. Not so plentiful was the Maytag engine. It was a "lay down" engine in either single or the more classy two cylinder opposed. With a little luck, some time assembl'n the thing you could actually end up with a motorbike that would work. A large "shiv" that screw'd to the side of the rear wheel, a long belt, a small steel platform to set the engine on and was even supplied with 4 bolts to mount it with. I don't remember if there was a throttle cable or not. We didn't get one at any rate. Course the dumb things didn't run that well anyhow. The motors were always worn out by the time we got ahold of'm. I most certainly would like to find one of those old kits nowadays. I believe I could build one if need be. In fact I've been think'n about build'n a 3 wheel'r with a bench seat on't for me and lil dumplin to go gommin around in the bottoms with. Lightweight and easily pick'd up outta the mud if'n it got stuck. My how times have changed! Now kids just can't occupy themselves without all kinds of electronic toys that cost more than I paid for my first car.

Anxiously await'n spring and warmer weather. I want to get outside and do a little prospecting for Gold! Why not? I"ve tried work'n for a liv'n and it just didn't succeed very well. Each day I had to start all over again as I'd already spend yesterday's bounty.

Look around you at Gods Mighty Creation. Surely this just didn't "happen" all on it's own! Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), March 19, 2001

Answers

Hoot -

Don't remember those days (only 35) but I remember doin all sorts of outdoor stuff as a kid - makes me miss the old place!!! Tanx fer da mem'ries, buddie!!!

So... wanna do some panning... Come on out by us!! We're looking to start the patent process on our claims. You keep what you find, just let us document! Weathers' great, and we got extra room!!! Come on out!!

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 20, 2001.

Hey Hoot- Did you say the rich kid's dad had a store in Noble? Was wondering if you meant Noble, OK. I was raised in eastern OK; but now live in NW Minn. Just curious, cause I thot if you was an Okie that would explain your cool accent. And NO, this didn't all just happen on its own. Sure would like to ask those scientists where that spark of life got there for the one-celled organisms they say we all came from! And if we think this is cool, just think how glorious heaven will be! The modern movies all portray heaven as some boring place with nothin' to do but float around on clouds. I would like to tell those producers they better go back and look at the Bible again. My dad was an avid bass fisherman and he used to say that the better Christian you were on earth, the better bass ponds you got to fish in heaven! Cynthia

-- Cynthia Speer (farmsteader@gvtel.com), March 26, 2001.

Hey Cynthia! Nopee--Noble in IL. A real good place to be from---a LONG WAY FROM! Actually it's just another dirty little town like most of'm. We never lived in it and still don't. Went to school there, tho. Used to drag race down the main drag, bark tires on the blacktop road goin south to wynoose. Used to shoot rats at the dump years ago too. Never did holloween anybody in town very much----yeah right! Nobody was safe back then. Now I'm old, fat and lazy. The 55 chevy's are all gone as is the 55 fords with pontiac engines, drip gas and shorty michels, the town cop. He had an old Studebaker car that would run a "hunert males an ar" as he'd say. The tailpipe was 1 1/4" and wasn't big enough for all the smoke that it put out. He smoked as bad as the motor-carried a .22 cal revolver and worked for free. Respect? Are you kidd'n? All us young heathens would outrun him almost every day with our fast cars. Times have changed a bunch. Now it's I that has the slow vehicle. My little 4 cyl S10 Chev p.u. is "doggie" and barely spins the wheels in gravel. Still---it's paid for. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), March 26, 2001.