| 19 | Summer | 93 |
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| PO Box 522 | PAMPA, TX | 79066-0522 |
| Volume 3 | of the family, by the family, for the family | Issue 1 | 806 669 6009 | Fire! | The Shetland's | Tumble Weeds | Little Known Facts... ...Grow Up? | Telegram! | Reunion # 3 | Computers |
puzzler@pan-tex.net |
Fire!I'm beginning to think my dad has a fascination for fires (please see Weed Warmer? on page 29 and Tumble Weeds on page 34). Actually the incident to which I am referring to happened recently.For the third year in a row, I took Levi down to see his Grandpa Watts. It was for a week right after Christmas while Levi was still on his break from school. On this particular trip out to the dump, Levi wasn't with us (thank God for small favors). We had just unloaded a load of grease at the county dump and was heading back into Pampa via the Wheeler highway. About a half mile away we could see a couple boys out on the highway, jumping up and down and waving their arms. I looked at Dad. Dad looked at me. We were both confounded as to what could be the matter. Dad slowed to a stop. I rolled down my window. The older one, with a concerned look on his face yelled "Fire!" pointed toward the rear of the truck and scooted away for safety. I hung my head out the window and saw for myself. I repeated the word with urgency to dad and he proceeded to pull over to the curb, thought better of it and parked the truck out in the right lane of the highway about six feet from the curb. Evidently the thought of catching the grass along the highway on fire came to his attention. I jumped out and stomped on the fire trying to dislodge whatever it was that had hung up in the fender well. The main thing I was concerned about was getting it away from the tires. Dad had his wits about him and used what water remained in his supply tank. Once he had the fire at the back of the truck put out, we could see that we had picked up a mattress. By then I had thought to put some gloves on and was able to pull the mattress out from under the truck where dad could obtain better coverage of the rest of the fire. About the time we had things under control a Fire Chief pulled up in the middle of the highway. Evidently someone was curious of the boys yelling and saw a truck pull up attached to a fire and had called it in. A few moments later a fire engine pulled up behind us while I was answering questions from the Chief. The boys, with a worried look in their faces, asked if dads truck was for hauling fuel. Although I assured them it was for hauling septic they still kept their distance. Evidently they thought we still might have a methane residue. After cleaning up the mess caused by the fire, dad answered specific questions and rewarded the boys five dollars each. I asked dad if he thought I needed something interesting to write about and he just smiled. Roy A. Watts The Shetland'sWhen Roy, Steve and I were growing up, we were put in a foster home under Miller's care. They did a little farming and they raised a few cattle. I remember when they bought two shetland ponies. The one was black, the other brown. We named the black one pepper but couldn't really call the brown one salt so the brown one never really got a name.We were riding them in the corral one day and for some reason I kept sliding off. Well I decided to try gripping the pony better with my feet. I rode around the corral again and when I started sliding, I gripped the pony with my feet. Next thing I know I'm riding the pony upside down and I remarked "I'm under the horse again!" I was about nine at the time. A few years later, Miller's bought me a bigger horse (that would be Whiskey, Turtle). I was told it was part race horse. The horse had a habit of taking off at a gallop as fast as it could go (with me riding), stop, hump its back, duck its head and watch me fly. I didn't ride that horse much. Spent too much time on my back cussing that horse. Terry K. Watts Tumble WeedsI remember a time when I was five or six years old. At that time we lived on the Davis Ranch which was about ten miles south of the poor farm (homestead). It was around the end of the "Dust Bowl" days but as I recall, it was still plenty dry.North of us were several wheat fields of Russian thistles better known as tumble weeds. The tumble weeds would drift with the wind and would hang up on fence rows, fill gulleys, etc. We got our drinking water from a spring two to three hundred yards west of the house. this spring was in a canyon that was about twenty feet across and fifteen feet deep. It got full of tumble weeds and we couldn't get water from it very easy. Dad sent my brother Dick and I to clean out enough weeds to get to the spring. We took a rope and Dick would tie on to several of the weeds, oh I'd say about the size of a small bus, and I would then try to pull them out. I asked Dick to tie on to one weed at a time but he said that was too slow for him.I was thinking to myself "There has got to be an easier way!" I pulled a hand full of broom weeds, tied them in a bundle, lighted them and tossed them into the creek. Now the banks on the creek were very steep. I bet there wasn't three places in a quarter of a mile in which a fella could get out. Ten minutes later there was not one tumble weed in sight between the spring and the river (about a mile downstream). Ma was after us both. Dick was pounding the living daylights out of me for that. (Evidently he didn't like being in hot water, from the spring or Ma). Question is, does anyone know how Dick managed to get out of that canyon? We had tried to climb that bank many times before. After nobody could climb it, we had assumed it couldn't be done. This still puzzles me to this day. Pete Watts Little Known Facts of the Watts FamilyWhen our Grandfather Watts originally came to Wheeler County, Texas, he had five windmills put up on his property. In later years, three had to be dismantled due to a lack of wind.Lowell Ray Elder How Did We Ever Grow Up?When we were kids, we had a red wagon. We took turns riding down the hill towards the spring. We challenged each other to see who could come closest to the bank before turning thus avoiding going over the brink into the spring. We had no way to stop.Each of us would get a bit closer until it was Dicks turn. We gave him a good push to start him on his way down the trail. When he got to the edge however, he didn't turn. He proceeded right on over into the spring. We just knew he had broken his neck. Nervously, we hid thinking maybe Ma and Pa wouldn't notice one of us missing. About that time we heard a call from the house that no kid could ignore. "SUPPERS READY!" Dick beat us all to the table soaking wet, but first. Pete Watts I have a Telegram!Below is a telegram-by-anagram. To solve it, one must first determine what words fit the clues keeping in mind that one letter is dropped in each word in succession in the 3 word group. Those letters that are dropped are then placed in the columns closest to where they were dropped. The columns then spell out a message by reading down the left then right column. Enjoy!
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The Wheeler Sheriff pulled up to the Pavilion and we all exchanged glances and murmured what could be up. The Sheriff asked for Judy, gave her a note and left without saying much. Judy left for the car. Richie shrugged his shoulders and followed. As it turned out, their daughter (Candice I presume), had an accident on the way to the reunion. Richie told me only a few bruises were found.
The first two reunions had came and went without incident as far as I know. I guess we should all feel fortunate and thank God for all the safe miles that have been traveled. Nonetheless, the reunion did take place once again at the Wheeler City Park. Family members however, began leaving before anyone could think of getting a head count. Monta started naming off all the members that she could remember being present beginning with Elmeda and her descendants on down to Kenneth. Then the others that weren't immediate family. The tally came to forty-four which took me aback as it sure didn't seem to me that there were that many people there.
Steve brought his truck loaded with mellon and vegetables (all I saw at the back of the truck were melon's) and his wife Christie along with their three girls, Adrianna Lynn, Melissa Sue and Rebecca Ann (which Dad and I met for the first time). Steve gave us a sample of the melon's after giving us a mouth watering description. This load, he explained, was taken from California and was in route to Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
Steve also had a co-driver named Mike with him which he praised as the best driver he has hired to date. Christie and the girls were invited to spend the night at dad's before making the treacherous journey back to Rillito, Arizona some eight hundred miles away. A recent call to dads revealed they had all made it back ok.
The park got a little warm for us and those who remained retreated to Ed's air conditioner. Levi and I lingered till seven then hauled our selves back to Colorado. Till we meet again, do write.
Roy A. Watts
Then to top that off, Kinko's charged me 79 cents per page printed. I thought to myself they had a lot of nerve but I charged it to my credit card so I could get it put out. I could use some assistance in this area.
I've priced a few systems and have found myself a few pennies short of buying one. For a good set up, Computer Outlet in Fort Collins wants $1400. That's about $1400 more than what I've got available right now. I'm hoping I can land a good job next summer after I graduate so I can keep putting out the news letter. Maybe by then the price of computers will have fallen.
Roy A. Watts
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