My sledding story of 1/20/13, “The Winter
Days of Sledding,” brought me back to the most memorable coasting I ever
had. At age 10 or so, I knew the Flexible Flyer sled was the best of the
bestest! I remember outgrowing it and asking Santa for a new bigger Flexible
Flyer sled.
A Christmas or two came and went, although
there were gifts, there was no Flexible Flyer! Yes, there were wet eyes. My Dad
explained it was war time and certain things were not available. Oh well, I'll
have to make do with I have.
On a Christmas school vacation week, sledding
was most every day. Yes, some kids had new sleds. The New Year’s weekend was
coming up, and the coasting was great. On New Year’s morning, as Dad was
cooking breakfast, he looked at me and asked, “Why didn't you put your sled
away last night?”
I was puzzled. I responded, “I did.”
“No you didn't,” Dad said. “Go look.”
As I neared the back door, I could see something
sticking up in the snow – it kinda looked like my sled. But then, WOW! I saw a
big, shiny sled!
I ran out of the porch, no jacket or boots,
grabbed the sled out of the snow bank, and dragged it into the porch!
It wasn't a Flexible Flyer, but a big, long,
sleek, brand new Champion sled! Oh, I could hardly wait to get to the hill to
show off my Champion.
“But wait,” Dad said, “It's not broken in!”
“Huh?” I said. “Whata-I-hafta-do, Dad?”
He showed me how to polish the runners and
wax them. I rubbed and rubbed them with a broken piece of sharpening stone, and
waxed them with paraffin wax.
Oh boy, it sure ran fast on my little back
yard hill! Now, off to the big hill on Summer Street.
Yes, it was fast! And it was faster than any
sled on the hill that day!
Skippy and the Champion waiting to go sledding.' |
A winter or so later, we had a very snowy
winter. A foot or more snow crusted over, so it could be walked on without breaking
through. Word got out that Doroni's hill on Pleasant Street was great
sledding, and it sure was.
One weekend, the area kids gathered to race
down that tomato field on top of a frozen crust. Franky C. had a long rope
attached to his tractor and would pull us back up after a run. Not only did we
have a sled tow, but on break, we could run across the street for an ice cream
at the Peacock Tearoom. (See my blog of 4/21/08.)
Late on Sunday afternoon, I prepared for my
last run. I waxed the runners, ran, and flopped on my Champion. I sped down
that hill, a right turn onto Pleasant Street, down Pleasant Street, a sharp
corner to the left and a long straight run to Summer Street.
And a long straight run to Summer Street |
by Ray Freden
Seaview, Marshfield 70 years
"Write what should not be forgotten." - Isabel Allende.
"Write what should not be forgotten." - Isabel Allende.