When our subdivision was originally created, there wasn't sufficient draining. Often the rain waters would stay in the ditches for weeks. I recall one time when our entire neighborhood looked like a big lake as it was completely under water. If the trailers weren't four feet off the ground, we would have been flooded for sure!
As we waited for the bus to arrive in the morning, we found various things to do for entertainment. My most favorite had to be Ditch Surfing. The rain had washed a piece of plywood to the main ditch on Powerline Road that we used to "surf" across the ditch.
We would place the board partially on the ground but mostly on the water and run as fast as we could toward the board to then jump on it sliding across the ditch. The ditches on Powerline were deeper and wider providing an impressive challenge to cross the ditch successfully without stepping into the ditch or falling in completely. My worst cross involved only one leg submerged to only my knee. I do recall Rupert completely falling into the chocolate water and then having to walk back home and miss the bus. I would practice on the weekends to be prepared for the weekly competitions during rain season.
When I go back now the water drains very quickly. The surrounding modern master plan communities have created excellent draining. The ghetto may have fewer mosquitoes but the children will definitely have no chance for water sport as before.
Do you guys remember when we would spend hours playing with the water draining from our land into the ditch in front of our house? I remember building the coolest "gumbo clay" aqua duct systems that would have put the Romans to shame. I learned a lot during those days. Everything was so "hands" on. Additionally, the mud was great for my skin. I receive compliments to this day.
7 comments:
Nice. I very vaguely remember the ditch surfing, but i definitely remember playing in the ditches and catching crawdads and stuff. Of course there was the infamous slide into the ditch made from smoothed out mud.
Loved it all, remember it all. The mudslide into the ditch was my favorite.
Amen to that! I still remember what I called alligator walking: crawling along in the ditch with your legs floating behind you. Funnest way to catch crawdads ever.
Yea! Timmy said "funnest."
It's all part of my conscious effort to undermine proper English and supplant it with the vernacular. I think I'm doing pretty good. :)
i remember how we kept the crawdads with us as we aligator swam down the road. it was the cage that went around a fan. we stuck the crawdads in tied a rope to it and dragged it behind us.
and then the most barbaric practices the rugglets enjoyed. sacrificing the crawdads to the cat. the circle would form on the driveway. the biggest crawdads protected the small. the cats eyed them hungrily. Anabelle was always the first. then, well.....you know the rest.
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