Thank you SO much Schiwnn! You wouldn't believe how many years I've wondered about that. And now that you mention it, I recall not being able to get too close for some reason, and it had to be because of the dogs. Thanks again for taking the time to respond here!

With me, after dad died we moved to Everett, where on Saturday it was the Rialto theater (Rat House). There for with a quarter it was ten cents to get in, ten cents for popcorn and a nickel for jujubes (half of which we threw in the air). Then it was a mad dash to Saint Teresa's (Little Flower) for confession. For a pig farm near us it was Mulligan's in Revere and when the wind was right in the summer, boy you knew it.

I ran into the same thing Geezer. Every Saturday, off they went, walking up the rail road tracks towards that church in Greenwood. One week, they talked me into going with them. Boy was that scary.... what if I got caught?

Anyway, the Service was very confusing. Bells ringing and every jumps on the floor, bells ring and everyone gets up, some guy up from speaking some language nobody appeared to know, and then... half the people get up and go have a cookie in the front of the room. I didn't dare try that one, though I have to admit, I thought about it.

I just noticed that Geezer deserves some recognition.

His "little string that may go nowhere" appears to have broken the record for "Most Replies" in the "Seniors" group. That's right folks, 84 replies (after I click "post" on this message).

Let's all give Geezer a great big " Attaboy! "

[8-)][8-)][8-)][8-)][8-)][8-)][8-)] Whoo Hooo Geezer! Off to Whip Hill!

Although I will gladly accept the recognition, it is undeserved, as the success of this, or any of ‘our strings’ is of course due to ALL of you, who, like myself, are not trying to bury our heads in the sand about current issues, but instead understand and enjoy the value of (and often the humor in) once in a while looking back. I have obviously (and I’m sure will continue to) learned a lot here, and although it’s often about people, places, and things that we will never see again, there’s nuttin wrong with that! It’s fun, and I thank you all!

Yikes, got a little too serious there. Remember the rope ski tow at Mt. Hood? I give the children (and parents) a lot of credit now for walking all the way back to the top of the hill after their sledding run!

Oh yes. The old rope tow. I think I got real ski's for Christmas because of that rope tow and I became quite good at using it. The only problem was... that didn't matter!

If you were behind, or in front of someone (like my sister) who didn't know what they were doing then when she fell, everybody fell. That's right, you could NOT train her to let go of the rope and get out of the way. I have to admit though, it was kind of fun and a pain in the Butt at the same time.

Hey Geezer, I bet you and I could make a few bucks by showing up at Mt Hood with a snowmobile, an attached Ski Rack, and a couple of sleds to seat people in attached to the back.

You want "in" on this? It's not very often I come up with brilliant money making ideas!

Not a bad idea at all OG, you're always thinking!
Unfortunately, since the first fairway is not a designated area on which dogs are allowed, we would not be able to ride along, but would be more than happy to supply half of the required capital. I fear, however, that City insurance and permitting issues would put us out of business before we start.
Don't stop thinkin' though!

PS It's late, I hope Patty isn't still wandering around in the woods at Whip Hill!

Thanks Geezer. No I never made it on Sunday. I ended up having to go into work and didn't get out till dusk. I'm going to see if I can get up there tonight.

I like the snowmobile idea! I could form a LLC for you guys...limit your liability. Unfortunately I'm not connected enough with the permitting thing. Well I am ...but not in a way that would help. Hey! maybe Myron could help!

As Maynard G. Krebbs would say................................WORK!

I can't argue with logic like that, Geezer

But then again, I wonder if we could make this work by adding a REAL dog sled to the process. How many kids do you think your dog can drag up a hill in one run Geezer?

about a half [:D]

I still think my idea of screen windows for cars, for drive-in theaters is a good idea. Wait, there aren't any more of those, are there? Rats, always too little too late!

But wouldn't the screen prevent the windows from getting "all steamed up", which in turn presents .......um...... let's call it an ..... "outside to inside visibility issue"..... that defeats one of the major reasons for taking your date to the Drive In, in the first place?

Perhaps you are all aware of it already....but snowmobiles are definitely not permitted at Mount Hood Park & Golf Course. But there are so many other recreational things to do up there when there is sufficient snow. Examples include snowshoeing which I love to do for exercise when snow levels are appropriate on the fairways. Because snow shoes usually have metal cleats on them, I would wait until there are at least 3-4 inches of snow before enjoying this activity on the course. Also just hiking around the course is fun and cross-country skiing is a terrific activity up there with the many hills and paths throughout the golf course and the views up at Slayton Tower are breathtaking! And who wouldn't enjoy sledding down the many hills and especially that great one at the first tee! We are truly blessed in Melrose to have such a wonderful Park and Golf Course which can be used and enjoyed in all seasons!

Geesch, we can't even talk about things 'in jest', without getting "rules".

Dear Mr. *********,

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. I sent your question out to our volunteers and it took some time to find somebody who knew what you were asking about. This is what she wrote to me:

What I remember about "bicycle Annie" : Her name was Dorothy Crocker and she lived
on Bow St. Ct. here in town. She traveled everywhere on her bike and sold spices that she kept in the basket. She sang patriotic songs at town meeting. She must have passed away at least 20 years ago. Had no connection to Whip Hill.

I hope that helps answer your question!

Sincerely,
Marina Memmo
Stoneham Historical Society

Shouldn't that be "Jeesch" ?

You are absolutely right, Professor Correctipantalones! [:-)]

Hey Geezer. I was wandering around on the Internets the other day and I found this two volume book on Amazon (don't worry, it's not thick) of historical pictures of Melrose along with brief descriptions of the pictures.

If you haven't already picked it up, I highly recommend it! My order just arrived. Volume II even has the cannon I was blabbering about on this string above (vol. II, page 33). It was located on Crystal Street where the Veterans Building once stood and across the street from the Marshmallow factory.

Here's the link to both volumes, but I bet you can read it for free at the Library.

http://www.amazon.com/MELROSE-Images-America-Arcadia-Publishing/dp/0738564486/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380472870&sr=1-1&keywords=Melrose%2C+Ma

Those look great Old Guy, thanks! I think I'll 'leak' my desire to purchase those to the relatives, and maybe this Christmas I'll get something different than gloves or gift cards to stores in which I never shop.

While growing up, did anyone else have that one family on your street that turned their lights out every Halloween evening, but you knew they were home?

Yeah. We rang their bell (extra times) even so.

I must of lived on a privileged Block or something because I remember the porch lights going out as it got late but can't recall being turned away entirely.

But I'll tell you what was really cool. When you finally got old enough to eject the Parental Units and really hustle through "never before Trick or Treated Territory" (houses more than a block away) and you were so successful you actually had to run back home, drop off your full pillowcase, grab another one (usually your older brother's) and catch back up with your friends.

Now those were the days. But come to think of it... I think it was around that time that the Parental candy rationing program was put into effect at my house.

My husband was talking about a pig farm in Melrose... I know that there was one in Malden.. He did say it was across from the gun club at Mt Hood you could get through to it by rte. 1 or Melrose...

Hi Jackie. What was a nice memory jogger! I think your husband is right, though the Malden pig farm and the Melrose pig farm may have been one in the same.

Anyway, here's what I remember. Back in the forties, fifties, sixties quite a few towns had active pig farms. I can't tell you about the thirties because I wasn't there but Geezer probably knows.

But I digress...

So... in those days everyone had a garbage pail buried in a hole just outside their back door and everything that was edible for a pig but no longer useable for humans went into the pail at the bottom of your back porch. Many of the Victorian homes around Melrose still have the hole and the pails are still in place. They were actually.... almost... but not quite..... raccoon proof, with heavy steal lids.

During the week, the "honey wagon" would arrive on your street and city workers would throw your edible garbage into their big very smelly truck with flies absolutely all over the place and fly maggots everywhere else and off it went to a local pig farm.

And what was "The End" of the pig farms?

That's easy.... those dang new fangled Garbage Disposals that arrived in the 70's.

We must have had smart raccoons. One or two would step on the pedal and then hold the lid up and a third one would scoop up the garbage for all three. Imagine the uproar if a honey wagon drove around town these days.

There's a little road (blocked off) that goes to the right up the hill across from the Fish and Game. That led to the pig farm, but really, no one went near the place. It smelled about ten times worse that a honey wagon, and the owner was absolutely nuts.

Speaking of nuts, remember the old guy whose yard abutted the dogleg on the first hole at Mt. Hood? If you hit a ball into his yard and went after it, you had a chance of getting a load of rock salt shot at you.

LOL you got that right, Fossil, smart raccoons.

I think we had weight lifters. My dad tried the "bricks on the top" method and he quickly became the laughing stock of the raccoon community. One brick over the pedal, one on top of the hinge. Two raccoons worked together to push each brick off, one at a time. It took about 30 seconds and they were in.

I never understood why my dad even cared about someone stealing our garbage. I guess it was sum sort of 'pride' thing.

Years ago we used those metal "ash cans" that used to be used to remove ashes from coal furnaces (now I'm really dating myself) as trash cans. Raccoons had no problem getting the lids off and spreading stuff all over the yard, so one time I saw one dive into the barrel, and I slammed the lid on and put a cinder block (do they still call them that?) on top, trapping him inside. That was one seriously PO'd raccoon. I left him in there for a whole day, then tied a rope to the handle and pulled the barrel over from about 50 feet away. He took off like his ass was on fire, but I never had another raccoon mess with the barrels. They learn fast, but my wife didn't speak to me for three days. Oh, well..............[:D]

Melrose Winter Festival
Ages: Open to All Ages
Cost: FREE
Date: Thursday, Feb 20
Time: 12:00pm - 2:30pm
Location: Mt. Hood Golf Course - Club House

Get out of the house and help us celebrate the winter at Mount Hood Memorial Park. Come take in the sights, sounds, and all of the beautiful winter views that the park has to offer. We will be having games, activities, entertainment, music, face painting, ice skating (weather permitting), snow shoeing, trail walking, s'mores, hot coco, and a huge free BBQ for all who attend. Don't miss out on all of the fun and surprises that we have in store. Dress warm and we look forward to seeing everyone there!!!

Hmmm, don't remember this happening before. Sounds kinda fun.

Oh! I remember those Ash Cans. They came with a metal dolly that had two large, steel spoked wheels. Our house was converted from Coal to oil, so we had one of those coal bins accessed through a window on the driveway side of the house. The Ash Cans were wicked heavy and of course it was the boy's job to wheel them out with the trash and bring them in when you got home from school.


And Remembering, that outing does sound like fun. Can Geezer bring his dog?

Strange that you should say that [:)]. 'We' happened to drive to The Hood today for one of our walks, but were turned away because there was no parking. Could have parked down at the bottom of the hill and tried to walk up, but never would have made it.
It did look like a fun event, though I do recall going to one a couple of years ago, so I don't think it's "new".

Brilliant quote I attached from another string...

Hey Geezer. I wouldn't want to leave you out of a risk free opportunity like this. You got any extra cash lying around? Wanna join me?

I do have all these big bags of money in the house that I keep tripping over. I suppose that they would be classified as 'extra cash'. Your idea is tempting, of course, and I will cogitate on it, but I was sort of waiting to invest when spats finally come back.

Well Geezer, I just can't argue with logic like that. My Dad always told be, "forget that 'day trading' stuff, just buy and hold and you can't go wrong". Heck, all you need to do is look at the DOW's steady growth (yes, with it's ups and downs) over the years to figure that out.

So good luck Geezer. By the way, do you have the original boxes that the Spats came in? I here it makes a difference.
.
.
.
Now... Where do you suppose that Fossil and RATT wandered off to...?

I have been informed that the "neck massagers" sold at CVS are most often not used for that purpose. Needless to say, I am SHOCKED, and believe we should investigate how they ever got a license to open and sell "sexual paraphernalia"!!

LOL! Great one Geezer! Too funny.

Looks like I'd better start brushing up on my gambling skills! A flush beats a straight, right?

Of course it does. The highest hand you can get is a Royal Straight Flush, not a Royal Straight Straight.....right??

Off on another tangent - I just heard a commentor on the Science Channel say blah, blah, blah "it would change future history". Because I have absolutely nothing better to do, I concluded it all depends on your perspective. If something happens Thursday that changes Friday, it actually is Wednesday's future history, even though it won't become history until Saturday.

I hate the word "commentator". Do you comment or commentate? If you're a presenter, do you present or presentorate? If you're an announcer, do you announce or announcerate? If you're a professor, do you profess or professerate? [:-?]

If you're a Master..............

the history thing was too confusing to me to comment on[:-)]

giggle-giggle... Geezer almost said it.. titter.. titter-giggle giggle.

I absolutely knew someone would go there! [:D] You must have gone to parochial school.

Geezer; are you trying to bait someone?

Yes, I've become a master at baiting.
(So now instead of reminiscing about when I was 10, I'm acting it, lol)

Quite normal, really. Life is just a giant bell curve, and at some point we all end up right back where we started - in diapers.

Well now, that all Depends.....

"Now with FIT-FLEX™ Protection" [:|]

I get mine shipped from Tibet. They have a zipper in the front and a flap in the back. They're called Air Male.

OK I understand Diapers and I know about Depends. But I'm having a difficult time visualizing something called a Fit Flex. Where exactly, does this thing 'Fit' and what is it 'Flexing'?

Oh, and a final question: How the heck do you do that TM Trade Mark thing when you post? That's wicked cool.

Oh Jeezer, now we have something called an Air Male?

(and that's Jeezer with a J.)