Friday, August 24, 2012

The Big Bang Theory of Childhood

I remember where I spent Fourth of July, 1943 and you would too: I was scoonched down in a corner next to the garage out back of this house,  "Indian Head," watching the big kids as they poked lighted firecrackers under empty number-ten tomato cans; then we all hollered as the charged vessels headed off in the direction of low earth orbit.  I had never seen anything so (words I would not have used at the time) gonzo cool.

The only thing that matched the homemade fireworks that summer was when the adults had to rip the lid off the septic tank in the front yard at Red Wing up the road.  All the kids crowded round in gobsmacked fascination while the parents tried frantically to cordon them back up onto the porch.  No child was lost in the endeavor, at least none that I remember.

There's a connection.  I see that Indian Head (listed at $442,500) offers sleeping accommodations for 12 people and one bathroom (plus a "partial bath," whatever that means).  Say what?  Twelve?  One bath?  

I suspect I know the response: 69 years later, they're still running on septic tanks.  Fair enough, I can't imagine how they'd get a sewer line in there.  And the bedrock, my god it's everywhere.

And did I mention that the lake is being overrun with Myriophyllum?  Flourishes in nitrogen, don't you think?

1 comment:

dilbert dogbert said...

We used an improved version: 5gal can with a couple inches of water in bottom. Poke hole in smaller can, insert firecracker in hole then place can in water in larger can. Light firecracker fuse. Watch can go into low earth orbit. Sort of a water gun barrel.