For those of you who don't know; Oklahoma gets little snow in winter, for the most part and what we do get, doesn't stay long.
In my tenth year, during the Christmas vacation, we had a great snow of about twelve inches, that lasted for two days.
Already bored with nothing besides chores to do, I had an idea.
Going to an old shed, I found a pair of water skis, that someone had left. Then, I went down to "borrow" my uncle's genuine US Army parachute, with lines still attached, that he used to cover his haystack.
I was getting ready for my great adventure, when my cousin Raymond showed up, wanting to know what I was doing. Raymond was two years older than me, and was always taking over my games and toys.
After I explained, he thought it such a good idea that he should go first.
Going to the crest of a long hill, on the deserted icy highway,he slipped his boots into the ski bindings and tied the various lines to his belt. At his command, I threw the wadded up parachute as high as I could into the wind.......Raymond disappeared. Had it not been for those tracks and that bloodcurdling scream; you'd have never known he was there.
I ran to the lee side of the hill and saw Raymond crossing the bridge at Skull Creek, a half mile away. I thought that he was dancing, but found out later that he was trying to cut the lines with his knife.
Now, that road ran straight as an arrow for about three miles, then doglegged to the right. Following his tracks, I saw where Raymond had caught a crosswind at the bottom of a small hill, bouncing over the drainage ditch, through an old wooden fence and into a farmer's yard.
As I ran into the yard, the farmer came to the door and I asked if he'd seen Raymond. He allowed that he didn't know a Raymond, but if I meant that crazy person who came through chasing that big sheet, then, yup. He'd seen him.
I found Raymond hung up on a fence. The chute was in ribbons and one ski had broke. He said had it not been for that barbed wire, he'd be havin dinner in Nebraska.
Yuh know. Even now, thinking back on it; As long as Raymond was around, I never did have much fun. : )
In my tenth year, during the Christmas vacation, we had a great snow of about twelve inches, that lasted for two days.
Already bored with nothing besides chores to do, I had an idea.
Going to an old shed, I found a pair of water skis, that someone had left. Then, I went down to "borrow" my uncle's genuine US Army parachute, with lines still attached, that he used to cover his haystack.
I was getting ready for my great adventure, when my cousin Raymond showed up, wanting to know what I was doing. Raymond was two years older than me, and was always taking over my games and toys.
After I explained, he thought it such a good idea that he should go first.
Going to the crest of a long hill, on the deserted icy highway,he slipped his boots into the ski bindings and tied the various lines to his belt. At his command, I threw the wadded up parachute as high as I could into the wind.......Raymond disappeared. Had it not been for those tracks and that bloodcurdling scream; you'd have never known he was there.
I ran to the lee side of the hill and saw Raymond crossing the bridge at Skull Creek, a half mile away. I thought that he was dancing, but found out later that he was trying to cut the lines with his knife.
Now, that road ran straight as an arrow for about three miles, then doglegged to the right. Following his tracks, I saw where Raymond had caught a crosswind at the bottom of a small hill, bouncing over the drainage ditch, through an old wooden fence and into a farmer's yard.
As I ran into the yard, the farmer came to the door and I asked if he'd seen Raymond. He allowed that he didn't know a Raymond, but if I meant that crazy person who came through chasing that big sheet, then, yup. He'd seen him.
I found Raymond hung up on a fence. The chute was in ribbons and one ski had broke. He said had it not been for that barbed wire, he'd be havin dinner in Nebraska.
Yuh know. Even now, thinking back on it; As long as Raymond was around, I never did have much fun. : )
