Almost everyone has a best friend while they are growing up. Some people switch them out often, like a holey sock or a used Covid mask, but me and my best friend have stayed that way for about 40 years already. Sure we have had our arguments...from Pepsi versus Coke to Maple Leafs versus the far superior Montreal Canadiens...but we have always been there for each other. I know I can rely on him. He can mostly rely on me. We are best friends.
Back in the old country (Canada) is where we grew up. His family had a lot of toys. They had three wheelers and trucks and pool tables and all the things that a 15-16 year old boy would want. I spent a lot of time over there, partaking in the joys of living dangerously on three wheels and racing around the country side in the ugliest imaginable pickup truck. That old truck was never really guilty of being a pick up...for girls...but it did manage to burn a lot of rubber at every stop sign!
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| File photo...actual truck was much uglier |
Well that old truck got us to a lot of different places. If we felt rich and daring we would drive over the bridge to Baudette. There was something almost enchanting about cruising around where my colorful dollars were worth all of 77 cents each. One of the most exciting things about Baudette was that they had a bowling alley. Of course we weren't interested in bowling, but at the back of the bowling alley was a pool table. Finally we could pay to play pool instead of playing for free. We were in heaven!
It was on one of these trips to America that we decided to do a little off-roading. The old truck was just a two-wheel drive so we had to be pretty choosy about where went driving. Usually we would find someone's field that was for the most part dry and do donuts until we got bored. That particular day we were racing around like hoodlums when my friend spotted two trees. They were fairly close together, but I could see his mind start to wondering.
"You figure I can make it between those two trees?" he asked.
I looked them over, envisioning a leisurely process of measuring the distance between the trees and then measuring the truck's width.
"I guess we might," I said.
He floored it, throwing up grass and dirt behind us, and headed away from the trees. I figured he was not really that interested or something. Then he whipped the wheel around and sped toward the trees as fast as he could. Before I could say a word we had split the trees with maybe a half inch on each side to spare.
"Yep," he said, "there was room."
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| Not actual trees, just actors pretending to be trees |
Well, that little brush with death didn't deter us from being hoodlums or best friends. Every once in a while we talk about that day and laugh. The trees on the other hand, well I heard they haven't spoken to each other since that day.
It has been fun writing for the almanac over the past several years. I will be taking a break from writing starting on January 1, 2021. I will be working on writing another couple of novels. I am sure there will be a lot of people applying to take my Tuesday position. Thank you for reading, and may we meet again in the world of literacy!
WHAT? YOU'RE QUITTING THE WANNASKAN ALMANAC IN JANUARY 2021 TO WRITE NOVELS??
ReplyDelete"I Was A Border Town Baby"; "Rainy Day. Rainy River; I've Seen It All at The Rainy River Hotel,"
"An American Living Abroad," "Canadian Customs Can Kiss My . . . Grandma, If They Want, And Other Stories, Eh.." I think you'd better ponder that decision.
Wannaskan Almanac has been a weekly obligation to your readership that you've built over these past almost three years, eh, who you're just going to dump in the ditch so you an write yet another novel (This dude has written like eight) for young adults (those over sixth grade). What about your faithful readers?? Good googa mooga! Who we going to get to fill yer boots??
Name one other American-Canadian living in Kansas we can get to write for us who writes as good as you, eh. Name one. You've always been our token Canuck. You've provided WA, international appeal; an audience who glom on your every single word or turn of phrase, eh. You're our Doug and Bob McKenzie all rolled into one. Say it ain't so! Eh.
ARGH.
Yeah, gonna be gone for a year maybe. We will see how far I am by the summer, but sometimes you just got to rip off the bandaid and see if the bleeding has stopped!
ReplyDeleteI too am bereft at this bad news.
ReplyDeleteI'm drawing a blank on who could ever anchor Tuesdays the way you have.
With the border closed, it's not like we can go hang around Piney or South Junction looking for a likely replacement.
We may have to put an ad in the Topeka Pioneer or the Kansas City, Kansas Tree-Splitter.
Well good luck on your new ventures.
You've always been our token Voice of Reason.
You'll be missed.
Thanks Joe...but I would have to say that I am the shallowest of the bards on staff here!
ReplyDelete