The Trampoline and The Water Hose

So, I saw this post idea at Mommy of a Monster and she got it from the red dress club. It's part of RemembeRed.

This is the first week I'm participating. The picture is of a garden hose in the yard. (I suppose it's a yard, where else would a garden hose be?)

Reading the post from Mommy of a Monster you may think I totally stole her idea. Fact is, her idea did inspire mine but with a twist.

As all kids of my time I spent lots of time outside exploring my world. (Note to those who have yet to inform your kids about fire ants, you should probably do so before they sit in fire ant bed in a bikini! anyways...) We lived out in the country, my daddy and step mom still live there, where there was plenty of roam and mischief to find (if you didn't mind a of more than say 50ft).

One year for Christmas, I think I was maybe 9, Santa brought me the trampoline I'd been wanting. Finally! All the kids in the area would deign to visit me for more than just my Atari! Of course, at least one other kid had a trampoline. Hmmm, what to do to get those kids to my place instead of that other kids house? I KNOW! Extreme Trampoline! As you may be aware, summers in Texas can be face melting hot! (I tried to think of better reference I really did) I said to myself, why not take the sprinkler off the hose and put the hose on the trampoline! GENIUS! Soon everyone was talking about my trampoline and how I was killing two birds with one stone! Having fun and staying cool at the same time!

We never once stopped to think about how dangerous it was to be on the trampoline w/o those blue pads covering the springs much less the added danger element of water to the surface. Nope, we were way too busy having a grand ole time in the blistering Texas heat. Well, for as long as daddy would allow me to run the water hose anyway.

It also had me fondly remembering the race car my daddy built for Cowtown Speedway. It was the Grey Ghost. It was AWESOME! I was an owners/mechanics daughter! I was AWESOME! I could go to the speedway every week and puff out my chest and say that's my daddy's car! He built it! A ex wrestler painted it! Every Friday I got to drag out the garden hose, bucket, & shop rags to was that car and earn a $1! Never seemed to occur to me how ridiculous it was to wash a car that was soon gonna look like it went muddin. (For those that don't know Cowtown is a dirt track). I'd wash that car and dry it and be so proud an honored that I could be a part of the crew. (so to speak)

I think of things like this when my oldest is whining he is bored and it's too hot to be outside. My inner parent and child scream in abject horror that kids today have no idea how to go out and have a clean fun time. I never ever (well almost never) was bored as a kid. I learned if the words I'm bored came outta my mouth I'd soon be given a chore to do and wishing I'd kept my big mouth shut. Now I know what my daddy meant by the good ole days, though I'm sure his definition and mine vary quite a lot.