Time on the Farm

Writing about Marta and Hildemara in the Central Valley of California brought back lots of memories from my childhood – and time I spent with my grandmother in Livingston.  Both of my parents worked, so my brother and I spent time each summer with Grandma.  We both looked forward to it!

It gets HOT in Livingston, and we’d take a daily dip or two in the irrigation ditch at the back of the property.  I never got used to the creepy weeds that grew on the bottom.  My imagination came up with all kinds of scenarios of what they were and what could happen. 

The “soil” was sand, and the whole ranch felt like a beach to us, until we stepped on a goat’s head thistle.  Ouch!  The sand was also hot, so hot we could blister our feet if we didn’t wiggle them under the surface.  Or run as fast as we could to the next shady spot.  Our feet got so tough we could stick our toes into the bubbles of melting macadam.

Grandma sometimes drove us into town and dropped us off at the movies.  She probably needed a break from two exuberant kids invading her cottage! The only movie I remember vividly is “Tarantula”!   The “special effects” may not be what they are today, but on the long walk home, I kept expecting a giant spider to come over the next hill.  

A few years ago, I saw “Eight Legged Freaks”.   I went into hysterics over scenes of jumping spiders with eyes like motorcycle goggles, ostriches disappearing in a puff of feathers, not one tarantula, but an army of them – and all making eee-eee noises.  I loved the crazy radio DJ watching and waiting for aliens!  The movie was so much like the movies of the 50s! 

I’m waiting for a parody on “Them!” – giant ants invading the underground drainage system of Los Angeles, all making those eee-eee-eee noises before them appear with their giant waving antennae….

Questions for journaling:

What are your fondest childhood memories?

What games did you play?

What were the “big” movies of your time?