HELLO ALL,

TWO ITEMS TO COVER HERE:

THE OLE SWIMMIN' HOLE:

I WROTE JERRY EVERLY A MESSAGE ABOUT A SWIMMIN' HOLE IN PUTNAM COUNTY AND SO DIDN'T INCLUDE IT HERE, BUT HE BROUGHT UP ABOUT HIM SWIMMING IN HONEY CREEK AND SO I NEED TO RELATE A STORY ABOUT MY HONEY CREEK SWIMMING AND THAT LEADS TO THE SECOND ITEM.

THE GUYS I REMEMBER THAT DID THIS WERE: MYSELF, BOB RAND, JOHN THOMAS, MIKE CORTHUM (I THINK) AND MAYBE DALE FRENCH.

IT WAS AN UNUSUALLY WARM SAT. OR SUN. IN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS OF -- NOVEMBER-- WHEN WE WERE IN SARAH SCOTT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO. SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT WE RIDE OUR BIKES OUT TO THE COVERED BRIDGE OVER HONEY CREEK (NOW IN FOWLER PARK), JUST SOUTH OF WHAT IS NOW IDLE CREEK ESTATES (THEN THE WHITE FARM).

SOME OF THE GUYS HAD THE NEWEST FORM OF PRE CAR TRANSPORTATION IN THE FORM OF 3 GEAR ENGLISH RACING BIKES WITH THE SKINNY TIRES. I HAD A HAND ME DOWN SCHWINN PAPER DELIVERY BIKE WITH THE FORMIDABLE FRAME AND LARGE BALLOON TIRES AND ONE GEAR. MY EFFORTS TO REACH THE BRIDGE EXCEEDED THE OTHERS BUT I DID MAKE IT.

ON ARRIVING THERE, IT WAS SUGGESTED BY SOMEONE THAT WE SHOULD GO SWIMMING. WELL, NO ONE WANTED TO BE THE ONLY ONE NOT WILLING TO DIVE INTO FREEZING WATER AND SO WITH NO BATHING SUITS, WE PROCEEDED TO WALK WEST OF THE BRIDGE FAR ENOUGH TO OBSCURE OUR ACTIVITIES. ONCE HAVING REACHED A POINT WHERE THERE APPEARED TO BE ENOUGH WATER TO JUMP INTO, WE STRIPPED DOWN. AT THIS POINT, I THINK, MOST OF US WERE THINKING THAT THIS WAS NOT A VERY GOOD IDEA, BUT WE WERE, AS A GROUP, ---COMMITTED---.

IT THEN BECAME A DECISION AS TO WHO WOULD GO IN FIRST AND AS I REMEMBER, IT WAS BOB RAND. HE MADE ENOUGH NOISE TO GIVE AWAY OUR POSITION, BUT THE REST OF US DID FOLLOW. I HAVE WHITE WATER RAFTED IN THE SNOW MELT OF MOUNT BAKER, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS AS COLD AS THAT WATER IN HONEY CREEK WAS.

NEEDLESS TO SAY OUR OVERALL APPEARANCES BECAME ALTERED RATHER QUICKLY AFTER HITTING THE WATER AND WE DIDN'T STAY IN FOR VERY LONG. WE HAD NO TOWELS BUT WERE SOON BACK ON THE ROAD, WET CLOTHES AND ALL.

SOMEWHERE NEAR THE MOYER RD. JUST SOUTH OF THE OLD RILEY ROAD, I HAD A FLAT TIRE AND ENDED UP HAVING TO CALL MY DAD TO COME GET ME AND THE BIKE.

HOW ABOUT SOME OLE SWIMMIN' HOLE STORIES FROM OTHERS.

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UPDATE REQUEST ON A FLYER

ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT JOHN THOMAS MENTIONED ABOVE. LIVED IN
1200 BLOCK OF SOUTH EIGHTH STREET. BUILT BALSA STICK MODEL AIRPLANES
BY THE DOZENS. FLEW JETS OUT OF HULMAN FIELD.

DEAN BRANSON W-59