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Thanks for the pictures, Gary! I love New Mexico, maybe because I was born there
The ski basin shot takes me home!
The ski basin shot takes me home!
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")
- Thread starter jackknife
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Barlows. Machetes and Swamp City Part One
The summer of 1968 was a landmark time in my life. The Vietnam War was in full swing, Hippies had emerged from every corner of the US and descended on San Francisco to a point it was called the Summer of Love but most important I had turned 13 years old, a true teenager. Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina those things seemed as far away as the moon except the fact that I was now a teenager. My cousin Doug, three boys that didnt live too far away Ronnie, Johnny, Billy and myself were constant companions. We shared a love for tools and the greatest tools of all were the Barlows that we all owned and carried. However, we had all saw the majestic machete at work and had a deep desire to own one.
Mr. Bell lived on the same road as I did and would sometimes go to town and when he did he would always take us boys along and let us check out the stores while he tended to his business then pick us back up and take us home. As I went by his house one morning on my bike I heard him holler Hey Im headed to town in the morning you boys wanna go. I replied with a shout yes sir Ill tell everyone. My heart was racing we usually went straight to the Kress Store candy counter but this time would be different. This time we all had folding money and a mission to go to the Army Store and buy some fine machetes.
The next morning we were all at Mr. Bells house early, our bikes lined up by the porch like the Harleys of a proper motorcycle gang. Doug had won the coin toss and got to ride in front with Mr. Bell the rest of us jumped into the bed of his pickup truck. When we pulled into downtown Asheville Mr. Bell asked if we wanted off at Kress No Sir Doug said take us to the Army Store and pick us up at Cosmos. As we pulled in front of the store we all jumped out and made a B line for the front door money in pocket. In a back corner of the store we saw them, some hanging on the wall the rest in an old barrel. Ronnie grabbed the first one out of the barrel I took one from the wall knowing that hanging as a display it had to be the best one then the rest of the guys got theirs. In those days a teenage boy with money could buy anything with a blade no questions asked so we paid the clerk and headed to Cosmos Café.
When we got to Cosmos we ordered two platters of fries and five soda fountain drinks sat down and discussed our ownership of the greatest machetes on earth. As we finished our food we made a pact to scout out a fine piece of land and build the finest fort ever constructed with our newly purchased tools. Soon Mr. Bell pulled up and honked the horn so back home we went somehow a little older and a lot richer with those machetes strapped to our sides.
That night was restless to say the least my head filled with machete vision and my heart pumping with anticipation of the day to come.
The next morning the gang and I met up at the creek where we had a nice swimming hole. There was an old tree with a limb that came out over the creek at a u shaped eroded bank and at that spot the creek over the years had formed an almost pond like section that was about ten foot deep. We of course had tied a rope to that limb and used it as a swing to drop into the creek on those hot summer days. It was there on that very morning we spotted it. The perfect location for our fort!!
The summer of 1968 was a landmark time in my life. The Vietnam War was in full swing, Hippies had emerged from every corner of the US and descended on San Francisco to a point it was called the Summer of Love but most important I had turned 13 years old, a true teenager. Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina those things seemed as far away as the moon except the fact that I was now a teenager. My cousin Doug, three boys that didnt live too far away Ronnie, Johnny, Billy and myself were constant companions. We shared a love for tools and the greatest tools of all were the Barlows that we all owned and carried. However, we had all saw the majestic machete at work and had a deep desire to own one.
Mr. Bell lived on the same road as I did and would sometimes go to town and when he did he would always take us boys along and let us check out the stores while he tended to his business then pick us back up and take us home. As I went by his house one morning on my bike I heard him holler Hey Im headed to town in the morning you boys wanna go. I replied with a shout yes sir Ill tell everyone. My heart was racing we usually went straight to the Kress Store candy counter but this time would be different. This time we all had folding money and a mission to go to the Army Store and buy some fine machetes.
The next morning we were all at Mr. Bells house early, our bikes lined up by the porch like the Harleys of a proper motorcycle gang. Doug had won the coin toss and got to ride in front with Mr. Bell the rest of us jumped into the bed of his pickup truck. When we pulled into downtown Asheville Mr. Bell asked if we wanted off at Kress No Sir Doug said take us to the Army Store and pick us up at Cosmos. As we pulled in front of the store we all jumped out and made a B line for the front door money in pocket. In a back corner of the store we saw them, some hanging on the wall the rest in an old barrel. Ronnie grabbed the first one out of the barrel I took one from the wall knowing that hanging as a display it had to be the best one then the rest of the guys got theirs. In those days a teenage boy with money could buy anything with a blade no questions asked so we paid the clerk and headed to Cosmos Café.
When we got to Cosmos we ordered two platters of fries and five soda fountain drinks sat down and discussed our ownership of the greatest machetes on earth. As we finished our food we made a pact to scout out a fine piece of land and build the finest fort ever constructed with our newly purchased tools. Soon Mr. Bell pulled up and honked the horn so back home we went somehow a little older and a lot richer with those machetes strapped to our sides.
That night was restless to say the least my head filled with machete vision and my heart pumping with anticipation of the day to come.
The next morning the gang and I met up at the creek where we had a nice swimming hole. There was an old tree with a limb that came out over the creek at a u shaped eroded bank and at that spot the creek over the years had formed an almost pond like section that was about ten foot deep. We of course had tied a rope to that limb and used it as a swing to drop into the creek on those hot summer days. It was there on that very morning we spotted it. The perfect location for our fort!!
- Joined
- May 23, 2015
- Messages
- 4,161
Barlows, Machetes And Swamp City Part Two
It was a fine piece of flat land about 200 ft by 150 ft in the middle of a dense wooded area. As we investigated that piece of land we noticed many samplings and small trees about 4 inches in diameter. Not to worry we had a collection of the Finest Machetes ever built and they would make short work of clearing the land for construction. The first order of business was to obtain permission to start our project on this fine piece of land. In those days young boys respected others and would not dare do anything on someone elses property without their permission. So we went flying out of the woods across the Tessners pasture to their house and knocked on the door. Mrs. Tessner came to the door and said My, what can I do for such a handsome group of young men. Now Mrs. Tessner was a beautiful young woman that all of us had a crush on and that statement she just made caused us to forget our names let alone why we were there. But finally Billy blurted out Can we build a fort in your woods? And the she said something that made us all come back down to earth Do your mothers know what you are up to? She then agreed that if all our mothers called her and gave their permission we could start our project. We told her we would have them call her. We then jumped on our bikes and as fast as we could ride, we all went home to have our mothers call Mrs. Tessner.
I can still remember the sound of the screen door slamming and the clatter of my feet against those old hardwood floors as I ran into the house. Mom I yelled! She responded using my first, middle and last names which was not always a good sign What is going on you are going to tear that door off of the hinges! I explained our dilemma and she agreed to call as did the other mothers but first I had to tend to a bologna sandwich and glass of kool aid she had made for me.
When we got back to site of our new fort we set in cutting down everything in sight with those machetes. It seemed the more we cut the more still needed to be cut with limbs, saplings and small trees everywhere. We were exhausted from the heat, work and excitement and decided to call it a day. That night we all gathered at my Cousin Dougs house for homemade ice cream my Aunt Betty had made and decided we needed a better plan than just cutting down in our eyes those huge trees all day. We agreed the next day we would take turns cutting the trees down, trimming the branches off and stacking the wood by size. After all this would become our building materials. Sleep came easy that night worn out from the days activities and a belly full of ice cream
It was a fine piece of flat land about 200 ft by 150 ft in the middle of a dense wooded area. As we investigated that piece of land we noticed many samplings and small trees about 4 inches in diameter. Not to worry we had a collection of the Finest Machetes ever built and they would make short work of clearing the land for construction. The first order of business was to obtain permission to start our project on this fine piece of land. In those days young boys respected others and would not dare do anything on someone elses property without their permission. So we went flying out of the woods across the Tessners pasture to their house and knocked on the door. Mrs. Tessner came to the door and said My, what can I do for such a handsome group of young men. Now Mrs. Tessner was a beautiful young woman that all of us had a crush on and that statement she just made caused us to forget our names let alone why we were there. But finally Billy blurted out Can we build a fort in your woods? And the she said something that made us all come back down to earth Do your mothers know what you are up to? She then agreed that if all our mothers called her and gave their permission we could start our project. We told her we would have them call her. We then jumped on our bikes and as fast as we could ride, we all went home to have our mothers call Mrs. Tessner.
I can still remember the sound of the screen door slamming and the clatter of my feet against those old hardwood floors as I ran into the house. Mom I yelled! She responded using my first, middle and last names which was not always a good sign What is going on you are going to tear that door off of the hinges! I explained our dilemma and she agreed to call as did the other mothers but first I had to tend to a bologna sandwich and glass of kool aid she had made for me.
When we got back to site of our new fort we set in cutting down everything in sight with those machetes. It seemed the more we cut the more still needed to be cut with limbs, saplings and small trees everywhere. We were exhausted from the heat, work and excitement and decided to call it a day. That night we all gathered at my Cousin Dougs house for homemade ice cream my Aunt Betty had made and decided we needed a better plan than just cutting down in our eyes those huge trees all day. We agreed the next day we would take turns cutting the trees down, trimming the branches off and stacking the wood by size. After all this would become our building materials. Sleep came easy that night worn out from the days activities and a belly full of ice cream
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Barlows, Machetes and Swamp City Part Three
When Doug and I got to our fort site the next morning the Holcombe boys were missing in action. No sign of Johnny, Billy or Ronnie. So we set in cutting off those limbs and stacking the wood. The machetes were great for the bigger limbs but those Barlows in our pockets proved their worth on the smaller ones. Suddenly we heard a lot of noise coming down the path and looked to see the Holcombe boys with their fathers old mule Zeke hooked to his logging sled loaded with the tin he had removed from his barn when he replaced his roof. We unloaded the tin and Johnnie took Zeke and the sled home. We set in finishing our cutting, trimming and stacking but when Johnnie came back he noticed a problem. All those stumps we were leaving. I volunteered to cut them out of the ground. After all my machete had been on display and surely it would could handle this simple task. After about three or four stumps I looked at the edge of my machete and was devastated. There it was rolled, chipped and ruined. Fighting back tears I took off to my Grandfathers house machete in hand. I knew if anyone on this planet could help it would be him. When I got there he was in the barn. Now this was not your standard barn there was a loft for tobacco an area for shoeing a horse and his workbench with all kinds of chains, tools and animal traps of different sizes hanging from the post. Papaw Ive ruined my machete! I yelled Let me see that thing Without a word he looked at it, clamped it in his vise and started to file it down. After a short while he took out an old sharpening stone and slowly ran it across the edge. When he had finished he held out his arm and proceeded to shave a section of hair off of it. Then he just winked at me. Tomorrow morning you boys come here before you take off. Yes Sir.
The next morning we gathered at My Grandfathers house he told us to leave our bikes there and take some shovels and pick axes for those stumps And keep those machetes out of the dirt and rocks and when youre finished with my tools bring them back and clean them up. That day we finished up removing the stumps and started making stakes sharpening them with our Barlows to drive in the ground for the frame of our fort. Now we had all saw men lay out a new structure with string to get it square so we gathered up a tape measure and some twine and set in laying out our fort. With an old wooden step ladder for height and my Uncle Eds sledge hammer we began to drive those stakes in the ground. The next day we took baling wire tied our tin to the roof and the sides of the fort and it was done. Here stood the finest fort ever constructed. The next couple of days were spent enjoying the spoils of our labor. Five boys, five machetes, five Barlows and a dream come to fruition. That weekend there came a tremendous storm and when the skies cleared we went straight to our fort to find it gone. Defeated by Mother Nature herself with the help of a limb from a Black Gum tree on top of the fallen structure.
When my Grandfather came the next day to survey the damage he said Boys go underground. And underground we went spending the week digging four large holes in a row each with a u shaped crawlway connecting one to another. We bagged the dirt we had dug up in old burlap feed bags and used them to berm the fort using the tin for the top staked down and secured with baling wire. There it was our masterpiece. The interior was illuminated with candles we had made from paraffin wax and old shoe laces for wicks. We spent the rest of the summer in that old fort we dubbed Swamp City because of the storm that took the first one. One of the greatest times of my life. Today there is a subdivision where Swamp City was but the memories will last a lifetime.
When Doug and I got to our fort site the next morning the Holcombe boys were missing in action. No sign of Johnny, Billy or Ronnie. So we set in cutting off those limbs and stacking the wood. The machetes were great for the bigger limbs but those Barlows in our pockets proved their worth on the smaller ones. Suddenly we heard a lot of noise coming down the path and looked to see the Holcombe boys with their fathers old mule Zeke hooked to his logging sled loaded with the tin he had removed from his barn when he replaced his roof. We unloaded the tin and Johnnie took Zeke and the sled home. We set in finishing our cutting, trimming and stacking but when Johnnie came back he noticed a problem. All those stumps we were leaving. I volunteered to cut them out of the ground. After all my machete had been on display and surely it would could handle this simple task. After about three or four stumps I looked at the edge of my machete and was devastated. There it was rolled, chipped and ruined. Fighting back tears I took off to my Grandfathers house machete in hand. I knew if anyone on this planet could help it would be him. When I got there he was in the barn. Now this was not your standard barn there was a loft for tobacco an area for shoeing a horse and his workbench with all kinds of chains, tools and animal traps of different sizes hanging from the post. Papaw Ive ruined my machete! I yelled Let me see that thing Without a word he looked at it, clamped it in his vise and started to file it down. After a short while he took out an old sharpening stone and slowly ran it across the edge. When he had finished he held out his arm and proceeded to shave a section of hair off of it. Then he just winked at me. Tomorrow morning you boys come here before you take off. Yes Sir.
The next morning we gathered at My Grandfathers house he told us to leave our bikes there and take some shovels and pick axes for those stumps And keep those machetes out of the dirt and rocks and when youre finished with my tools bring them back and clean them up. That day we finished up removing the stumps and started making stakes sharpening them with our Barlows to drive in the ground for the frame of our fort. Now we had all saw men lay out a new structure with string to get it square so we gathered up a tape measure and some twine and set in laying out our fort. With an old wooden step ladder for height and my Uncle Eds sledge hammer we began to drive those stakes in the ground. The next day we took baling wire tied our tin to the roof and the sides of the fort and it was done. Here stood the finest fort ever constructed. The next couple of days were spent enjoying the spoils of our labor. Five boys, five machetes, five Barlows and a dream come to fruition. That weekend there came a tremendous storm and when the skies cleared we went straight to our fort to find it gone. Defeated by Mother Nature herself with the help of a limb from a Black Gum tree on top of the fallen structure.
When my Grandfather came the next day to survey the damage he said Boys go underground. And underground we went spending the week digging four large holes in a row each with a u shaped crawlway connecting one to another. We bagged the dirt we had dug up in old burlap feed bags and used them to berm the fort using the tin for the top staked down and secured with baling wire. There it was our masterpiece. The interior was illuminated with candles we had made from paraffin wax and old shoe laces for wicks. We spent the rest of the summer in that old fort we dubbed Swamp City because of the storm that took the first one. One of the greatest times of my life. Today there is a subdivision where Swamp City was but the memories will last a lifetime.
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Thanks and you're welcome SP. We do have more water in Upstate NY though.
Thanks and you're welcome Randy.
Thanks Dean. This is a pretty part of the country with the Great Lakes, Adirondack Mountains and Finger Lakes to play in.
We really love the Santa Fe area and have wandered about everywhere you can go around there. It's one of a few places I'd like to live. If I could get my wife to agree.......
Thanks for the pictures, Gary! I love New Mexico, maybe because I was born there
You're welcome, Gev. Such beautiful country. We really enjoyed the ski basin and spent a half day hiking some of the trails. I quit downhill skiing a few decades ago. I wish I had tried those mountains.
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Thanks, Charlie. There's a lot of older guys with beards there! You'd fit right in! I was feeling the urge to grow one myself.
silenthunterstudios
Slipjoint Addict
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 20,039
Randy, that was a great tale. I spent many days in my father's woods, and my local friend's woods. We weren't tearing through with machetes, but we had some neat forts.
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- Jan 17, 2011
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Randy
I just had time to read your great story and it really took me back to my youth! We lived in a small sub division in New Mexico and behind all the houses was a vacant lot. The neighborhood boys got together (I was around 7 ) and built a fort underground like yours. Well one day a girl wanted to come into the fort and the boys were having none of that. She told her father and the next day a bulldozer demolished our fort
Thanks so much for the story
I just had time to read your great story and it really took me back to my youth! We lived in a small sub division in New Mexico and behind all the houses was a vacant lot. The neighborhood boys got together (I was around 7 ) and built a fort underground like yours. Well one day a girl wanted to come into the fort and the boys were having none of that. She told her father and the next day a bulldozer demolished our fort
Thanks so much for the story
Randy, look at me. This is the porch, yarns are very accepted here. :thumbup:
I'm now homeless!
The settlement went off yesterday without a hitch, and there's a bunch of money in my bank. Down to the 10 hour countdown till we set off in the boring to Texas. Rented Penske trucks all loaded, and a full tank of gas, so we'll be hitting the road at 5am. Maybe make between Nashville and Memphis by dark fist day.
It's been a roller coaster of emotions all day today and yesterday. I was born and raised here, but in 10 hours I'll be leaving, and to be realistic at my age, I will probably never see this place again, or some of my friends I have still living. Yeah, I'll be with family, inlays, in a sunny warmer place, but it's still a weird experience to be doing this.
But I am looking forward to meeting Bladeforums friends in the central part of Texas. Now Ijust have to manage to get some sleep so I don't fall asleep and drive the big yellow truck into a ditch. Maybe a few toddies will make me drowsy. I always get excited by a new road trip.
The settlement went off yesterday without a hitch, and there's a bunch of money in my bank. Down to the 10 hour countdown till we set off in the boring to Texas. Rented Penske trucks all loaded, and a full tank of gas, so we'll be hitting the road at 5am. Maybe make between Nashville and Memphis by dark fist day.
It's been a roller coaster of emotions all day today and yesterday. I was born and raised here, but in 10 hours I'll be leaving, and to be realistic at my age, I will probably never see this place again, or some of my friends I have still living. Yeah, I'll be with family, inlays, in a sunny warmer place, but it's still a weird experience to be doing this.
But I am looking forward to meeting Bladeforums friends in the central part of Texas. Now Ijust have to manage to get some sleep so I don't fall asleep and drive the big yellow truck into a ditch. Maybe a few toddies will make me drowsy. I always get excited by a new road trip.
5K Qs
Gold Member
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- Jul 20, 2014
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- 15,142
Carl, congrats on selling the house! :thumbup::thumbup: I can understand your reservations about leaving your "origins" behind, but it sounds like the move to Texas is an adventure that's going to have plenty of benefits. Have a safe and enjoyable trip! From what I can tell from your "presence" here on The Porch, you're the kind of guy who'll thrive wherever he lands!!
So, as Lee Marvin sang in Paint Your Wagon, "Wheels are made for rollin, mules are made to pack. I never seen a sight that didn't look better lookin back."
Or, as Ray Charles put it (almost): "Hit the road, Jack(knife); dontcha come back no more, no more."
- GT
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- Jan 17, 2011
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- 15,193
Carl
Hold the wagons...the hundred year storm is on us I'm inches from flooding! Bailing as fast as I can. You will be headed right into it...be safe
Hold the wagons...the hundred year storm is on us
I'm inches from flooding! Bailing as fast as I can. You will be headed right into it...be safe