[Gathnet] cold ponds and san diego

[Jonathan Gathman]

I think knowing this story is the reason I take the rope with  
me... :)  I know I'm too big for the kids to drag out, the safest  
thing to do is to extend a pole or throw a rope... Well, if I take it  
with me, I have it already.

Thanks for sharing it, Dad! :)

Jonathan Gathman
jonathan at stl.gathman.org



On Jan 18, 2009, at 3:43 PM, Stuart Gathman wrote:

> Dear Gathnetters,
> I couldn't resist answering Jon's very good description of  life in  
> the east.  His story  reminds me of Cathy and my beloved "pond" also  
> known as the "swamp" which existed behind the Stienkist home and the  
> Johnson's.  These were our neighbors to the south in Lorraine Street  
> in  Glen Ellyn, IL.  This pond was not near as deep as Jon's but to  
> me expecially,  it was a point of endless pleasure.  Sailing boats  
> in the summer and skating in the winter.  (Although the houses is  
> gone, the pond has been upgaded a bit and is a beautiful garden spot  
> among all of the mansions that have replaced our modest homes.)  I  
> also remember that I was always playing out there and had to wear my  
> boots.  And as you can imagine,  I always came in the house with  
> very wet feet.  Either going deeper than my boots would let me or  
> causing a leak in the boots and allowing pond water to soak my feet.
>
> But..... I hate to tell you folks from the east that we have been  
> enjoying 80 degree temperatures these days.  It is a good time of  
> year here in southern California.  Crystal clear air (here in the  
> mountains),  warm temperatures and our wonderful well supplying us  
> with clear good tasting water from deep in the ground.  In spite of  
> the desperation of the state government to spend beyond ts means,  
> being retire here has been very good.  No snow to shovel, not ice to  
> drive on and no heating bills to pay.  Also no heavy cloths to buy.   
> Every thing is just great until the next bout with fires. :-[
>
> Jon's story reminds me of my experience with falling into Lake Ellen  
> in the midst of trying to plow the snow from the lake.  If you have  
> heard this story before, just skip to the end.
>
> Back in the old days,  I use to work with my Grandfather, John  
> Gathman in the Glen Ellyn Park District.  The story opens on dark  
> night with the skating lights on and I was assigned the "walk  
> behind" tractor with an attached plow to clear the snow from areas  
> where it wasn't safe to take the truck or jeep with a big snow  
> plow.  It was really fun I thought,  running a tractor with a plow  
> on a beautiful night.  I was dressed up warmly so the cold wasn't a  
> problem.  Grandpa was back in the furnace room of the old boat house  
> keeping the fire going etc.  Grandpa was trying to take the place of  
> my father who had been killed in Germany in WWII.  We worked  
> together many times and I warmly remember the times we were  
> together.  Anyway,,  as I was plowing along, all of a sudden there  
> was a huge "crack"  and the tractor, plow and I all went into the  
> lake.  It was very very cold I remember.  I managed to get to shore  
> (I don't remember how) and draged myself to the furnace room through  
> the dark.  Poor Grandpa,  he grabbed me and got me close to the  
> furnace to warm me up.  I am sure now he was wondering how he was  
> going to tell my mother about the accident.  Mom was still not  
> recovered from the loss of my father and the potential of this loss  
> would have been very bad to say the least.  Anyway,  after I had  
> warmed up a while,  Grandpa got me into his 1937 "machine"  (ford)   
> and drove me home.  I got to a warm bed and was fast asleep  
> immediately.  I guess the were later in the daylight to hitch a rope  
> on the tractor and pull it from the lake.  Just a memory flashing  
> into an old man's mind when thinking of ponds and ice.
>
> Love to you all,
>
> der alte Grossvater
>
> Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.

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