CHRISTMAS- part four

the sled memory.

i probably have a gazillion (real word) sledding memories. like the time i broke my leg trying to go down a very dangerous sled-run that my brother and all his friends were doing. or that one time in jr. high, when anna schmidt and i were on an inner tube and trying to sled behind the jolley's house-- totally treacherous. i messed up my arm pretty badly.

but these horrid memories actually cannot outdo the one sledding memory to rule them all.

back in the day, so jo utah used to be pretty rural. comparatively speaking... it still is... but it was even more so when i was still wearing side pony-tails. so i lived in a neighborhood filled to the brim with kids of all ages and plenty of open fields to play in. in the summers, those fields were where the battles between girls and boys happened and in the winter they turned into our veritable winter wonderland!

it always seemed a mad rush to get the winter gear on, once we got the phone call that charlie dilliar was getting out his snow-mobile. coats and hats and boots would fly as we'd race to ready ourselves to brave the cold. then as fast as we could, trek up the street to the field just behind the dilliars' home and wait for the fun to begin.

charlie who was the father to his only child, adam (whit's age), had all sorts of toys. a boat for skiing and fishing, an rv for cross country trips, a collection of 4-wheelers and a few snow mobiles.

one of charlie's favorite things to do, in the winter, was to put the word out the the snow-mobiles were coming out.

now because of the quantity of kids, this wasn't a typical- stand in line and wait for a turn for charlie to take us around... oh no... this was so much BETTER!

everyone was in charge of bringing their own sled and rope. then we would all line up and find some way of attaching ourselves to the line of sleds behind the vehicle. at one time we probably had at least 20 kids all hooked up. once ready, charlie would pull us all over the vast so jo fields, up onto the canal road to the huge open field that was just south of our neighborhood.

then for at least an hour of good solid fun, charlie would play crack-the-whip and we'd all giggle and laugh with delight as we'd watch the brave older boys get thrown from their sleds as we came speeding around the turn. then it was back to the neighborhood, where as if he were giving his big roaring machine a cool-down, would tow us all over the fields in the back of the houses. this was always my favorite part.

i would pull my hat over my face and close my eyes, trying not to think about my frost-bitten hands, i would let my imagination roam. then as charlie approached my house, roger would give a shout to let me know it was time to un-hitch and we'd race back home for some hot chocolate.

seriously, does anyone have a snow-mobile and some sleds? and thank you charlie dilliar, where ever you are!