Taking walks with my dad was also a part of my early years.We walked over by the turnpike and watched traffic go by.He showed me an abonden mine right down from our house.This section of woods called pine hollow for obvious reasons pine trees every where.Also a small creek ran threw the valley.Man all this neat stuff and we hadn't walked but fifteen minutes from the house.There was also a farm on the side of those woods.They had cows ,horses and pigs.We would walk threw their field and visit another section of woods called The Rock Caves.I never understood where that bane cane from.May be one half of a cave there but plenty of large limestone boulders.

When I started school my sister Twilia was in the eighth grade.Her last year at Hollywood School.She took me to my class and it was a chore to get me to stay there. She just knew I was coming up those steps to her class to get her to take me home.I was slightly spoiled rotten I must say.But we made it okay.Then came time to start the second grade where we had too many students for one class so I ended up in a class tought by dads second cousin.By my own admittance I figured I would have it made.WRONG bad WRONG.This was the best teacher in the world but she had to kick my tail at least twice a day.Man I was ornery.There were four of us hellians in her class.We would just look at each other and bust out laughing aloud.So she would seperate us the four corner deal.Things were quite for a few and one of would throw something across the room.Out in the hall and touch your toes.That was the command of cuz.We knew the routeen well.We deserved and needed it.And I think now we must have liked it three licks with her paddle.No tears no law suits no foul.Just routeen.If times were still like that Kids would not be so disrespectful today!

Summer came school is out.My buddies and I have gotten big enough to walk down to the farm and play cars and trucks.There was a sandy spot in the road where we would make castles and garages out of sand.The road ended at the farm so there was no traffic to speak of.ocasionally one of their family would come and go.I always liked to build a castle where a car could run over it and flatten it kool.We would spend hours and hours playing there.My buddies had an army jeep and a car one of those old pedal type that are worth a mint now days.Then we figured out if you would push them to the top of the hill in front of the house you could ride all the way to the farm.About a half mile one way.That was all fun till it was time to push it back up the hill.One summer of that and we killed the cars.

Dad would let me walk with him in the morning some times.He liked to stop by the local gas station where he worked for many years after thr doctors made him leave the mines.He would jive and wind jam with his buddies.Then off to the grocery store and back home.I heard many good B.S. stories from those guys some almost true.

My brother Darrell was in VietNam and he had left his car at the house.My brother Larry made his orerators.We would ride that ole Plymouth every where.Times were getting better and money a little easier to come by.We would load up and go to the race track on Sunday.

As luck would have it a new family moved up on the hill.Their father owned a local gas station in the next community down the road.Two boys older than I and one boy younger,one girl the youngest.Their dad had a race car which he ran at Beckley Speedway.I was in the third grade and it was a real treat to see that car close up.Some times during the week the car was sitting at the house.He would let us kids paint our name on the wing.What a honor he was champion at the track.Always the fastest qualifier and had to start on the rear of the pack and win.That was what got me hooked on racing. P3