Monday, September 30, 2024
Skip Williamson
Sunday, September 29, 2024
SUNDAY FUNNIES!! HUMBUG Magazine YOU KNOW WHO WILL BE KILLED
Harvey Kurtzman created MAD Comicbook. After that, he created TRUMP Magazine, after that he created HUMBUG Magazine, which is this is one of the stories. Story by Harvey Kurtzman and art by Atlanta's own, Jack Davis, YOU KNOW WHO WILL GET KILLED
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Houseboat
Some time in our high school days, late 1950s, my friend Monty decided to build a cabin with Lake Allatoona as frontage. How we got the materials to build the cabin are several long boring stories I will not bore you with, besides I’m not sure if the statue of limitations has ran out yet.
Monty picked a place for the cabin in a little cove just before the Boy Scout property began. He said the cove had the longest view of the lake.
He did all he was suppose to do, he thought. I think one could lease the land for 99 years either from the Army Corps of Engineers or Georgia Power, I forgot which. I think there was a stipulation you must live on the leased land at least one day per month.
So, we hauled the materials up there, it took many trips. Monty and other friends did the nailing and digging. I know I know nothing about building, so I was a gopher.
I remember we got the cement blocks base laid in balanced harmony and had par of the frame up when WHAM! One day we got there and the Army Corps of Engineers ordered for it to be torn down. The lot it was built on land lower than Lake Allatoona’s highest mark..
We had to tear it down.
But being resourceful like Monty is, he decided to take the lumber and build a houseboat.
He took the boards and made what looked like a large floor. I forgot how he did it, but underneath the large floor were frames about the same width and height as a 55 gallon drums. On a cold Thanksgiving we stripped down to our jockey shorts and pried one 55 gallon drum at a time under the big floor or platform. In the water, once a drum is placed it is floating so it can’t go down, and cannot go. sideways or forward because a board would be blocking it.
It seems like it took 18 55 gallon drums. Again, I won’t bore you with where the drums came from.
Sometime or another we, via the water, floated the platform around the bend to Victoria Landing. They had electrical power sources.
Monty built a cabin that was shaped like a pup tent. It had a loft for sleeping and counter to cook. Not bad.
Then he changed it to what looked like a regular weekend fishing houseboat.
One time on Easter morning a bunch of us went swimming (in our underwear) and got drunk and visited some friends’ parents, who we did not know were having an Easter Party on their Boathouse and we crashed into the boathouse damaging it.
At work that Monday morning I was telling a friend that worked the same place about the swimming, the drunkenness', and the crash into the boathouse and she said, “Rock! Didn’t you freeze your balls off?” I thought one co-worker, a deacon would choke on his donut.
I do not remember why but Monty decided to change the house boat from looking like a giant pup tent to looking like a floating camper, but we did.
Bubba Johnson liked what we did and decided he and his friends would do the same. They built the floating platform and built the frame. And decided to have a party to celebrate the frame looking so perfect. I was not there that day, but this is what I heard. They were all drunk, sitting on the rafters and all. They started singing anti-religious songs. Mike was the leader of the songs. One girl told mike to stop singing bad songs about Jesus because something bad would happen to him. He sung louder. Then thunder and lightening came and somehow the frames began folding like dominoes and fell into the lake Several kids fell in too.
The girls said something like, “Mike! I warned you!”
No reply.
Mike?
No reply.
Where is Mike?
Then they heard his whispering voice: “Help me.”
Only Mike’s arms were sticking out of the pile of lumber. Everybody jumped in and drug him out of he water. He was rushed to the hospital. He had a punctured lung. He lived
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Hubert Prance (1917-1930)
This is Hubert Prance (1917-1930). He lived only 13 years. He was a younger brother to Anna's father Paul Prance (1910-2000). Hubert is buried at Noonday Baptist Church Cemetery, north of Marietta.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Homer & Cora Smith Prance Boating
Of all of Marie's pictures she left the ones from Homer and Cora Smith Prance some are, well, different, like a Fellini movie is different. But different also means interesting! Of Homer and Cora's pictures there are a batch that have no names, they all are labeled from "From Cora's negatives. Here goes:
Monday, September 23, 2024
Moses Harshaw, Meanest Man in Georgia
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Saturday, September 21, 2024
LOOKIE! THE CARTER BOOK MY PICTURES ARE IN!!
Friday, September 20, 2024
Petty Family, including Walt Ridley, 1930s
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Nashville and Panama City
Yesterday, we had an evening social in our neighbor Jane’s
carport. I was offered a beer, which I took. I think it loosened my tongue. I told
these two true stories:
In late May or early June, 1959, Marietta students went to
Panama City. To yet be famous singer Billy Joe Royal wanted
to go to be with his girlfriend Georgia.
His brother Jack, and Jack’s friend Charlie, and two others wanted to go
too. We had saved $30 so we pooled our
money. We had a total of $35. I don’t
know why my parents allowed me to go but somehow I got to go.
In Panama City, we stayed in a cheap hotel for $8 s night, the
name was Key of West Motel. The room’s
bathroom was also the bathroom for another room.
We went to the beach and got all sunburned. We met up with other friends and we all went
back our room to get out of the hot sun and drink cheap beer. Our friends had yet got a room, mainly
because they had no money, so they stayed with us. It was crowed so some of them used the
adjoining room. In the middle of the
night a honeymoon couple rented the adjoining room. They opened the door and a bunch of friends
of our were all over the bed and floor, sunburned, so almost naked. We were kicked out. The owner wisely searched our suit cases and
found 2 or 3 motel’s towels.
With no money and no place to sleep we drove to Valdosta, Ga
to look up Billy Joe’s and Jack’s kinfolks.
They did not have enough room for all of us, so 2 or 3 of us went to
their other uncle in Tifton, Ga. That night
the uncle and aunt in Tifton took us to the American Legion in Syvester, Ga. And
we all got drunk. I slept behind their
house by a pond that night.
We went back to Valdosta.
Billy Joe played a lot of music on their piano and a guitar. Their uncle was a member of a local band that
played in a furniture warehouse weekly.
He invited Billy Joe to play with them.
That was Bily Joe Royal’s first singing gig.
Billy Joe decided to stay and play with the band. He was the one with the car. Their mother, Mrs. Royal came and brought us
back to Marietta.
Another true story I told in th carport last night:
In the Spring of 1963 I was to go into the Navy active duty
soon. I wanted one last fling before I
went so a bunch of us went to the Grand Old Opry in Nashville.
We went in my Volvo, which my friends just fixed my brakes. In the mountains between Chattanooga and
Nashville going down a steep hill my brakes gave out. Back then on state highways they had “runaway
ramps”… which I’m sure saved our lives.
The same friends that installed my brakes were in the car so they fixed
the brakes.
In Nashville we got a room almost next door to the Ryman Auditorium
. Before we went in to the concert we
went Woolworths to eat. We were sitting
in a booth in the window when an old man in raggedy clothes with a guitar stood
outside and watched us eat. We motioned
for him to come in, which he came in. We
bought him a dinner. He told us he and
Cowboy Kobus grew up together. He said Cowboy
Kobus told him if he was ever in Nashville he would put him on stage at the
Grand Ole Opry.
We had balcony seats in the Opry. We saw several big name stars sing, such as
Patsy Cline and I forgot who else. Then,
in the aisle on the first floor I saw the old man in his dirty old raincoat and
guitar wanting up the aisle towards the stage.
I told my friends, “Look! Our
buddy!”
Our buddy got only a few more steps and was blocked by
ushers or security. As they drug him off
he hollered to Cowboy Kobus to let him up.
Cowboy Kobus went on with his routine without even looking at his fold friend.
Afterwards we went to a bar named THE JUNGLE. We made friends with the waitress name “Bunny”. She told us to call her anytime. Which we did the next morning and got to
listen to her irate husband.
Shortly after that, maybe that same night or the next
weekend night Cowboy Kobus and Patsey Cline was killed in a plane wreck in Tennessee.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Fun and Laughter in front of Krogers
Today at Kroger’s I parked in one of their Handi-capped
places. While I was parking two elderly*
women were unloading their groceries from a shopping cart into their car.
When suddenly their cart started rolling away. The tallest of the two elderly women started chasing
it. The other elderly woman broke out laughing.
As I was getting out of the car the taller lady retuned with
the runaway shopping cart. She ask me, “Did
you see me chase this cart? I did not
know I could move that fast!”
I replied, “Yes, I saw it, that was funny. What was even funnier (pointing to her
friend) was she cackling laughing.”
They both cackled.
*They looked even older than me, and I’m 83.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Us Mountaineers Scavengers
Monday, September 16, 2024
Dick Day, Old Navy Friend
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Don't get me started.
We went by the Cobb County Water Department to pay my late sister's water bill. We are still sorting things out and told the lady at the window we still need the water, and wanted to pay it is person instead of losing it in the mail.
She more or less said, "Postal delivery? Don't get me started!"
Saturday, September 14, 2024
SUNDAY FUNNIES! TRUMP Magazine GIANTS
A couple weeks ago on TV we watched a special on Elizabeth
Tayor. It looked at her marriages some of
her movies. It had a few scenes from the
movie GIANT. GIANT is a movie about Texas,
cattle and oil and Texas habits. James
Dean is in it. It was James’ last movie. He was killed in an auto wreck before if was completed,
but somehow the editors and producers worked around that.
It reminded me of TRUMP Magazine and its satire on the
GIANT. They called it GIANTS. TRUMP Magazine was a satire magazine published
by Hugh Hefner, publisher of PLAYBOY. It
lasted only 2 issues. TRUMP Magazine was
Harvey Kutzman who earlier created MAD Comicbook.
TRUMP Magazine was in no way connected to Donald Trump,
except the name.
Here is TRUMP Magazine’s GIANTS movie. Story by Harvey Kurtzman and illustrated by
Georgia’s own Jack Davis.
Go West, Young Pettys!
Friday, September 13, 2024
Kudzu, Cactus, Rabbits, & Squirrels
In our college biology class the professor gave a lecture that essentially said this: When the British took over Australia an officer’s wife brought cacti to decorate the back yard with plants. The cacti took over the country side. Why, because there is no natural enemy to cactus in Australia. To get the cacti under control they imported in rabbits to eat it, which got it under control. But the rabbits had no natural enemy, so the country side had too many rabbits. Then they imported snakes to take care of the rabbits and then…..” guess what?
Thursday, September 12, 2024
POW!
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Ava Pearl Prance 1890-1915
Ava Pearl Prance (1890-1915). She lived only about 25 years. She is the daughter of James Marion Prance
Monday, September 09, 2024
3 Legged Andy and Nancy Pannell Morris
From Marie's Picture collection: Andy and Nannie Pannell Morris. Nannie is sister to Mary Jane Pannell Prance. It looks like Andy lost a leg
Sunday, September 08, 2024
Sarah Moody Tyson
This is a blog post that I posted in 2006. Because last Saturday we were at Conn's Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, in Ball Ground, Ga., Sarah Moody's old stomping grounds, pull it up out of the archives, just for breath of fresh air. And to spruce up the editing of it:
Saturday, September 07, 2024
Boy Scout Camping & Tree Tricks
Friday, September 06, 2024
John & Lizzy Hawkins Huey
Thursday, September 05, 2024
MAD PODCAST
I am beginning to check
out Podcasts some while I walk. I just
finished listening (3 days of walking) to a Podcast apparently comedian Drew
Friedman is the captain, or M.C. or whatever.
In the PODCAST section on my phone I searched for Harvey Kurtzman. Who is Harvey Kurtzman? Harvey created MAD Comicbook and I have been a
life time fan, since the 7th grade.
Harvey died in 1993 at age 68.HH]H
The Podcasf I listened had Drew Friedman, Al Jaffee, and
Dick DeBartolo. Harvey died in 1993 at
age 68. In the 90 minute or so PODCAST
Harvey was mentioned a couple of times but it was mostly a conversation of MAD
artists Drew Friedman, Al Jaffee, and MAD
writer Dick DeBartolo. It was very
educational of what went on behind the
scenes. MAD artist Will Elder was
mentioned also.
I enjoyed it all but the horse laughing.