The strangest things....

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Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
Alrighty kids, have a seat and I'll tell you a strange and bizarre, yet true story.....

The house where I grew up, in Montville, Ohio has long since fallen into the ground and turned into a giant pile of rubble- long story, won't go into the particulars here since they don't matter anyway.

I stopped in there a dozen times this past year on rides and sat under the 100 year old willow that still grows there. (The willow got so big right after my parents bought the house in 1960 it caused the dug well to go dry and a new modern well had to be punched in.)

I always wanted to "go through" the old rubble just to see what I could find.

Here's a little of what I found.

A couple of handfulls of old photos from my child hood.

Even more interesting- a portrait of me standing in a field with a red and white sweater, shorts, a red beret, and an old old wood golf club.

I was two years old when the photo was originally taken, and my uncle had it blown up, and then won some show or art thing with it...it became family legend. "Joe's picture."

Here's where it get's really, truly hard to believe strange.

I dug into the rubble deeper and found a dresser that was crushed and rotted for the most part. I pulled the only handle on it and the face came off the drawer....inside the drawer was a yellow coat I believe was my little sisters, and THE RED AND WHITE SWEATER I HAD ON IN THE "JOE'S PICTURE" PORTRAIT! Yes, for real.

So now I have the original portrait from 1963, the sweater I had on in the portrait, and this other photo I took when I was 11 years old-
 

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Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
The sign is painted with lead paint I suppose...I know it was painted on an asbestos/tar board we had all over the side of a chicken coop.

The sign is leaning up against our milk can mailbox post.

I never did get a customer.....
 

TexasDav

New Member
Aug 19, 2008
528
0
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Houston
Post the picture you were talking about

"portrait of me standing in a field with a red and white sweater, shorts, a red beret, and an old old wood golf club"
 

Spunout

MB Builder Extraordinaire
Jul 21, 2008
475
2
0
coventry, RI
blog.360.yahoo.com
how 'bout that.

what were you feeling, at the time? i imagine alot like any of us, who have gone back to anyplace that we had sunk roots into.

life is short. you have to take a look back, now and then.

thanks for sharing that bit of nostalgia (^).

by the way, does the sign say "Minor" repairs, because you were just 11 yrs old? rotfl
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
I'll tell you what, I was about freaked out to find this stuff. I mean what are the chances? I haven't been in that house since way before it fell in. I grew up there, now it's just a pile of wood. I did take a few large pieces of the poplar framing (early 19th century- no nails) to make some boot jacks, key hangers and other stuff with for my bro and sister for Christmas.

The sign says "Minor" repairs because I was 11 and mis-spelled it. I was trying. I remember doing it, but now I think "What was I thinking?"

Here's a photo of the portrait and the sweater...not in the best shape but as found, I wiped most of the crud off of it.
 

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NEAT TIMES

New Member
May 28, 2008
1,964
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PENSACOLA, FL
Joe, Thanks For Sharing That With All Of Us !! I Think The Spelling (minor) Is Correct No Mater What You Meant. Nabor Guy Helped Me (maybe I Helped Him:rolleyes:) Build A 3/4 Hp Bs Motor Bike When I Was 11, 58 Yrs Ago. I THINK GUYS LIKE MOTORS, SO THEY CAN CHASE GIRLS !!!???rotfl :crash:
 

Pablo

Master Bike Builder & Forum Sponsor
Dec 28, 2007
3,696
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Duvall, WA PNW
www.sickbikeparts.com
Wow - that is stinking AMAZING.

The sweater is in perfect shape.....and you found photos.....

How did it stay dry?

Why was there stuff in the house still?

Great picture, that's for sure.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
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59
Moosylvania
Wow Joe. Bet that was an emotional find. Thanks for sharing and giving a glimpse. The pic and sign should be incorporated in to your logo!
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
The sweater is missing buttons and I wouldn't dare wash it, it would probably dis-integrate. The picture frame is in rough, dry rotty shape, the photo itself is pretty faded and wrinkling or warping. Most of the stuff was under layers of plaster, wood, old roofing, ect. ect.

I guess I could go back and "mine" the place. Who know's what I'd find?
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
Now to answer the question "why".

Here's a thumbnail of the whole picture....

When I was young, I had a pretty rough time from 10-16. My parents divorced, mom drank A LOT, I got mad because the animals we had were fed better and taken better care of than me and we got into an arguement and she kicked me out. (To me it was like a "get out of jail free" card)

I tried to reconcile a few times, but the truce was uneasy to the point she only saw her four grand daughters a handfull of times in 20 years.

She let the house fall into total disrepair despite my brother and sister and myself offering to help, she wouldn't have it, and let the place fall into the ground around her literally. She ended up living in an 8X10' shed with her dozen cats, until shortly before she died. (a whole 'nother story only for the stout of heart.)

My mom had signed a transfer on death paper so the property went to my sister alone. My sister doesn't do anything with the property and told me to go ahead and mill around there any time I wanted, so I did.

I found a lot of other stuff too. As I dug, and found more stuff, it was like going back to 1977 and being right there as I was when I was 16 years old!!!!! She must have never thrown anything away...and I guess the contents of the house were pretty much intact as it slowly caved in.

It freaked my freaker to the point I am not sure what to say or think, hence this thread. My way of "venting".

Thanks for listening,

Joe
 
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Saddletramp1200

Custom MB Buiilder
May 7, 2008
1,451
83
48
Houston, Texas
Yep, I understand. I & a felow MB'er stopped about dusk on a neighborhood street to rest our overweight rears and were squirted with a water hose today. The elderly gent, was tired of kids on tiny bikes riding through his yard. Way too late he saw we were not kids. Free bath on a city street, no
towel, or soap, rotfl Both bikes started and ran great!(^)