why would Walt do that

Growing up in Chilliwack


1977...... I joined the fire dept....as a volunteer....ouch , those 5 years flitted by in a hurry.....but it was good .....it was a social club as well as a fire fighting service....never knew when the pager would go....but when it went it was amazing how fast things came together....I live only a few minutes away from the hall and I would really have to go to catch a truck.......they were usually gone by the time I got to the hall, and then the volunteers drove to the site.....it certainly worked well at that time...there were only a few hired firefighters......our fearless leader was Bob Butchart......he always seemed to be wound up......like the captain on McHale's Navy.........I was green as grass.....I still had to learn all the "stuff"...there was a practice every Monday night.....the first practice I attended we went to an old folks home.....I was in the front seat of the pumper with Walt-------- and Jerry----- ....it is a practice fire drill for the old folks as well, and most of them were outside on the grounds.....we were parked in the middle of them, the Chief was in front of the truck...I didn't know much about the fire business, but I looked cute in my outfit...... there is siren button on the floor on my side...I did not know that....your right....I had my foot on it...I did not know where the terrible shrieking noise was coming from...our truck? why would Walt do that...that's stupid......then Jerry pushed me off the button...oh gawd......the people are freaked and Bob is doing the I don't know dance in front of the truck.....waving his arms and trying to get us to shut the truck up.........was I embarrassed......o ya....I felt 2 inches tall.....That siren button is one of the first things I learned about as a volunteer.....The socializing part was good.....we had a good full size pool table...a shuffleboard ....a great kitchen and main hall....dances , curling day, Friday night at the hall.....lots of card games after practice...a Coho derby....and we fought fires too...some of them were pretty mean...a barn fire is always heavy duty....I only remember attending fires in average good homes once or twice in a year....the fires were in places that looked like they could catch fire.....at that time the coffee and lunch stops were at the --------, Dog and Suds......Enter the back door and grab a seat on the freezer or a milk carton.......and Joan would bring the coffee back.....Ken was usually there, and lots of others to numerous to name them all.....We always did a fishing and weather report ....Ken and Joan made it a really friendly place to go........she always made sure we got a good deal on the grub...and that was appreciated...best Hamburgers anywhere.......can it be so many years ago ...so quickly.....One day when Doc Newby (dentist) was in the back...straddling a garbage can and devouring one of those super burgers.....he was busy, busy chomping on the thing while Ken and I were talking to him.......He had ketchup on his mouth, nose ,cheeks , everywhere..... I looked at him at a pause in the conversation...Doc...have you been working on your own teeth....o boy....that caught Ken's funny bone...I thought he would blow a gasket.....jeez ...that was funny....it went over Doc,s head.....he did not know what the commotion was about and just kept on chomping......I was laughing at Ken laughing....it gets like that sometimes.
Jerry and Diane --------- lived in Chilliwack then....Jerry and I spent a lot of time together....lots of hunting and fishing.....sometimes we went duck hunting just out in the fields east of the house.....the was no paved road in those days.....our road.........was a nice quiet dead end......This particular November day it was windy....not cold ...but windy.....we had the decoys out and were patiently waiting for some dumb ones.......not much doing...they were lots flying, but not in our field....then finally we spot 5 birds...they are coming in fast..and right to the decoys......o boy......they are right in front of us....no fooling around they want to meet these ducks they can see...they flare,..... set.......and start down.....We stand up blazing...easy shots...bang bang...bang bang.....bang bang....what a commotion......6 ejected shells are flying........all five ducks (we could see the whites of their eyes)....were flapping and getting themselves into reverse...yep all five...they all turned and flew away......We dumly looked at them leaving ...... then yelled after them.....AND DON'T COME BACK........

......we never hit one..and they were like barn doors....not one......the great hunters.....that became a classic..."and don't come back".........