We moved to Parkville when I was in the sixth grade, I was eleven in 1959.
The first person I met was Wally, who lived three houses down. We were still unpacking when He knocked on the door and asked my mom "Do you have Any kids here my age." Well my mother though I was the one out of the four of us that was closes to his age. So she
brought me out. He then
introduced himself and asked if I wanted to go out to play. It was winter so we went
sledding and have been friends ever
sinceIt
wasn't long after that, that Wally
introduced Me to Texas Bill. Texas was an old man that lived on the
edge of town. He was skinny and would have been tall if he could stand up
straight, but he was all bent over with
artheritis. He was very old, when asked , he would say he thought about one
hundred, but
wasn't sure. He had a
twinkle in his eye, and a
couple of good yellow teeth, everything he ate had to be soft.
He had a very small house that use to be a one car
garage. He had a couch that turned into a bed, a wood burning cook stove that He used to
heat with , and a bathroom so small he had to take a bath in the kitchen in a wash tub. He did most of his cooking and cleaning and
living outside in his back yard.
Most of the adults in town said us boys should stay away from crazy old Texas Bill. He might be
dangerous. And his story's were all lies anyway. They
probably were
jealous,
Because all the boys in town would rather listen to Texas then
their teacher , or even
their father.
He taught us a number of important things like how to spit and fight. He told us how to sharpen our
pocket knifes and play
mumble peg, and how to cuss ,and how to be polite to girls and women.
But his stories were the best part of our
visit. He said he was a Texas Ranger. He would talk about the bad guy's He tracked down , Like Sam Bass and
John Wesley Hardin. He told us of gun fights and ambushes and riding horses across the plains chasing
rustlers or
murderers. He
fought Comanches and chased
Mexicans bandit's back across the border.
He told us stories of when he was in the
wars WWI and WWII. He was in the
Calvary in
both . The first with
horses and mules, the
second was mostly trucks.
We all though he was a man among men. A
real live hero. We
couldn't understand why the adults
couldn't see this.
He told us other Texas stories to. Like of the Alamo, He could make you feel like you we're
there, along with Sam Huston, Jim
Booey, Danial Boone and the rest of them fighting to the last man to make Texas free.
In our minds
their was nothing crazy about Him.
About the time I left home my little brother started hanging around Texas Bill's place. Then I was eighteen and I was sounding like all the other adults. I told my brother He's just a crazy old man in a little shack telling
lei's. Nobody could have done all the things he
say's He's done.
Two years later I was in the Navy and half a world away when I got a letter from Wally. In it was an obituary for
Captain Monroe Fox
formally of the Texas Rangers,
veteran of world war one and world war two. Born 1865 in
Brownsville Texas
died 1968 age 103
Known locally as Texas Bill.
I don't know what happens to us but
somewhere between childhood and adulthood we lose the
ability to see anything
special in someone
that's plain and
unspectacular.
****************************THE END************************
Can you find the dipstick under the hood?
Anyway we greased the front end and front week barrings. Nothing under their was bad just preventive maintenance. Then we fixed the windshield washer. Everything went fine. Actually Adam did all of the mechanic work, I just posed for pictures and handed Him parts. 
We moved to Parkville when I was in the sixth grade, I was eleven in 1959.
I took many pictures of my beautiful grand kids. And this is the best one I got of Olivia with Sulli's chickens. And no Flynn didn't eat even one chicken or one grandchild.
On the way home we stoped in the town of Akely to visit Paul Bunyan. Nice guy bet He don't say much. So we didn't stay long
On the way home we hit and killed four birds before we were half way home. It was weird birds don't just fly in front of you're truck. You usually just drive and the things get out of the way. I don't know if all the snow just made them want to it. Or if their was a Field of marijuana burning somewhere. But after that I was very carefully and slowed down when ever I seen a bird on the road.
The door handle on the diver's side was broke. I got one off a junked 1998 Oldsmobile and made it fit a 1989 Chevy pickup. A little bit of drilling, a little hammering, A little cussing, two bloody knuckles. And three hours latter and it was done. 
Me and Flynn went for a ride to see if it run any better. It seemed to run the same. But running the same for my level of mechanical ability is pretty good.
Flynn was happy with the results and sat proudly in the best tuck He has every known.
She looks happy and on the most part I believe she is. Her memory is getting worse all the time, but when We visit her she can remember Me and Wanda, and every thing that happened fifty years ago. She can't remember what day it is or what she had for lunch or how to read or even turn on the T.V.. When we visit, it's the high point of her day or week. We've more then once just got home from a visit and the phone would be ringing , It's Grandma wondering when were coming for a visit ," I haven't seen you for such a long time" She'll say.
