The years from 1971 to 1985 living and being raised up near Hazzard Idaho on our farm there were some of the happiest days of my life. The simplest of pleasures, just taking a walk to get the mail, which was about a mile down our road, I used to sit either going down or coming back up, on this old fallen trunk of a tree there crossing a small, run off stream of water there and just visit with the squerrels, the birds, and other critters, not that they really understood what I was always jabbering about, at least I don't think so, but they'd jabber back in their language. So maybe it was just the tone not the words they understood. Ah you could smell the fresh cut hay both on the top of our place in our fields or across the road at the Shady Dairy. If you were really ambitious and you had your fishing pole you could take a bucket of worms or corn, I also took orange peel that really attracts fish, but go down to Hazzard Creek, and catch a trout or small catfish. Most of the time I'd throw it back and catch it another day.
Life then in Hazzard was a time of easiness , you got your kicks on or in something with an engine , 4 tires, and a half tank of gas. In my case it was usually 2 wheels, and a full tank of gas, since it only took 50 cents to fill my scoots tank. If I was wanting to just clown around I'd jump on this old diesel Ford Dexter tractor, and cut broadies in our fields if they were wet and the crops were in. If you hungered for a controlled substance, it was getting old Bill at Bills Market to sell a minor a can of Skoal. When it came to women, or girls, if you got a French kiss on the first date you scored. As for me if I got that and maybe a toe smooch I felt like a stud. Nobody even thought of doing the things, that kids , tweens, teens, do today. Hell it wasn't until I was just near 15 that I fully understood, what the hell a trainer bra was, or for that matter the differences were in bras. I just thought bra, if you got one off a girl, you were a Super stud. We had one TV channel then , there in Hazzard, (KMVT-11) which was a CBS station, but ran programming from all three networks. You would see the Wonder Years, on one night, Boy meets World (Yes the show is that old) another night and of course religiously Friday Nights at 7:00PM it was the Dukes-of-Hazzard. Mysteries of female anatomy were fun, few of us watched Porn, for me my nose was always into Hot Rod or Popular Hot Rodding Magazines or dreaming from reading a JC Whitney Catalog. It was a time where nights while we had air conditioning, still I slept with my window open and the sweet gurgling of Hazzard Creek would take any cares I had away and I'd sleep. Of course in 1981 my life changed a lot. I already had 4 years in the Marines, and was watching the ads for the AutoRama in Utah. We as a crew at the then Pat & Jims Speed Shop, in Hazzard, had already began work, on our hot rod which was way before the Gen Lee, we called ours the General Jackson, based on a 69 Chevy Caprice, the reason we painted ours John Deere Construction yellow was A the paint was cheap, two it covered everything and two got it at a discount. So it was 1981, Our crew was contemplating our display for Gen Jackson, and was looking into white go-go boots for our Maneequin car hop. Oh I'd seen the ones with roller skates, but at the time a film was popular called the Hollywood Knights. In it the car hops wore white drill team style go-go boots. Somebody told us that over in Paul there was a Junior High school, that still used them so over Bro and I went. Just out of the corner of my eye a fairly good duplicate of ye old Gen Lee sat with a sign that said FOR SALE, $1,500.00
The car soon became mine , Jimmy and I did a good redoux and Hagerman became Hazzard Idaho and the rest is history. But our thrills were simple, life was simple. Girls were less complicated, with all that has happened to me since and even slightly before my Mom died, in 1983, is it any wonder that I cling to that time that I knew what I was doing and where I belonged?
This then is Hazzard Lyfe, and even though I have said it all too many times, I'll say it again. Hazzard County, is not just a place on earth, but a place in your heart and soul. Those that go to Hazzard to vacation, few want to leave. Those who do leave long to go back as do I.
TTYLY
