Jimmy Willis

Good Morning Mates!

Yes those were some kinda days. I of course, being the fine

upstanding country gentleman. I never participated in such

wild behavior! I tried on several occasions, as I recall, to explain

that to Mrs. Fleming! Don't think she ever believed us Jimmy!

I did catch  her smiling after she had finished with us on one

of those occasions.

Anyway you, Owens and I did have some good times. Remember

the morning on Long Creek we woke up and our quilts were covered

in Frost. Fire was out and we were freezing to death. I don't think I

appreciate anything more than that fire we finally got started. Or was it

the Haven Hill?

Jimmy Tiller

Jim w., your recollection of that particular long creek episode is spot on. Haven hill and the fire had us scrambling the better part of the night. We were going deer hunting  and when  the cold awakened us in the wee hours, we just decided to stay up. NEXT: the "board" of education. I had two short courses. Who else?

Roy Stamey

Oh yeah . . . I had at least one of those 'board' courses at OCHS, and a few before that at AHS. But speaking of 'tents in pastures,' and 'post-statute of limitations', anyone besides myself recall the Ponderosa?

Jimmy Tiller

ONCE GUILTY; TWICEPUNISHED:

Do you remember how the hall to the lower wing intersected the main hall, and students would sometimes collide rounding the corner? One day I was talking over my shoulder to someone and used a curse word in regards to a certain teacher, and when I rouned the corner bumped into guess who, who was within earshot the whole time? Sentenced on the spot to 5 licks, to be admininistered after sixth period. The anticipation was worse than the punishment. My plea: guilty as charged, and I still had the same opinion, but felt it prudent to keep it to myself.  Second time :  A certain young lady,  who sat next to me(across the isle, lost her chewing gum laughing at a joke I had just told her. It hit the floor  between us, and as the teacher turned to see what the laughter was about, his eyes fell on the chewing gum. A look of terror crossed her face, and her big pretty eyes clearly said to me: "save me!" Sentence: 3 licks and worth every one.

Jimmy Tiller

I am the only one up this early, so it's a good time to write. I sure remember the Ponderosa, where I learned to play poker. Nickel ante, and " a dime anytime"! This huge army tent, with it's location just over the fence from the school, was a great place to spend study hall if you dared. It was also the place where "Bump" Nation held court for first time football players. Jim w., you and I shared the same fate in the Helmreich tent on the aforesaid night you mentioned.UP NEXT:  tough courses we each dealt with in our own way.

David Landers

Jimmy, do you remember the day we put Mrs. Armours , new V.W. in the hall.

Jimmy Tiller

David, I do believe I do! Now I kept thinking we did this very near the end of our senior year, and I  didn't have anything to do with the engineering on this, but of course was a willing participant. Didn't we remove the centerpiece of  the entrance doors to the teachers parking lot, do the deed, and quickly reinstall the centerpiece, all in under 60 seconds? Getting it up the step was the hard part!

David Landers

Yes we did , but I am not admitting to anything. lol  !

Jimmy Willis

got

Morning Mates,

Jimmy I thought I was the only one that NIGHT!

I don't know what was in that tub!  But it was deadly>

Anyway I believe they should have put up mirrors on that

lower Hall. And a Fog Horne for all the smoke coming out

of that Bathroom! How did we live thru that?

Diane Harris (Moore)

All I can say is that I always thought I was in the middle of everything during my OCHS years, and that I knew everything that went on. Well, now I know that I knew NOTHING! I used to listen to my older brothers relive antics that had taken place when they were in school back in the late 40s, and I'd laugh and laugh, thinking how MY class had never thought up such mischief. Well, now I know the TRUTH! My, my, my, do tell us more!

Jimmy Tiller

Diane, your telling of your older brothers just instilled in me an unsettling thought:  what if my 12 and 15 year old girls somehow hack this site? They will have an airtight defense!  Really, Diane you and the rest of the girls were not around when we pulled a lot of stunts probably because we tried to, a la Eddie Haskell (leave it to beaver) act really innocent when y'all were around!!!  It just occurred to me. Did the girls do that, too?

Jimmy Tiller

Just read your last post, Jim w. Because Pete and I had been gathering ingredients for the prior month, I knew what was  in the tub but dived in anyway. Bump, who was a veteran in such matters,put me under the outside spigot (waterspickit)  (had big fight with this iPad to get true name ) at the truck stop. Now, I know I am not the only one who has memories, and I sure hope the rest of you dive in now!

Connie Morgan (White)

I guess that I'm like Diane in that I was even more naive than I realized.   I'm sure enjoying reading this tho!!, so please keep 'em coming.

Some of my "girlfriends" and I had lots of interesting conversations... but don't think we ever went to the Ponderosa and I know we never put a car in the school hall.   

Y'all keep writing cause we are sure enjoying reading.

Judy Stewart (Findley)

YES, GUYS.......Keep'em coming! VERY INTERSTING....I am thinking NOW that "us girls" may have BEEN ANGELS......hoping y'all thought that THEN...hahaha (-:

Jimmy Tiller

Friday, May 20, 1966

On this day we have suffered an overwhelming defeat in American History. Charles McGarity, Terry Griffiths, and myself  tried to form a conspiracy. All went well, and we enlisted almost 1/2 of the class. Most of them fell, though, when Josey decided to give each a zero. Had they held, we would have eventually won our just rights, but as to my knowledge, only Charles and myself held out, refusing to take the test, which in our opinion was unfair and given solely (3words deleted) . H e gave us a chapter (40) yesterday which consists of 19 pages, and without giving any reason whatsoever said we would be tested on it today.Besides being long, the chapter contained a tremendous amount of facts and geographical  maps. I am certain that we would have enjoyed the chapter had not the aforesaid action taken place, but as it is I am certain the class learned nothing.  Charles McGarity, or anyone else for that matter, knows nothing of what I am writing of my own accord. It really serves no purpose, but but I would like for people to know why we two have 0 by our names in Mr. W. C. Jasey's grade book under May 20, 1966.

The above was copied verbatim from my journal. Did anyone pass?  Only now do I realize I should have learned from that episode something I found out clearly almost exactly 3 years later. How to obey orders!!!

I see you, Mr. Josey, smiling down at me now.

Jimmy Tiller

I mentioned back a few posts about a joke I played on Nancy once. I will hold that one for now and relate this one instead, since it really turned out to be on me!  Most of us boys constantly trying to impress our girl classmates, would do some pretty silly stuff. I had recently learned from a fellow exactly how to crank a car without the keys, using two straight wires. I quickly became good enough at this to have earned a scholarship to reform school(another story) but Nancy didn't know it.  One day after school, I approached her in the parking lot. She had forgotten something, and had to return to the school building. I told her jokingly that I was going to borrow her car for a little while.  "Not hardly"' she laughed, locking her car and jingling her keys at me before putting them in her purse. Seized with inspiration, I barely waited until she was in the building before I popped her hood , cranked her car, left it running, and when back to my car. When she returned, and started to unlock her door, she realized that it was still locked, but now running. She would look first at the keys in her hand and then back at the car. She then sat down in her car and inserted the key to try to switch it off. To do that, she first had to turn the switch on, and when she did that the starter engaged the now spinning flywheel, making a loud noise.

And she still could not switch the engine off, because the jumper wire was still attached. As I pretended not to notice, she focused on me and with hands on hips and eyes narrowed:  Jimmy! What did you DO to my car? I think I told her that high test gas would sometimes make a car do that. I thought she was going to clobber me with that pocketbook! Then I told her I could probably adjust it. I raised the hood, removed the wire, sticking it quickly in my pocket. This of course killed the engine, promptlng her to remark that her daddy was gonna kill her.  I realized that  I was the one in for trouble, and told her to try it now. It cranked promptly, and she sped out of the parking lot without so much as a hug! From then  on, she kept a wary eye on me, and my proximity to her car.

Connie Morgan (White)

too funny Jimmy!    I never had Mr. Josey for a class, so I missed that big test.

You HAVE to bring your journal whenever we have a class get-together.

Hope you all stay warm and safe in this winter weather.

Diane Harris (Moore)

Jimmy, this is priceless. I didn't have Mr. Josey either,,and didn't really know him. I remember he seemed to be considered the "cool" teacher. Connie, I agree. We need to see that journal. The unedited version!

Jimmy Willis

   FOOTS YOU PASS AROUND THAT JOURNAL OF YOURS.

AND A FEW OF US MIGHT JUST NEED TO HIRE A "HIT MAN"!

YOU NEED TO LOCK THAT THING IN A VAULT SOMEWHERE

I'M SURE! I MIGHT NOT REMEMBER THAT ONE NIGHT BUT THERE

ARE A SEVERAL OTHERS I RECALL THAT NEED NOT BE

DISCUSSED. KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

Jimmy Tiller

 Jim w., no worries, mate! Not one person in the entire world has ever seen that journal, and does not contain any derogatory entries, only some  regarding my favorite classmates that for the most part funny. A few were based on my observations of couples who I believed were falling in love, and I was mostly right. I will never share the entire journal as some of it is too personal.  I will  answer questions as to specific questions, if have it included anywhere.

Diane, you are right on the picture that Don posted recently. That guy on the extreme left is J immy c. , wh was my very first friend in first grade. His trademark pad and pen are shown in his shirt pocket. We remained close friends thought school, and had been accepted to West ga. College with small scholarships, student loans, and work/study agreements. He never completely forgave me for backing out on him. He always had a grin and a good sense of humor. He also figured prominently in my next installment, stay tuned when:

MY SECRET WILD  LIFE  AT  O.C.H.S.  IS EXPOSED BY MR. GAFFORD!!!

Charles McGarity

David, I remember helping with Mrs. Armour's vw.  But I also remember doing something with Mr. Prior's car.

Am I having a senior moment or did we really do something to his car? 

Nuther subject.....the concoction that was made in the tub at the ponderosa had a name....anybody

remember? 

Jimmy Tiller

Hunch Punch?  Pete, this may be another occasion I am thinking of.  Not sure if this is right one, but do remember a bunch of us gathered on each end of mr. Pryor's 1964 white Dodge Dart and maneuvering it sideways between the two adjacent cars so that it could be moved neither forward or backward. Or was it yellow?

Jimmy Willis

Thanks correct Jimmy! I beleive that car was white! Also

Charles I do not remember It's name. But I beleive it had

XXX on that tub! It had to be 125-150 proof! Whew it was

a Killer!

Roy Stamey

Man, Foots, you're digging deep there buddy. I can't recall the name of that stuff right off, but I can almost taste it. Nasty! What I do recall, though, is the absolute best squirrel mull I have ever had in my life, before or since. I think it was Tom Callaway that cooked up a pot of it at the Ponderosa one night. Man, was it good! What was the name of that concoction?

Jimmy Tiller

Roy, we just called it mull, and just placed the name of the main ingredient in front of that word. I loved it then and still do. Seems to be a southern thing, as my northern  friends had never heard of it in service. It involved a long cooking process that completed shredded the meat, as opposed to stew, which required a meat grinder. We added pork chops if we had them, onions, potato,  and if we had them, home canned tomatoes ( if not, canned tomato juice) you could always count on participants wanting seconds!