Flexible Flier

[kittypaws]

I wore my PJ inside out and backwards....as all the kids in school said that would guarantee snow! I had a brand spanking new Flexible Flier sled I wanted to try out over at Mr. Jones' cow farm. He had a nice hill in the cow pasture and I just knew it would be a great ride!

Well, the PJ thingee worked and we got about 8" of soft fluffy snow!

Mom made me bundle up to the point I could barely move and off I traced to the farm with my Flexible Flier steering sled! I let out a big "Yahooo!" and the frost from my breath iced my nose.

Reaching the top of the hill in the pasture took forever! I didn't realize it was sooooo steep! Standing like a proud conqueror at the top of the hill I took in a deep breath and lined up the Flier! I was going to have the ride of a life time!

Little did I know at this time....it would be the ride of a life time!

I saddled myself on the boards, placed my feet on the steering bar and moved them right and then left. I concluded that everything was working well and with a deep breath I started my arm strokes to launch me down the slope! I picked up speed quickly....almost too fast and as I tried to steer I verged from left to right, just about flipping over a few times....then I saw it! A more then significant cow standing right in my path! Cheese n crackers what is IT doing here in a field of snow!! I tried to steer off to the right then left but the Flexible Flier was not responding and I was headed right into the cow!!!

Awagggggggggggggg!

I woke up in a cold sweat with Mother shaking me.
“Time for school, sorry we only got a dusting!”

As I brushed my teeth I looked out the window; it must have been a dream. I shook my head as it seemed so real.

Walking out to the bus stop I noticed my Flexible Flier at the side of the drive and there was cow dung on it!

[hillwalker]

I liked this even though it's about as flimsy and fluffy as the 8" of snow.

I don't think you need this line though:

Little did I know at this time....it would be the ride of a life time!

It's the author butting into the story half way through - pointless in the circumstance since it adds nothing other than stopping the story dead in its tracks.

H

[ShadowsCool]

Lovely Dream!

[kittypaws]

I liked this even though it's about as flimsy and fluffy as the 8" of snow.

I don't think you need this line though:

Little did I know at this time....it would be the ride of a life time!

It's the author butting into the story half way through - pointless in the circumstance since it adds nothing other than stopping the story dead in its tracks.

H

I thought the same thing about the Little did I know at this time....it would be the ride of a life time!. :yesnod:

thanks for the read H.

the whole story was meant to be light and airy....just like the 8".
We don't need to read glum and gloom everyday do we?

[kittypaws]

Lovely Dream!

ShadowsCool....thank you for reading...and yes, dreams keep us young!!!

Happy New Year to You!

[AuntShecky]

This was a cute anecdote which brings back some warm memories. I wonder if your narrator needs quite so many exclamation points, however; too many of those emphatic punctuation marks waters down the intended enthusiastic effect. Since the subject matter calls for a light touch, I realize that you were reaching for a "breezy" style; there is a way to achieve that kind of informal approach without making your prose sound -- as the trendy NY reviewers are fond of saying, too "twee." A good example of an entertaining breezy style can be found in the famous E.B. White essay, "Death of a Pig." His works in general are excellent models to emulate.

PS-- The other day What's-his-name (yours fooly's long-suffering spouse) and I were reminiscing about the "iconic" Flexible Flyer, but neither of us could come up with the equivalent brand-name for the little red wagon. Anybody happen to remember what it was(or is)?

[Steven Hunley]

As a child in southern California we couldn't use sleds, so we had Flexy Racers, a kind of sled on wheels. My neighbor had one too. After two or three near-crashes, our mothers came up with the idea that we should ride at intervals rather that try to pass each other on the narrow sidewalks. Our block was on a hill, and you could give a couple of good pushes and coast downhill at tremendous speeds. On the occasion when he was coasting down hill, and me pushing up, we crashed head on, and split his chin open an inch or two. leaving a trail of blood on the sidewalk that was still there a day later.

I have on super 8 film somewhere, a film of myself in my late teens, wearing an US Army helmet liner, rolling down a sloped driveway, crashing into a wall of cardboard boxes. We didn't even know who Evil Kenevil was.

They were dangerous and the brakes were so inefficient they were almost no use at all. Since danger equals fun to young boys, we loved them to death. (almost)