Kite Flying

Walls Cousins: Keith and Ronnie are pulling the wagon. Gene, Bonnie, LeRoy, Barbara and Carolyn are the passengers. Lloyd Walls (Dad) made the wooden wagon for his kids. 

Photo by

  
Margaret Walls  

Written by 
LeRoy Walls 
CEO 

The sky was cloudy although it didn’t look much like rain - - but it was plenty windy. I had just finished assembling and then tying a tail on my kite and now I was off. I skirted around the 15 or so other kids and moved further out into the open hill top field to fly my kite. It was the third Sunday in March and the day for annual kite flying at Ralph and Carla Marie Odom’s farm. Carla Marie was in the field with some other parents and older teenagers helping kids get their kites ready for flight. Ralph was inside entertaining the men folk, probably doing back flips or yodeling - - - not really!

When I think of Ralph and Carla Marie dozens of images of pleasant, Mt. Pisgah community happenings at their home appear in my mind’s eye. I recall taffy pulls, Halloween parties and ice cream socials. I remember three legged and gunny sack races out in their big front yard.

One of their summer socials had the usual games and races but also included bingo. This was for kids and adults and included some inexpensive prizes for the winners. The balloon prizes were almost gone and I was my normal quiet self on the outside but inside was desperate to have a balloon.

Carla Marie was calling out the numbers and then rechecking the numbers to verify the winners. With only one balloon left and someone sure to "Bingo" at any moment - I cheated! I called "Bingo" and at the same time faked a stumble that spilled my bingo card on the ground. My acting was never very good and probably didn’t fool anyone. Rather than check out my Bingo card, and expose and embarrass me in front of the whole group - - I was grateful that Carla Marie just awarded me the last balloon - a big red one and I was out of there! I feel better already having finally "fessed up!"

The family of Ralph and Carla Marie Odom lived just over the hill to the east of our farm. They had a pretty typical farm for the Mt. Pisgah community with a fine herd of Jersey milk cows, some hogs, chickens and a big garden.

The Mt. Pisgah community was much like an extended family. With adults and parents who were proud and supportive of their own kids or grandkids but also of the others within our community as well - - It gave those of us growing up there a strong sense of belonging.

12/31/1999