For those of you who have been eagerly anticipating the great “race up the hill” at the old Central High practice field..between Don Nance and me…….the “many times postponed” event is now scheduled for August 15th 2010.
The seeds of this great competition were sown back when both of us were in Piedmont Junior High…and were hoping to someday be on the Central High football team. We spent our summers “working out”…..mainly consisting of racing up the practice field hill….trying to build up strength and stamina. Winning those short sprints was also part of the equation.
Don made the Varsity squad first. I went to the lowly “B Team.”
After that, the competition heated up…….who would be the first to get accepted into college, who would be first to get a car….get married….get a job……etc. We each won our share of bets. No money was exchanged of course, because we didn’t have any.
But ONE big bet did involve a steak dinner. Loser paying, of course. The bet was, “whose baby will be born first?”
This is the 45th anniversary of that last bet. (See my “Daytimer” page from 1965) -Ed
In case you can't read my hand writing, I noted in my "Day Timer" that Thursday the 18th, at 6:30 pm, Don called and informed me that his first son Don C. Nance Junior had been born earlier that day.
Later that evening Linda went into labor and our first born, John Shephard Myers was born at 3:40 am the following day, March 19, 1965
Don won that bet, but Linda and I got to brag about our son being born on the day the world celebrates the return of the Swallows to Capistrano from their winter vacation spot 6,000 miles south in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina. -Ed
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| Swallows Returning to Capistrano |
They land at the mission in San Juan, California, on or around St. Joseph's Day, March 19, to the ringing bells of the old church and a crowd of visitors from all over the world who are in town awaiting their arrival and celebrating with a huge fiesta as well as a parade.
Legend has it that the swallows took refuge in the Mission San Juan Capistrano from an irate innkeeper who destroyed their muddy nests. The swallows return to the old ruined church each spring knowing they will be protected within the mission's walls. In fact, the city has taken their safety seriously passing an ordinance against destroying their nests.
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| Mission San Juan Capistrano (The oldest building in California) |
So-called "scout swallows" precede the main flock each year by a few days but the majority of the small birds usually arrive on the 19th and begin rebuilding the mud nests that cling to the ruins of the old stone church and throughout the Capistrano Valley. -Wikipedia)
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