Dumb and Dumber or The Field Fire

    Other gather members have been telling stories from their childhood. It got me thinking of mine. One particular story sticks out in my mind. I guess if I titled it, I would have to call it "Dumb and Dumber ".

   I was 9 years old at the time and it took place on a hot dry summer afternoon my folks and I we at my grandfathers house visiting as we did most weekends. My dad and grand father were off working on the house doing some repairs. My only playmate at that time was my cousin Blair who was 4 or 5 years old. Anyway we were outside playing with his plastic matchbox cars. I can see the house next where we playing in the sand. It was empty at the time. We played for awhile, and with little toys like that it got kind of boring. I said to my cousin, we should make the tire of this car flat and then we can pretend to tow it in. Well, we both thought that was a good idea, so we waited until after lunch, and then found some matches in the house.

   After lunch we walked back over to the sand by the other house. Now get this, we didn't want to set the house on fire, and of course we didn't want to be seen. So I got the bright idea that we would walk way out in to the field, almost to the woods.  So off we went, with a plastic car and matches. I lit a match and of course that plastic does not melt that easily The match got hot as matches do, and started to burn my finger. I dropped it of course and whoosh. The grass caught fire. We quickly tried to stamp it out Of course the grass was bone dry, being out in the middle of a field. It took off like a run away train.  We sure were scared. I don't remember if we ran for help or my father and grandfather came to us.

  All I know is that we were in big trouble. My dad and grandfather came with shovels, and maybe a bucket of water. Seeing as this was some 39 years ago I can't quite recall.

I was just shocked at how fast the fires spread. I was over by my grandfathers house crying. As much for the spanking I knew I was going to get as anything. (You would think the fear I felt when I saw that fire would have been punishment enough, but my father didn‘t think so.

 We were fortunate that we lived only a few miles in a straight line from Camp Aldershot. (a Canadian Forces Training Base) They had their own fire engine and without being called they came out to investigate. I guess they also have a fire tower and some one was on the lookout for such things. Once they arrived the fire got put out in fairly soon. Even now it gives me to the shivers when I think of what could have happened. The field going to the south of us extended a good half mile to the river, but to the west was the woods and then further on apple orchards. I was most fortunate that the fire got put out long before it extended that far in either direction. 

    Like I said I was waiting back at the house. I finally got that spanking. What did my cousin get? Absolutely nothing, after all I was the older one and the instigator. You know I just called my father. He remembers that fire, but his version of the details was different and a little bit more innocent.I had a good laugh. I asked him if they had to pay a fine. He said no, because we were  under age and they were unaware that we had found the matches .