Motorhead

My family wasn't/isn't into motors. We just like to go. When I was young, we relied on places like Deter Motors and Harry Hjortshoj Standard to keep our vehicles running. We didn't even have a lawnmower by the time I was old enough to pay attention to such things. Our neighbor Harley Baxter mowed our yard - and later, Dick Westbrook. Dad claimed grass allergies. True enough, but the grass at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club didn't seem to bother him. Our yard was pretty big - maybe he just didn't want to spend his valuable weekend hours on such a chore. When we got a boat, it was a sailboat. No motor.

Coolest thing from the late 60's early 70's

At last week's Solid Waste, Contaminated Sites staff meeting I learned of a new museum in Iowa - the former Clinton Engines Factory in Maquoketa. Two DNR staffers had a meeting at the site - Mel Pins described it: a fascinating collection of small, lawn mower, mini-bike, and outboard motor engines this place made from 1950 until the mid-1980s.  The place was purportedly the tenth largest employer in Iowa at one time.   Unfortunately, they went bankrupt, and of the large factory site, only the art-deco style administration building remains (where the museum is housed), along with a sizable groundwater contaminant plume of solvent.

At the staff meeting, we talked about how the former factory is now re-purposed into this museum and may also be used for community meetings. The staffers did say there is still a whiff of gas/oil in the air throughout the building. Those car smells remind me of my time working for Harry Hjorshoj at his gas station. I got my officer manager start there. Along with skills in driving a car on a hoist and picking up cars for service.

If you look at the pics above, you'll see my favorite thing - a minibike! Of course, the Bullocks never had one. It had a motor. I made do with a ten speed Western Flyer. But I "knew people". When I got to junior high, my "group" started hanging out with boys. I wasn't all that keen on the opposite sex yet, in "that" way. But did like the stuff they liked doing! We played football up behind Sue Tyler's house or up at the school practice field.

Lots of times my gang ended up near Sherry Smith and Greg Parker's houses. That is where kids would ride their mini bikes. I don't really even know whose they were. Robin Kautz? No matter. We took turns riding and it was very thrilling! I was 13 and driving a thing with a motor on the streets.

my grandpa - Bubba

Later, in high school, I had a biker boyfriend. Mike McCauley had a Honda 175 dirt bike. Be still my heart. I got busted when my grandpa saw me on Highway 6, riding on the back of his cycle WITH NO HELMET! I started buying some motorcycle magazine - dreaming of the bike I wanted. His mom let me use her street bike - a Honda 200 to get my cycle license. I killed it when I had to slam on the brakes. Forgot to pull in the clutch. Oops. Yet they still gave me the license. Cuz I was that cool!

Time went by and I went on to college and forgot about cycles. I met Paul and became a mom who has a healthy fear of them - too many news reports about accidents. Still - that minibike was fun! 

First Love

I saw this McCauley fam photo on Facebook yesterday and it took me down memory lane. I see Mike and his parents and two sisters in the pic. Man, that must be Kathy's daughter - she looks like her! Mike says the Korean bros weren't there.

McCauley Clan

The McCauley Family. I spent a lot of time with this clan when I was a teen. The parents are Dick - who was a classmate of my Aunt Marty. The mom is Pat, who taught music at Washington Elementary during some of my years there. Paula Bacon remembers Pat sending the two of us the the principal's office! Evidently we were talking (and smirking) during music class. I believe I've blocked that black day out of my memory bank...I've forgiven Pat though, because she played the violin at our wedding. It was beautiful!

Their son Mike was my high school boyfriend - really my only other long term boyfriend besides my current squeeze. Mike is the oldest of the group, followed by Dorothy and then Kathy who I think is Betsy's age. Dick and Pat adopted two sons from Korea - Joe, who was a baby when they got him, and Bok who was 10 when adopted, I believe.

I loved hanging out at their house. Dick and Pat liked motorcycles and snowmobiles - so Mike had access to each. He even had his own dirt bike, a Honda 175cc. His mom had a Honda 200 that I learned to ride, and I even got my cycle license! One winter I went to Okoboji with them for a snowmobile trip. It was such fun riding the snowmobile on the lake so fast, without worrying about trees. My grandpa saw me riding on the back of Mike's motorcycle on Highway 6 in Atlantic without a helmet, and he tattled to my parents, and I got in trouble!

Mike liked to hunt pheasants, and a couple times I walked along - good preparation for me to be married to Paul someday. Oh not that I walk along with Paul. It's just that I can kinda picture what he's doing. I guess 17 year old love is different than 55 year old love, huh? I tried to get my buddies to "like" Mike's buddies too - Diane and Chuck Templeman, and Mona and Tommy Chlorophyll (his real name is Green - Mike's next door neighbor). Just kidding Mona - he was too cool for you....

Mike is such a nice guy - he could get along with everyone in our class - from the jocks to the hoods. By our senior year we had broken up but were still good friends. He went to Iowa Western in Council Bluffs after High School, and I went to ISU of course. We continued to stay in contact though. Mike was handy with tools, and in college I had him in stall my new cassette player in my new 1977 Chevy Monza. A bitchin sound machine! I only blew the speakers twice. 

Mike met a Harlan girl named Lori and I attended his wedding. I believe they have three sons. Mike and Lori lived in Atlantic for many years after college and he managed a couple different businesses. A few years ago they moved to Michigan where I lost track of him, until I tracked him down on Facebook - I know I love it and I hate it, but it can be useful! I'd love to get together with Lori and Mike again someday to get caught up. I'll always have a place in my heart for the McCauleys!