Daddy the “Master-builder”

In the early  1940’s  –  my  DAD  built  for  my brothers and myself  – a one of a kind  “Swing with  a Water Spray”  –  that we used to swing and sing  –  for the whole world to  hear us.

Back then I remember my  Mom  saying that in the winter time some people left the outside water faucet on all through the freezing weather so that their pipes would not freeze.  Those were the days that for a flat monthly rate you could use however much water you wanted.   Today , you pay for every drop and lots of extra charges.

Anyway,   getting back to our one of a kind swing.  There was a tree in the center of the right side of the back yard  –   so,  I’m  guessing at about the six-foot mark up  –  my “DAD” drilled an inch diameter straight through. Using pipe that  he ran in the hole to be  the top piece for the swing.  On each side of the tree would be a set up for one swing,  making this a two swinger  swing-ser.    He   added fittings on the ends to add  a five-foot length across, with corner fittings to each of the tops to add the four corner six-foot pieces .  At about the four-foot up from the ground, he added  a bracing pipe.  There was concrete footings   at the four corners  –  this swing-set was not going anywhere, ever!

All the pipes in the areas where we would   be  swinging had small holes,    so that when he would turn on the water hose,   he had attached to one corner of the swing-set ,   (this was some kind of special connection)  – We would be singing in the rain!  And what fun we had!  Better than a small backyard  “kid’s pool.” That swing- set lasted till we sold the place almost twenty years later.

Dad was the original  “Handy Man”   –  could fix  almost  anything   –  and don’t forget all around best “Chef!”


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