Blast from the past....

Sometimes somebody will mention either a place or a name an'n old Billy Bob goe into "think'n" mode.....'member stuff from the past. Well that what happen last night, right here on Billy Bob's Place. Riverhauler made a comment bout me swin'n and Lake Isabella. He also disputed that a Corvair engine can run 8,000 rpm's. But that ain't the subject for right now.

I know that somewheres in my blogs I had mentioned that I lived on Lake Isabella, worked at Lake Isabelle and played in the water at Lake Isabella. I were but a mere teenager back in them days.....late 50's. Bought me up a little speed boat called "'Lil'Flip". 12 foots hydroplane with a 40 hp, slightly modified Mercury outboard on it. Go a hunnert mile a hour if'n I want to. In the 50's, we modified everything what had to do with a motor. Factory weren't good enough....had to put the "backyard" touch to it.

Lake Isabella is where I learn how to water ski. Girls like that kind of stuff ya know. And no, I had still not learned how to swim. Why I didn't float I don't know. I just sinked.....poooof, just like that. My first attempt to go scoot'n across the water on a set of skis was only to be dragged to the bottom....weeds an' stuff down there, big ol' rocks. Didn't take me long after spit'n sand an' weeds out my mouth that I figger out to let go the rope. I learn to ski that day, although embarrassed by the continual laughter and hee haws. 'Specially from the girls I were try'n to impress. "Yee Haa, here comes Billy Bob, go'n a hunnert mile a hour....he gonna crash". Never did learn how to ski on one ski. Every time I try to drop one ski and cruise past them cute girls on the beach, I were sink'n again. Busted a ear drum do'n that stuff an' ain't been on skis since. That why I says "huh" a lot.

It was in the Navy when I finally learn how to swim. No not in basic training. It were out there where it was either swim or drown. A little island in the Mediterranean Sea called Malta. Me and my buddy took off walk'n....he says, "lets go to the other side the cove". I can't swim I tell him. "I'll help ya". Yeah right he'll help me. Left me out there in the middle that cove....that what he did. An' I sinked, that what I did. Then I sinked again....all the while arms flap'n, me scream'n obsinities....."git me out of here". Finally make it to shore wored slap out, gonna beat buddy's ass.....soon I rest up a bit an' git this water out my lungs.
First thing I do when I was climb out the water, I step on a freak'n sea urchin sit'n there in the rocks....one them little spiny sea creatures. Took a week to dig them spines out my foot. But I can swim now.

Went off to the lake yesterday....gonna catch me up a 14 pounds bass. I didn't catch up nuttin. Was windy again so no "bubba boat" in the water. Today there ain't no wind....yet. And there also ain't no sunshine.

Ok, back to the little Corvair engine and 8,000 rpm's. I don't care what engine you got, modified or not, but when you open that throttle wide open, ain't got no load on it, that sucker gonna turn 8,000 rpm's rather you like it or not. Most times it gonna blow slap to pieces before you shut 'er down. The only case of not achieving this high rate of revolutions is call "valve float". This is when the exhaust and intake valves remain in the open position, no longer creating suction of fuel and air through the wide open carburetor. If'n ya ain't never experienced floating valves, ya ain't never experienced liv'n on the edge. It will scare ya....sound like a hunnert Singer sew machines on steroids. The Corvair issue is now closed.