Sign me up for that book too. (just one copy will do me, tho') Didja ever think this whole Site should be mined for a book?

Thanks again Aunt Bungy And Benj for the pix and story.
Definitely sign me up for the book, the movie, the DVD AND the t-shirt. Is there gonna be a Mug too??

Auntie Bungy,
Wow, what an amazing life you have lived. And to remember and be able to put it all down on paper in such a great fashion for us to all enjoy is awesome! For those of us Tiki lovers who don't live even close to any sort of tropical/beach climate, your stories are much appreciated. That house must having been quite an adventure to live in. I grew up in an old farmhouse without electricity and television so I do understand how growing up in such a way makes you have a different viewpoint on life. Definitely makes life more of an adventure. Thanks for the stories!

tinglerart made refence to life as an adventure.. well! If anyone is eager for a real down to earth adventure in this day and age..it is white water rafting down the Grand Canyon.. I went last year for 14 days, 219 miles, 90 rapids (4 of these were 10 plus!) I refused to sleep in a tent becasue why on earth would you go on soemthing like that and sleep inside!!! The stars were so close you could touch them! The balmy night breezes wafted across you, and wakened you so you could lie there and smell the sweet desert smells, and hear the Colorado going happily on its way!
BUT! One night it rained! and it rained ! And it rained.. all night long! Well.. at the Cove, I spent years sleeping outside. I had a metal cot off a navy ship and a sleeping bag with a sheet pinned inside, and from 2 to five dogs when the winter gales blew m in and the rain poured down..so I was used to it, and before going to bed, I put my gound sheet down so I could pull it over me in case it really did rain. Then, I got my slicker (coat and pants) out and rolled them up right beside my pillow. Then , I stowed all my gear away in my water proof river bag, and went to bed.. it took an hour before the rain started. I jumped up, got into my rain stuff, got back into my sleeping bag.. and pulled the ground cover over me..it was old and was no cover for the rain.. within a half hour I my down filled sleeping bag was soaked .. but I was dry because of my slicker.. and it wasn't that cold becasue this was Arizona desert! So, I kept feeling my hands all night to make sure I wasn't getting too cold in the pouring rain, and kept moving my bare feet becaue they were in a puddle at the end of my bag!.. only just last month, when I was thinking about this I said, "DUH!" How could I feel my cold hands with my cold hands!! Finally dawn came, and with it hot coffee around the campfire! It turned out only 3 of us had slept out!
We swam and bathed in 50% water filled with silt. tthere was a 5 gallon plastic bucket for you know what.. and that was all for ameneties.. so if any of you want a primo adventure.. that is it.. but you have to go the whole 14 days, oar powered to get the full adventure!! Happy days! Auntie Bungy

More Amazing Aunt Bungy tales. Even your river rafting trip was awesome. I hafe gone trout fishingjust above the Grand Canyon and I know the scenery is story book beautiful.
I want to know what ever happened to Abraham. I used to really Love pelicans.

Re: Abraham, the pet pelican, "the funny old bird called a pelican, whose beak could hold more than his belly can, Oh! The heck he can!! !!!
I think it was Ba (ben's mom) who came running into the house one day, screaming "I found a pelican up the beach who can't fly! I think something is wrong with his wing!" So all 4 of we girls went dashing up to rescue the pelican. Flo and Mare carried him down, while I held his beak, which was busy trying to peck at us. We hung a bunch of fishnet up and made a cage for him and put him in there with some water. Then, we dashed in the station wagon (a new woody!) down to the fishing docks in San Pedro, and bought him a bucketful of bait fish. Oh! How he did like that!
My dad came along and gave us a lecture about how we can't hold someone from the wild in captivity, and that we should let him ( by this time Abraham Lincoln!) get out of the cage and see what he wants to do! When A. saw he was free to go, he couldn't fly still, so he was a bit shy.. but after a few days he realized that everyday after school, we'd head down to the fishing docks for his food, and he started waiting for us at the entrance to the Cove! pretty soon he got to where he could fly.. but still only just off the ground, so he'd fly alongside the car, squawking at us!! Then, he got really friendly and kept trying to follow us into the house! The entry hall was flag stone rocks (from our beach, naturally!) and shelves were loaded with mother's what nots of fine porceline etc!.. One day, he made it, and immediatly started flapping his wings and squawking and knocking everyhting off the shelves, until a couple of us were able to grab him, suppress the wings and get him outside oncemore.. after that he sat on the barrel outside the house and looked in really mournfully!
He got to where he could fly out and catch his own fish, and then, he'd join other pelicans resting on the ocean! Right in front of the house. When friends would come visiting they'd ask where Abraham was, and we'd step to the beach, clap our hands and yell, "Abraham", and pretty soon, he'd take off from the midst of the other pelicans,, and land right at our feet!
Soon, he started going off for a few days.. and returning,and then, a few more days etc. It was 2 months one time, and he returned and Daddy found a fish hook in his wing. He took it out, and Abraham stayed aorund until the next morning, then he took off and that was the last we saw of him!! We missed him a lot.. and even today, when we go to visit The Cove and we spot some pelicans resting on the ocean, one of us will step to the beach, and clap their hands, and yell, "Abraham!" and we all get a warm feeling in our hearts!
I'll get to the rest of the numbered pix next time!!! Auntie Bungy

Thank you Bungy and RevBambooBen. After consuming the BOT, I started looking on the net for these type of vintage photos and stories of the early days of "tiki bars". That search eventually led me Tiki Central. This is a very nice and rare treat, even in Tiki Central.

Thanks again.
JohnnyP

Thanks Aunt Bungy for the heart warming Abraham story. How fortunate you all were to be blessed by this goofy looking bird. I'll bet he remembered you in just the same way you rememberd him, all warm and fuzzy.

Re: Pix #3... (if you know what I am talking about!! I can't find them!
This is mohter polishing fish floats, and i imagine it was for a photo op.. because when we were really working we didn't look this nice! We were always polishing fish floats! This must have been a shipment of floats up from Mexico. The "Crates" were made of little tree branches, and then the floats were packed with straw. How ever
did they last the truck ride?! The new floats from Mexico were hand blown and usually brown or white. The used floats that were found on the beaches were from Japan, and were red, green, blue. Sometimes when you actually found afloat up in Oregon, or Northern Ca.. they woudl have water and sand in them! From thew pressure of the storms at sea! Daddy used those crates for decorating luaus!
When we were in Disneyland, we were ordering hand carved masks from Patsquaro.. and were paying about $3.00 for card board cartons for them to be shipped in. My cousin and I went down their and found out that we could get the baskets that are now sold as laundry baskets for 50cents a piece.. so that was how we got them shipped after that! \After we were in Disneyland,Daddy started a shop on 2-5 acres of land right on Beach Blvd, in Midway City. He made it into a tropical paradise, complete with watrefalls, tikis, bamboo stands, and much more. He even had a small stand of bamboo that he put little squares around when the shoots were small.. and ended up with square bamboo!
Inside the shop, which was called Island Trade store.. was a fairyland of hand made tropical decorations.
One time he got an order for about 60 lamps made from bamboo, for a big restaurant in Alska! We all worked on those!!
This shop is where he created his TIKI workshop which was a back field. The county trucks would bring him any date palms they'd cut down.. and he ordered "featherstone" from Nevada. One of those peices of featherstone was the pix of him carving a stone tiki. I thought he'd really gone uptown hen he got a chain saw, and started outlining the tikis! The grandkids (including Bamboo Ben!) would climb all over the logs, and half done tikis! It wa sa great jungle!
The guys who started Pier One Imports, came by and bought a lot of stuff for their very first store! They and Daddy spent a lot of time together, and I think Daddy helped them decorate that store..
See ya soon! Auntie Bungy
PS. I get to fly in a little 2 passenger plane all over the county tomorrow! Hope the weather holds!

I'm going to try this.

Stop leaving us and keep writing.
We're addicted now!

:wink:

Dearest Auntie Bungy,

I've just read through all your stories and I'm smiling big-time!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us. One of my biggest regrets in life is not recording my grandmother's stories for posterity. Stories are so important so we don't forget where we came from! Anyway... I'm fairly fond of Disney theme parks. Especially Adventureland! Perhaps you could share some more stories of the shop in Disneyland? Did you ever meet Walt Disney?

Thanks again from sunny (but strangely cold right now) Florida!

I'm with Pablus, Gotta try the square bamboo (I know we have Bamboo Ben, but he is a Different Square type), it would be such fun to work with.
Thanks again Aunt Bungy, your stories are Awesome.

I just received the Life Mag. (1/21/46 )
with Eli in it. This place has a few in stock if anyone is interested.

http://www.2neatmagazines.com

They were very prompt!

On 2006-01-08 08:09, RevBambooBen wrote:
I just received the Life Mag. (1/21/46 )
with Eli in it. This place has a few in stock if anyone is interested.

http://www.2neatmagazines.com

They were very prompt!

I'm sold! And hey, it also includes an article on a two headed baby. You can't beat that! What a deal!!

I also just scored the "Wall Street Journal" article !!!!

Been looking for that one for ever!! The long lost article!!

got it here... http://www.rarenewspapers.com

They ( WSJ) messed up on the last name. Hadley instead of Hedley.

( Sven and James, don't feel so bad now :)

I should have it by next week and will share if I get my scanner working.

Arrrrr!!!

[ Edited by: RevBambooBen 2006-01-12 09:49 ]

Greetings and Salutations! Actually I greeted yesterday...but just before I pressed the submit key.. the electricity went off and was off for 2 hours! A squirrel got into the transformer!!! But.. I lost a bunch.. so will start all over! AAARGH!
Re PIX from Bamboo Ben:

4. the house was taken from low tide point of view.. it is very weathered because of constant spray from full moon high tides. The lower windows are etched with salt. The flotsum and jetsum on the beach is the high tide mark, and shows the difference between the beaches of today.. and yesteryore! All boats, ships, etc., just threw everyhting into the sea.. garbage, which the fish ate, that crate was probably a produce crate for celery or lettuce, hatch covers that were washed over in the storms, and on a nd on. No wonder Daddy was able to make a living Beach combing! Remmember .. there was no plastic at that time!

#5. That is Flo and Daddy with the big board that was from our own beach! Mother, Ben's mom,Ba, and Mare in back ground. Our home would be at the very end of pix in background.
#6. From this pix you get an idea of how long the Cove was, with the house at one end, and the outside terrazo dance floor at the other! The entry way was huge, heavy gates made of 2X6's. One day, when it was very rainey and stormy, I was about 15, and was riding my bicycle home from school. Our home was at the bottom of a 250' cliff, and as I was riding down the road, my hand brakes gave out due to the mud and rain. I was probably going 30mph, when I hit the bottom and had to decide in 2 seconds whether to go off the road into tons of mud at the side.. or.. hit the big gates and hope that the chain wasn't around them! Well! Being adventurous at all times! I hit the gate.. they flew open, I flew through, and they banged back again right behind me!
#7. The huge mast had washed up on our beach before we moved there.. and it stayed for our "journey". I beleive this was a photo op for American Mg. from rt: Ba, Bungy, Mare, Flo, Mohter (alias Goerge Malcome), and Eli.
#8 (last); from rt: Flo, Daddy, Bungy, Ba, Mother, Mare.. in front yard of house. We always had all kinds of interesting things just lying aroudn waiting for the next deccorarting job.. like the ship's wheel! In our front yard we had an old dingy filled with fish floats. Our front door was a row boat set on end with the bottom knowcke dout. Our doorbell was a zither, which soem gusets even tried to play! Mare used to paint Renoirs on the bottom panels.. in fact she painted Gaugins on the walls of our bathroom, too!
Hope this gets off this time! Muaruru! Auntie Bungy

Post script to GatorRob! I was in Tahiti, crewing on Te Vega, 134' sailing schooner, and went to General Delivery to pick up any mail. There was one from my parents telling me that they had disisted beachcombing and were now in a place called "Disneyland, doing a brisk business selling tropical ebverything! The description was so off the wall, that I put the letter in the bottom of my sea bag, and continued on until we finally got to Hawaii. I flew home, and was drivien straight to Disneyland and Advebntureland.. where I was shown how to use the register and make change. It wa so wild in those first few years that there was no need to "sell" only to take money! We were in what was called the Bazaar, and during the five years of biz there, had anywhere from 2 (permanent ) shops to 6 others, as they would come available when people went out of biz. You ordered ddecasl with Disneyland on them, and slapped them on EVERYTHING! It ook about 4-5 yeras fro Disney to figure out theat they should be selling the souvenirs!! We had a great variety of shells for collections, and also the small pink murex shells at 3/$1.00! A huge stack of them at all times. Then, we had a huge basket of Ti leaves from Hawaii..also 3/1.00, and we couldn't keep those in stock. We'd sell like at least 4 gross a day. And the other item that was small and sold so well, were the Tiki charm necklaces! They were $1.25 ea.! We hung them off limbs of driftwood, and with a Disneyland decal.. they flew out of there! We had cases of the giant blue butterfly jewelry from Brazil, plus butterflies for collectors. Lots of small tikis, tropical decor.. and whatever.. Then, we had a whole jewelry shopp, too. Dwight Long went in to partners in that with us. He was the one who started me sailing at 12, and got me on a screw for long ocean voyages. He had sailed around the world and wrote the Book "Seven Seas on a ShoeString" and also had a lecture series called "Arm Chair Adventures" and thru him I met Allan Villiers, Irving Johnson, Ed Fabian, Omer Darr, Harry Pidgeon, and other old salts.
The Bazaar was right across from the Jungle River Boats, and we could hop a ride anytime. Any one who worked in Dsineyland knew everyone else and you could go on any of the rides when you had a break. You worked HARD.. but also had a GREAT time socially! I had a 22' Block Islander sail boat at that time, and it was down in Los Angeles Harbor near Terminal Island. My 2 gal friends and I would pack a picnic, invite some cute guys, and when we all got off at 10 PM, we'd dash down to the docks, sail around the harbor until 2 or 3 in the Am, dash back, grab a few hours of sleep and be back at work by 10 the next morn. Ah! Youth!! Aloha! Auntie Bungy

Yahtzee! I just discovered this topic and Aunt Bungy. This thread is one of the best things to come along at tiki Central since...I dont know what. It's cooler than Fonzie. I truly enjoyed reading the memories you've offered.

midnite

More Disneyland!
Walt Disney used to walk around the whole of Disneyland, seeing that all was going well, if it wasan't either he waould speak to whomever right then, or a memo would come in.
My cousin, Billie Lou, was trying to count yesterdays receipts in her car, which was illegally parked inside the Park, and Walt told her hse had to get out NOW!
All individual shops had to have some sort of costume.. ours were shorts, aloha shirts, and Tahitian hand woven pandanus hats which we also sold. We had them in big stacks as they came out of packing crates.. all rolled up inside each other. Then, we had a bucket of water beside the display. Someone want a custom hat? We took one of the soaking hats out of the bucket, shook off the water, and proceeded to shape it and fit it for them, stuck it on their heads, took the $3.95 plus tax.. and off they would go.. happy campers!
We had a real live???? shrunken head from Peru in a big glass battery jar (these used to be in all cars!), and the second year, someone stole it. The Security guards looked all over the jungle rides for it.. thinking maybe someone had hidden it there. They were on the look-out at the front gates too as all went home.. but never found it.. I wonder where he is!!!

We lived in a farm house on 11 acres right across from Disneyland. I used to close out the registers, lock upo the shops, throw the recepits ($4000.) into by bike basket, and head home acroos the parking lot, thru the orange groves, onto Harbor Blvd, cross the street to Katella .. and our home was about a block from Harbor! Thatw as afetr 10:00PM Never felt afraid of traffic or anyhting! What a free life it was!
The Mouskateers had a Christmas Circus.. and they were always needing people to put on the costumes of Disney animals for the Grand March,, so I would try and time my breaks for that time, rush over, grab whatever costume was available (Goofey??) and dance around the Big Top in my costume!
The Big Moosekateer, Roy Williams, became good friends with mother and daddy, and at noon you would always find him, having lunch at our house. His job, besides the show they put on sevral times a day, was to sit on Main Street and draw caricatures of guests, and give them to them.
When they were getting the Indian Village going, daddy strolled over one day, ran into the main Indian Chief, and they both stopped dead cold, called out each other's name, and did big bear hugs! They had known each other in OKla. where, we used to live before coming to CA. Daddy had a Pierce Arrow convertible, and the Chief rode in it in a Parade that some cummunity org. that Daddy belonged to, was putting on!
That's all for now! Folks! Auntie Bungy

Good Morning!
In thinking about life at our Cove.. we were always thinking of adventures.. like.. One day, we got soem barrel staves, fixed up some metal straps across them, which made them into skis.. but where to ski? We looked up the 250 foot cliff behind the house, and said,"Ah! The perfect place!" Flo ann, the oldest sister, could talk me into anyhting! So, she had me scramble up the cliff at about 75 feet, and then, put the skiis on, and take off-- the actual skiing lasted about 3 seconds until I hit the first cactus, and then, it was a tumble down the rest to Flo's feet, where she helped me up, took the skiis and said, "Hmm! They need improving!"
Another adventure was roller skating. Now! Everyone has roller skated.. but we played crack-the-whip around the long line of palm trees, weaving in and out of them, and if we could get together about 6-8 skaters..it was really fun, with the last person either having to let go.. or whamming into a palm tree!
Daddy was always finding these really beat up row boats, and bringing them home for decorating.. but before the job, and under Flo's direction, we would caulk them as best we could, and take off thru the waves and over the rocks, rowing like mad, to get out of the surf. Once out, we 'd row around about 15 minutes (that was the longest time!) before the boat would start sinking, and Flo would yell, "Save the oars!" (They were practically impossible for us to get hold of!) Then, we would have to tow the row boat in to shore.. so daddy could use it!
I really pity kids nowadays, having to be so careful and not allowed to have adventures!! Aloha! Auntie Bungy

I Really can't believe your stories are getting Better and Better Aunt Bungy. When I was a kid, I had to Make All my toys, or I wouldn't have anything to play with. You are right about the kids nowadays not knowing anything about adventure or not knowing how to have fun with no store bought toys.
Thanks for taking timemout to entertain us so well.

Thankyou thankyou Bungy, after reading your stories, I feel like I just read the most satisfying adventure book, and you have my imagination running wild. I can't wait to buy your book! When I first started carving tikis in 98, they were out of drift wood. The hut in the background of this picture was made from driftwood, and bamboo that grows in the riverbed near by. And the tiki below is a necklace I carved from drift wood that I get from the cove in Ventura. My mom told me about how she would buy a shrunken head and a tiki necklace from adventureland when she was little... maybe you sold it to her! Well, Its just so awesome to hear your stories, and I fantasize living your lifestyle as a beach comber!

Here's a pic that was of the "carving yard" at the Katella house next to Disneyland. The big Moai were the one's carved for the Aku Aku room at the Stardust. One of the articles I have says, "they were solid pieces of feather stone from a quarry in northern Nevada." It's pretty crazy that they were shipped back down to Anaheim, then shipped back to Vegas. That must have been quite the task. I wonder if the smaller Moai were carved for Trader Vic's? Those other tikis look familiar but I can't place them.

Aloha Auntie Bungy,

Do you remember one of the Kelbo's owners daughter named Susan?

I talked to her last week. She remembered You and my Mom and hanging out at the Cove. I'll forward you her email and Ph#.

Tiki Tony is the modern day Beachcomber. He's a real nice kid who has much respect for the Hedley past and the ocean.

BenzArt, well....I'm sure all of his toys were carved out of wood. He's a true master of carving wood, and a great guru.

Absolutely amazing stories...Major Props to Aunty Bungy for sharing and to you too RevBambooBen for directing your aunt here to share these wonderful tales and pictures. I have been to the royal palms cove before and it is truly a unique place. Thank You.

Your stories are amazing. The one about the skis had me laughing so hard I was crying. I could just picture it.

Thankyou for taking the time to share your life with us.

These stories and pics are too much. Ben you definitely earned your eye patch for bringin' Aunt Bungy to the fireside.

Chongolio

Lost-Isle
Lost-Isle Trading Post
Barefoot bloggin'

Dear Bungy: This is a voice from the past.. I am Susan ( Jack Bouck's daughter)
Your Dad and My Dad worked together for many years, and we usto come down to the cove. I guess that I was about 7 or 8 years old then (1954). I, like you have many memories of those years.
I found you by way of Ben; my son Dean was on the computer a couple of nights ago and called me because he found many Kelbo's articles and had remembered me talking of Eli's place at Whites Point. Remember the Queen's chair at the tide line ?
It's getting late here so I'll write again tomorrow.

Aloha,
Susan

Hey Susan! Kelbo's daughter! The minute I saw Kelbo's I started hungering for those fantastic pineapple baked spare ribs!! I wrote you an email.. but must have goten your address wrong.. I remember! And the Queens seat, start out at low tide, and wait for it to get higher.. start getting sprayed, then washed over, and finally running for it to get back to shore before you got cut off. Remember the pier (about 20' high?) Johnny Weismuller was making one of his Trader Hall? movies at our place, and he had to dive off that oier. He ran the length and his dive was clean as he pierced the sparkling Pacific! One day, during the filming his good buddy, Duke Kahanamoku came down.. what a thrill!!!
Kelbo's was like a fairyland.. with a whole wall made of battery jars filled with seaweed scapes and lighted so beautifully. The Seaweed scapes were made by a Beaulah Marker, who was an artsit from Los Angeles. She figured out how to preserve the color of the seaweed, and made those especially for Kelbo's.. it was a beautiful, tropical paradise!! AAnd the savory smell was unbelievable!! Hope to see you and ALL sometime in August at Royal Palms!!! Aloha! Auntie Bungy

bungy, I know I've already said this, but it bears repeating -- I am truly loving your stories, every one is inspirational and imagination-stirring. I get a little jump of excitement every time I see you have a new post. Thank you so much for taking the time to share them with us!

And Susan/kelbosdaughter, it's so exciting to see you've joined us, too! I wish I could have seen Kelbo's before it closed, I've heard wonderful things about it. I recently saw this Kelbo's menu/postcard & napkin online at the Los Angeles Public Library, thanks to mrbalihai:

Kelbo's images at the LAPL

Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki

[ Edited by: Humuhumu 2006-01-20 14:59 ]

Iaorana to Tikitony! You looked just like my dad out there in the back 40.. carving those tikis!!! Great!
If your mom bought those tiki necklaces etc. at Disneyland from 1955 to 1960.. then, she got them from us!!! No one was allowed to overstep anyone elses merchandise or theme. That meant that Frontierland shops could only have cowboy/Indian stuff.. and if one shop got something anohter could'nt get it too! So, you see, it was a real scramble to get interesting enough stuff, for the tourist to shop for theri souvenirs at your shop, instead of next door.
It was always a mystery to me how my dad went from being a Beachcomber.. to being super-merchandiser.. and business man!
My cousin, Billie Lou, who is with out a doubt the dearest person on earth!!, was the first manager, then, she taught me book keeping etc., and I took over. I did all the taxes city, county, state, and fed., my dad's personal income tax, bought the merchandise, hired up to 16 girls during the summer months, did all payables and receivables, all the banking, .. and all from a little desk that was about 2 feet long, wiht a 2 file cabinet, and a plug in calculator.. OH! Where was Quicken!
Besides the 2 main shops..some of the other shops we had periodically, were the German Steiff stuffed animals.. I think we were the first distributors on west coast; live turtles! The girls hated this job because each day, when they came to work, they had to throw out the occasional one that had died during the night! We slapped decals on their backs and they sold like hot cakes, along wioth various boxes of food! Potted cactus! Thatw as a mess, because we had to mail those off all the time! Some years later I lived in the middle of the Mojave Desert.. and said, "I can go into the Cactus biz again!!" A "Zoomarang", arrow thru the head, and candy guns corner! The girls didn't much like this one either! They had to wear the arrow thru the head, keep the zoomarand going in and out (it was that rolled up paper on a stick!), and shoot little candy into kids mouths! We sold a lot there!
And there were more.. but , hey! my memory is just so much!!!
Talk on ya later!!! Auntie Bungy

I just found the Disneyland one.. It popped up out of nowhere.. so cancel the one that says I lost it!! Aaaargh! auntie Bungy

Auntie, you paint such fantastic pictures with your words!

Good Morning!
I thought, just for fun, I'd tell about one driftwood "gathering". We were always hunting up and down the coasts for beautiful driftwood, from the middle of Oregon to Guaymas Mexico, that was our hunting ground.
But, for a couple of years, my dad kept eyeballing this one cove, that was just about 1 mile from our home! it was between the Wilder edition of Pt Fermin Prak, and the Main Pt. Fermin Park. For you who livew there.. go take a look sometime!
Anyway.. the cove was down a 250' cliff, and was practically unobtainable.. and.. had a gloriuos ammount of beautiful white driftwood, that had weathered perfectly. Today, there are poaved paths going down to this cove.. but then, it was a dirt path that you had to scramble up and down, so it was impossible to get to.
Well, one morning daddy said, "Boys (he always called we four girls "boys") gather up as much rope as you can and lets go get soem driftwood!" We threw long and shirt pieces into the back of the station wagon, and set off. Only to the top of that cliff! Daddy said, "We'll tie the rope onto the bumper of the car, tie the pieces together, throw it over the cliff, and then, we'll go down there, get us together a big pile of driftwood, and pull 'er up!" We looked at each other na dbegan tying.. another adventure!
After a few odd throw, we finally got the rope down the cliff a reassonable distance, and then we went around to the end of the cliff and scrambled down the path. OH! Beautiful driftwood. Long pieces, short peices, fat pieces, thin pieces, we soon had a BIG bundle all tied and ready to haul up. Flo and Ba went back up the hill and Mare and I stayed with daddy. Pretty soon, Ba yelled down the hill that Flo was ready. So daddy yelled, "OK! Take 'er up!" and very slowly, as Flo moved the car forwadr at the top of the cliff, the driftwood began to inch up the cliff.. then.. it snagged on some cactus! We scrambled up a bit, and undid.. and it started inching up once more. This happened several times, until daddy could see that this method was not going to work, so he said,"Well, boys, I guess we'll have to ride it up!"
All 3 of us grabbed a good handhold on rope, placed our feet firmly against the cliff, under the bundle, which was huge, and then, daddy yelled to start slowly again! So.... we rode that bundle to the top, and every time it woudl get stuck we'd apply our feet togetehr to get it over the obstacle! When, we finally got up to and over the top of the cliff, we collapsed on the ground! What a grand adventure! Th th th that's all for now , folks! Auntie Bungy

I have to chime in and say, thanks for these stories.
They are so easy to visualise, thank's to your great story telling style.
Please keep the stories coming.

Auntie Bungy, you should write a book about this your story telling skills are amazing. Thanks again!

And to think that I won't even drive my car unless my kids are buckled in. Much less pull them up a cliff with my car and some knotted together rope! Underneath a bundle of logs!! Crazy...

Thanks for the story. Great stuff!

Thank you again for all your wonderful stories, bungy! As one who has been to many of the beaches that you talk about here in San Pedro, it is fun to imagine what it would have been like years ago. Some things remain the same though (aside from pay-to-park at the cove?!?!!?WTF!?!?!), like finding cool flotsom on the cobble beaches and the fact that most people still do not go to these beaches and if they do, they only stay near where the paths let out.

did you ever try surfing the cove?

On 2006-01-21 07:29, bungy wrote:
I just found the Disneyland one.. It popped up out of nowhere.. so cancel the one that says I lost it!! Aaaargh! auntie Bungy

Can you post it? I'd love to see it.....

Thank you Bungy! I love reading about your life. Today was pretty tough until I sat down and read your latest post. You made my day. Thanks

Bungy, it is truly a gift you are sharing your stories here, thank you! It makes one aware of how much, and how rapidly things have changed in southern California in the last 50 years...if we can keep the stories recorded, and show the pictures, these places and people are not gone, and will be alive for future generations.

I have a question concerning a decorative piece in my house: In the mid-90s I bought a sunburst tile made out of resin in a red wooden frame at Exotical in Downey, which one of you Hedley gals made it again?

And Susan, how great you made contact, too! I have lots of questions for both of you, but I will have to concentrate on my current project until it's done, and then we'll talk. Here's one: How was Horrace Heidt connected with Kelbo's?

I hope you both have my book and are enjoying it!
Sven

to Bigbro tiki! The sunburst, was probably made at Island Trade store on Beach Blvd. in the late 1960s or early seventies.. and by oldest sister, Flo Ann. She was wroking with daddy at that time, and they were exploring resins! They made tables out of abalone pieces, and other items. I don't remember the sunburst, but I do remember a whole back end of the shop filled with bamboo hanging lamps that were on their way to Alaska! I worked with Flo, when ever I could. She did most of it .. I was just her "go-fer_!
All our children LOVED going to the shop. It was a tropical paradise, with big waterfalls made out of the featherstone with the giant clam shells to hold the different falls and send the water on into a "river". All the cousins, including Bamboo Ben, particularly liked playing hide and go seek! in all the flora and fuana, and also the huts that daddy had built around the grounds. It was a show place for his wares! Later aligator! Auntie Bungy
PS: I just remembered a pix of Ben when he was about three, sitting in one of the giant clam shells!

to Polynesiack! (??) We never thoght about board surfing at the Cove, becaues there was very little surfing done at all at that time. We did body surfing, mainly at Rendondo Beach below those big cliffs. Again, no one there, surfing on boards either, that I can remember. I was amazed when I read the novel, :The Seventh Wave" to find they were surfing there.
One time, we kids went to Rendondo to go surfing with Raymond Burr, who was a friend of the family's. We climbed downt the cliffs and jumped into the water.. it was cold and the surf was up. You could hardly ever catch a full wave and ride it all the way in, most of the time they just buried you into the sand.. each time, i"d surface, with water streaming down, and sand covering every inch of me, there would be Ray, a big smile on his face, having jusy conquered the huge wave by planting his feet in the sand, and letting it wash over him!! Then, when we had enough, we'd go to the fish market at Redondo, and get all kinds of stuff for fish gumbo, that Ray would make over our fire place at the Cove. It was his Pre-Perry Mason time, and he had a WW11 jeep for tansportaion. We all piled into it, hanging off, yelling and shouting, and he would turn KFAC up high on the radio, with a Straus waltz, and he would waltz through the palm trees up and down the Cove!
I love the way San Pedro has developed.. it has hung on to the old flavor, even tho there are so many more people. And.. they've done a great job of bike and running and walking paths.. very user friendly.. and the air.. how much better can you get???! Auntie Bungy

Bungy - sorry to pester you, but I'd love to see the Disneyland photo you said you found... Any chance of posting it here?

to Tangaroa: (I think I was actually there when I crewed on 134' Te Vega, through out French oceana in 1955! Tangaroa, that is!) I don't know how to scan etc.. and I can't think of what photo that was!! I don't think I have any of Disneyland. We were living by a river in Texas, when a 57 foot wave came down .. and in 5 hours had lost everything.. this was in '78! The only thing I could even remember losing after 3 months had passed, was the family photos! All those photos that Bamboo Ben put on, were from him and his mom. They sure were fun to see! Hare maru! Auntie Bungy

On 2006-01-27 15:15, bungy wrote:
to Tangaroa: (I think I was actually there when I crewed on 134' Te Vega, through out French oceana in 1955! Tangaroa, that is!) I don't know how to scan etc.. and I can't think of what photo that was!! I don't think I have any of Disneyland. We were living by a river in Texas, when a 57 foot wave came down .. and in 5 hours had lost everything.. this was in '78! The only thing I could even remember losing after 3 months had passed, was the family photos! All those photos that Bamboo Ben put on, were from him and his mom. They sure were fun to see! Hare maru! Auntie Bungy

Oh well - thanks for looking anyway....

Ben - you have pics of the shop at Disneyland circa 1955-1960 (the year the concessionaires were kicked out...)?

to Tangaroa! Disney actually slowly started not renewing leases of all the concessionaires. They took over the ones that they thought they could easily run themselves first.. and these became pretty generic. Dwiht Long (my sailing mentor since I was 12) started off with us, then he moved to Main Street with cameos and ohter jewelry. The Guatamlan Weavers in the Bazaar staye dthe longest in Adventureland.
An interesting aside! After about 7 or 8 years, Disney opened a private club, for biz owners and execs and their guests. It was hidden on a second floor near Adventrueland, and was the only place that served hard liquor! Many a deal was finalized there.

Ah, Club 33 .
I had the opportunity to have dinner there once. Great memory.
I'm really enjoying your memories too Aunt Bungy.

Dwight Long...didn't he write that book "Seven Seas on a Shoestring"?
And wasn't he the one who made that 50s docu-drama movie "Tanga Tiki"(...or so?) in Tahiti?