MAPLE CREEK MEMORIES XII
BIG YELLOW SCHOOL BUS
Part III
Now and then, during these six fast years, we had floods. Did we ever have floods. When it was dry, it was very, very dry and when it was wet, it flooded. Our route, no matter which one, was beset with low water crossings (no flood control dams had been built then,) so we were at the mercy of the weather. And the weather ain't too merciful sometimes. Maple Creek, Lower Buck Road, Blue Town Road, the hard road at the end of Blue Town Road and even the four lane near town. And with a flood, it ain't a case of being late, you just are not there at all.
One merry morning in my junior year in high school we were just rolling along. At the low point on Maple Creek, we went through with no problem, the water was just at the bottom of the pavement at the high-banked curve. There was backwater at the entrance to Lower Buck Creek Road but only about six inches or so. At the dip on Lower Buck (if you have traveled it you know where it is, if you haven't, it is unimportant,) the water was two or three inches over the road at the very bottom of the dip. No problem, we rolled along.
At the railroad bridge near Inez, near where we had a bus wreck one time, the water was about a foot or so below the road so we crept slowly by and headed on to Swamp Hollow. Here we could see that the water had flooded all the bottomland of the dairy farm and we told the driver he should turn around and take us home, that he wouldn't be able to get through on Blue Town Road, past Blue Creek. He didn't listen, of course, he had a job to do.
The water was not quite into the road at two places near Swamp Hollow that were susceptible to floding and we rolled along. We started down Blue Town Road and did really well until we got to Blue Creek Road. we were supposed to go up that road but there was about two or three feet of water covering it at the lowest point we could see from Blue Town Road. So we went up the grade and turned down toward the camp. And here there was about a foot of water over the road. We stopped. The driver got out and looked. Back on the bus. And he got out and looked again. Then he mounted that old International and took us through. After that nothing could save us. We were bound for school and neither hell nor high water would keep us from it. He was just determined to get us to school that day.
He did. And was met at the high school by the superintendent of transportation, who told him to turn it around and take us back home, that the forecast was for a swift ride on the river. They were closing all the schools for the day. So off we roll again. When we got back to the turn off to Blue Town Road, the hard road was closed in two places, but we were able to get across the bridge and proceed down Blue Town. The water was now about a foot-and-a-half of water over the road. But old Buster took us through. With a mighty bow wave, the old bus made it through and made it to the top of the grade before it coughed and sputtered and died. After a number of tries, it finally sprang back into life and we were off again on our mid-morning hegira.
Water over the road at both places near Swamp Hollow. We went through and rolled along. Water just breaching the road at Inez. We rolled along. Dirty brown water swirling about a foot deep at the dip. We rolled along. backwater visible all the way along Lower Buck to the hard road. We rolled along.
Water covering one full lane at the high-bank curve at Maple Creek. We moved to upper lane and rolled along. I rode the bus all the way up Maple Creek road and he turned the bus around. We broke speed records coming back down Maple Creek Road to my house. I was the only kid left on the bus. When I got off I wished him luck getting home. He lived about two miles farther south on the hard road, but there was one more place the water usually got over he road before he would get there. He took off fast and told me later what occurred.
He turned right onto the hard road. He noticed there was no traffic. He rolled along. He drove to the top of the hill and started down to Jones Creek. WHOA UP, BUCKO! Jones Creek backwater completely closed the hard road with about four feet of water. She'll drive, but she won't float. Buster had to back it up about a quarter-mile to the drive-in near the top of the hill and get home by canoe and shanks mare
Part III
Now and then, during these six fast years, we had floods. Did we ever have floods. When it was dry, it was very, very dry and when it was wet, it flooded. Our route, no matter which one, was beset with low water crossings (no flood control dams had been built then,) so we were at the mercy of the weather. And the weather ain't too merciful sometimes. Maple Creek, Lower Buck Road, Blue Town Road, the hard road at the end of Blue Town Road and even the four lane near town. And with a flood, it ain't a case of being late, you just are not there at all.
One merry morning in my junior year in high school we were just rolling along. At the low point on Maple Creek, we went through with no problem, the water was just at the bottom of the pavement at the high-banked curve. There was backwater at the entrance to Lower Buck Creek Road but only about six inches or so. At the dip on Lower Buck (if you have traveled it you know where it is, if you haven't, it is unimportant,) the water was two or three inches over the road at the very bottom of the dip. No problem, we rolled along.
At the railroad bridge near Inez, near where we had a bus wreck one time, the water was about a foot or so below the road so we crept slowly by and headed on to Swamp Hollow. Here we could see that the water had flooded all the bottomland of the dairy farm and we told the driver he should turn around and take us home, that he wouldn't be able to get through on Blue Town Road, past Blue Creek. He didn't listen, of course, he had a job to do.
The water was not quite into the road at two places near Swamp Hollow that were susceptible to floding and we rolled along. We started down Blue Town Road and did really well until we got to Blue Creek Road. we were supposed to go up that road but there was about two or three feet of water covering it at the lowest point we could see from Blue Town Road. So we went up the grade and turned down toward the camp. And here there was about a foot of water over the road. We stopped. The driver got out and looked. Back on the bus. And he got out and looked again. Then he mounted that old International and took us through. After that nothing could save us. We were bound for school and neither hell nor high water would keep us from it. He was just determined to get us to school that day.
He did. And was met at the high school by the superintendent of transportation, who told him to turn it around and take us back home, that the forecast was for a swift ride on the river. They were closing all the schools for the day. So off we roll again. When we got back to the turn off to Blue Town Road, the hard road was closed in two places, but we were able to get across the bridge and proceed down Blue Town. The water was now about a foot-and-a-half of water over the road. But old Buster took us through. With a mighty bow wave, the old bus made it through and made it to the top of the grade before it coughed and sputtered and died. After a number of tries, it finally sprang back into life and we were off again on our mid-morning hegira.
Water over the road at both places near Swamp Hollow. We went through and rolled along. Water just breaching the road at Inez. We rolled along. Dirty brown water swirling about a foot deep at the dip. We rolled along. backwater visible all the way along Lower Buck to the hard road. We rolled along.
Water covering one full lane at the high-bank curve at Maple Creek. We moved to upper lane and rolled along. I rode the bus all the way up Maple Creek road and he turned the bus around. We broke speed records coming back down Maple Creek Road to my house. I was the only kid left on the bus. When I got off I wished him luck getting home. He lived about two miles farther south on the hard road, but there was one more place the water usually got over he road before he would get there. He took off fast and told me later what occurred.
He turned right onto the hard road. He noticed there was no traffic. He rolled along. He drove to the top of the hill and started down to Jones Creek. WHOA UP, BUCKO! Jones Creek backwater completely closed the hard road with about four feet of water. She'll drive, but she won't float. Buster had to back it up about a quarter-mile to the drive-in near the top of the hill and get home by canoe and shanks mare
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