Because of the abundant peach orchards in Turlock at the time, the canals were used for irrigation.
As a kid, about 7 or so, they seemed huge and very daunting in my memory. There were smaller irrigation concrete canals, but there were some that were large, like small rivers. They had concrete bridges or control systems and as the water went through these, it rushed out the other side into what seemed like a raging river of water headed places unknown at a very fast pace.
We were armed with inner tubes, you know the real ones that you can't just buy at a department store. The ones that left black smudges on your body after the fun was all done.
Under direction of my father we would stand at the edge of the concrete, gripping the tube we now had around our waist, nervously gazing into what seemed like an impossible precipice and contemplating a seemingly not so intelligent decision to jump.
Dad pushed us as long as I can remember to do things we thought we could not or did not want to do. I am glad of that now, it bred adventure into us. A desire to try things we wouldn't normally try, to have the guts to push ourselves and the knowledge to know that when we did, we loved it.
We weren't the only kiddos or persons here at the canal doing this crazy thing, there were lots of people there as I remember. Dad had not just dreamed this up, he had done it himself and there were times later when he joined us in this feat. The sight of other kids doing this crazy thing, I knew it wasn't going to kill me. But the fear was still there to start. So resolving to not baby out, I took the first jump into the scary rushing water. It was exhilarating to say the least. Fun beyond measure but even more than that, I had taken the plunge, I had broken a barrier, I had accomplished something I thought I couldn't. I overcame fear.
OK, so here is the next seriously scary part. We are in the rushing water now and we have had the next steps explained to us in great detail. With a warning that could not be overlooked. How do we get out of this water that was now carrying us down the river like canal. Dad had explained with every ounce of you better do what I say or else tone, what we were to do after all the fun of jumping in and floating like crazy fun kids.
He is following us down the side on land, reminding of us now of these details. Up ahead there was a cable that went across the canal. (we are going much slower at that point, but scary none the less) We are to grab that cable as we went under it. This is how we are going to come out of the canal. HUH? I know that my mom was on the sidelines too so I knew I wasn't going to die. But his warning included things like, "if you miss that cable you will float on down the river and we don't know how you will get out." Sounds a little mean, but it worked.
He was telling us now from the sidelines, how close we were getting to it. Giving us the play by play, what to do next, what to expect. And of course threatening that we had better catch that cable. Now I know that had one of us missed it, we were not in danger. He would have jumped in and floated us to safety, but I wasn't thinking that way at the time. I was now in tunnel vision - the cable!
We got the cable in our sights and I can remember the fear came right back. It seemed in my mind like a life or death situation. I was like an athlete in the Olympics, I have one shot at this and I had better ace it! So we had our eyes riveted on that cable. Determination abounded. And I know the first time we did this, we were petrified!
When my hands reached out and grabbed that cable, excitement and relief and pure adulation came over me. I made it! We all made it! We hand walked that cable over to the side, dad pulled us out and immediately we started the run back to the concrete to do it all over again.
We then begged all too often for him to take us to do this thing we now loved over and over and over again. What an amazing thing to do!
This is not the only irrigation adventure in California, what a playground!
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