Belmont Living & Bees

My mom and dad lived only a short time with my father's parents. They were able to rent a home in the Lakewood area of Dallas on Belmont. This was a cute home with a front porch. I don't have a lot of memories here because I was still young.

At this time in my young life my mom worked the late shift at TI (Texas Instruments.) I can remember one night my dad clearing all the furniture out of the living and dining room so that he could steam clean the carpets. I'm not sure why I remember this but it is very clear. I have a feeling that my working with my dad made it special to me. I'll have to ask him if he has any memory of this memory.

I also remember playing on the front porch and my mom telling me to not bother the wasp nest and I would be fine. Evidently my curiosity started young because before too long I had been stung. It was the first of many.

Bees, yes I have several memories of their stinging influence on our family. I can recall one afternoon Grant passing a ball with his Uncle Jack in the backyard at my mom and dad’s. My mom and I were watching on and off from the kitchen window. All of a sudden we see Grant swatting at the air. They both ran in the house. Grant wasn't stung but they were swarming all around him and not Jack. I think it was the next day that Grant again was playing in the backyard and all of a sudden those bees were all over him. He couldn't see to get to the house they were all over him and he began to scream as he was trying desperately to get away from them. My dad beat me to him and grabbed him and got him into the house. Those bees were all in his clothes so we started tearing his clothes off of him and stepping on or hitting all the bees we could. They really wanted Grant. It was scary at the time but now we all laugh when we talk about it. It actually was a bit strange.

I recall often seeing my dad come in the back door of our home with bee sting wounds all over his face and hands. Climbing in trees has many dangers beyond just falling.