Dad's Garage

Photo collection of Midge Frazel

Dad's Garage

There are so many photos of my dad in or near the garage, I had a hard time choosing these photos. My father kept a low lawn chair near the door and was known to sit there and watch the cars go by. 

[Photos left to right: dad and little me, Dad's "Oh s%&*t photo, mom and I sitting on the "woodie", and dad holding his granddaughter in his lap in the garage.]

In the early plat years, the man who lived across the street also liked to sit in a lawn chair on his grass. Ray Fraser, was dying of cancer, and couldn't do much but he could water his grass. My dad would help him with the chair and the garden hose and they would harmoniously water their lawns. I'm sure beer was involved!

One day, a nephew of a house owner, was driving in his uncle's convertible with the top down. Evidently, he did this quite often and he drove too fast for my dad's liking. Dad talked to the uncle about his nephew's speed but the teenager continued to drive fast when his uncle was not watching. Dad had a plan. The next time Ray and my dad were watering, they aimed their hoses at the car as it sped by, blasting water all over the car and the driver. You can imagine the kids reaction? Dad called the uncle right away and "gave him what for" and that was the end of it. Problem solved.

One spring, my dad began to shop for a new station wagon and went to his local car dealer, Dick Cranston, and wanted to test drive a car. Cars were getting bigger and my dad was concerned that he would lose valuable garage space. So, mom and I went with him to pick up the new car. Dad drove the car into the garage and immediately backed out again. "Too big", he said and without another word we returned to the car dealer to get the smaller car. 

My mother was annoyed. I thought my father's logic was great. I wonder what Mr. Cranston thought? Remember, if you can't open the car doors while in the garage you've got a really big problem. I also wonder what people in "The Plat" today are doing with their small one car garages.

After my father died and mom sold his car, the door to the garage began to malfunction. I swear the garage missed my father.