Gary Chavis:  

I guess when I was in High School I was a Hippie type doing what most people my age did during those times. Listening to the Doors and Led Zepplin, the Eagles, Hendrix. Going to the beach surfing and and the Electric Experience. I was one of the early ones I guess a couple of year a head of most. But to my surprize with in two or three years everybody was litening to the Beatle and Zepplin and growing there hair long. I just had some friends who would drive ther van to Berkley Califorina anbd bring back a few things that wwere not readly availbe around Penscola in those days. I use to have several friends in bands like the Shades, Kenny Benton, Eddie Parker, Gene Burlson ( Geno ) and the Scoundrels the bands who played out at the Tiki Lounge and the Place on the Beach back when the Out Rigger and Casino were around partys at the Sugar Bowl and Cross. Uned to go downtown and hang in the park on Firday and Saturday nights durning the bads breaks and then back into the Purple Odessy to jam out to rock and roll. Sometimes taking a drive out to the Taste Freeze at the beach or to Ninth Ave. Recreation Center Pool Hall, Bezoras Beanery, all those places around town, I got around to cop or make little deals.Once I went with my best Buddie Roy Reynolds and a couple other guys to a Pop Festival on a Island in the middle of river on the Texas Lousiana Border and snuck in with with three naked women we meet when we went down to the river after dark and we all swam out to the Island. as we came out of the water holding our cloths over our heads the Motor cycle gang Deoblos were riding around the river banks. Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes were playing some heavy rock. We saw thre days and night of Music. It's Beutiful Day, and dozens of other bands when we leaft just inside the gate we copped $10 worth of Orange sunshine Acid at 5 cents a peiece . It was so cheap because on ther other side of the gate after you left the island were hundreds of narks, so the big deals were getting read of the stuff.A cpuole of days later when we got back to P'cola we went to the Ninth Ave. Pool hall out buy PJC and sold it for $3 and made enought to buy some new surf Boards, but we gave alot away to friends just partying. I was about 16 and the big song was Maggie May by Rod Stuart. Late I lived in Panama Central America for three years while in the Army from age 19 to 22 and had a 35 year old Colombian Girl Friend and when to Colbia and Cali a couple of weekends wirh her. Swam in remote tropical waters falls that only locals know about and go to we ate mushrooms we found in cow pasture on our way from the road to the river and waterfalls. We had brought ice chest with beers and picnic stuff. I hardly spoke a word of Spainish back then but my buddy was from Miami and Colombia and he spoke both languages and my girlfriend just kinda understood me and we both spoke few words of each other languages, a look in someones eye and facial expression can say alot. Nice people lots of smile and maybe 40 people just enjoying a sunny day at the falls and pools. That was back in the day. After High School I was drafted and became a Draftsman in the A Army Corp. of Engrs. went to School in Ft. Bevior in D.C for about a year and then to Panama Canal for 4 years working Directly for the Pan Ara Engr. who ran the Canal. I was only 19 when I was down there and searched the Jungles for years and had a 35 year old Colombian Girlfriend from Cali . Flew down there with her few times for long weekends it was only a couple hundred miles south from Panama. That was the beginning for ...Expand for more