House Down Dirt Lane is a fiction novel that incorporates many real events. Below are the chapters that are either entirely based on true events or include many factual occurrences. Chapter 1, Plumbbob Hood: Nevada Test Site, Area 9 (True, but the characters are fiction)
Operation Plumbbob was a series of nuclear bomb tests. The largest was Hood.
Occurred July 5, 1957.
Hood was the largest atmospheric test ever conducted at the Nevada Test Site.
2200 Marines participated along.
We meet our fictitious protagonist Samantha Livingston and Captain Peter Wilson.
The mushroom cloud from Hood went 45,000 feet into the atmosphere.
The wind direction was north and northeast.
Area 9 is just southwest from top secret area 51.
Chapter 2, No Tresspassing (Mostly fiction, but the duck club and swamp are real)
The Bear River Bird Refuge is huge, 74,000 acres
The Bear River and the Millionaire Dollar Duck Clubs exist near Brigham City
My friends and I spent much time in the marshlands. In the dark, it could get spooky. Our imaginations would run wild with what was deep in the murky water, just wanting to grab our ankles. Especially after watching the 1975 movie, Jaws.
Chapter 3, Junkyard Man (True)
Chapter 3 is true. My family, the Thompson (fiction name) family, lived across the street from a car junkyard. A man lived in one of the cars. The rumor was that the police let him stay in a jail cell during the winter.
Chapter 5, The Cellar (Mostly fiction, but the house, the old man, and the old woman existed)
The old man and old woman existed. They were mysterious folk who kept to themselves and one day disappeared.
The house down Dirt Lane had stood for years. Once abandoned, it deteriorated slowly and soon earned a reputation as the neighborhood haunted house. Visiting it at midnight on a Friday became an adrenaline rush.
Chapter 6, Jack and Johnny (True)
This chapter happened as written. My great friend Kevin (Johnny) was an incredibly athletic person. We always competed against each other as part of our play and friendship. One day, we started throwing large softball-sized rocks at a burn barrel. I was stupid and stepped in front of him as he threw. Boom, the rock hit my head, causing a large gash and stitches.
Chapter 9, Stitches (Mostly True)
I did get stitches in my head after walking in front of Johnny when he threw a huge rock at the burn barrel. It was a different visit to the doctor when I received a shot in my arm and the needle went deep into the bone. I fainted and I remember my arm was black and blue for days. The next time I visited the doctor and they were going to give me a shot, I fled to the car and locked myself in, relying on my trusty blue star Converse to outrun the nurse :)
Chapter 11, Peeping Tom (True)
Yes, this chapter is true, and things happened as I describe them in my book, with a few changes. It was a scary night. Teenagers sometimes don't think before acting, but my trusty Daisy BB gun was by my side. I still have that BB gun.
Chapter 12, Jack's Friends (True)
Yes, this chapter happened as I wrote it. The day Tracy (Bitsui) moved to our school, he had to hold a dictionary up against the wall with his nose, and yes, after 5 minutes longer than anyone ever held it up, he had a flattened nose against his his face. Tracy peed on that electric fence. One friend accurately described Tracy. He had no fear and loved to test boundaries.
Jeff (Larry) is introduced, and we were close childhood friends experiencing many adventures. We loved his older brothers and probably teased them too much.
The exploration in this chapter was a great adventure, and then chapter 13 happened.
Chapter 13, Elmer Fudd (True)
You all will enjoy Elmer. I laugh today when I think of him and our run-ins with him. My description of him in this chapter is spot on, and the events happened as I wrote them. The shotgun, the truck, all of it happened.
Chapter 14, The Hole (Some of this happened)
While wandering the car junkyard one day, we stumbled upon a large board near the junkyard owner's car. Beneath it lay a mysterious hole. Tammie and I found the courage to explore it. Descending a ladder, we entered a cement room with some old furnishings, yet full of bugs, spiders, a dead rat, and dust. Our imaginations ran wild in that eerie space, inspiring the creation of this chapter and a few after this from those memories.
Chapter 18, Time to Go (Tracking Device)
I needed a way for the antagonists to track Samantha. Although modern GPS didn't exist in the late '60s or '70s, I discovered that pioneering GPS technology emerged during that time. The Navy utilized a rudimentary GPS system, involving a few satellites and the Doppler Effect, to monitor nuclear submarines. This early form of GPS existed and contributed to the development of today's GPS technology, validating the tracking device element in this chapter.
Chapter 19, The Chicken Coop (True)
The events detailed in this chapter are true. While Tammie and others were present during our exploration of the chicken coop, I chose to focus on Johnny, Bitsui, Larry, and Jack. The only access to the basement was through the cement hole, where we attempted to catch mice as pets. We stumbled upon blood and eventually found ourselves on the roof. Then Elmer came racing down the road, cherry bomb mufflers popping and engine roaring. I was the only one caught, and sole target of his anger, an experience etched into my memory forever.
Chapter 23, A New Friend (True)
Lucy moved to Brigham City in the 3rd grade. I enjoyed her humble and friendly personality. She was a good friend. The first day, I remember her at the monkey bars and some older boys, about three years older, teasing her. Johnny, Bitsui, Larry, and Jack came to her rescue, and because of Johnny, Bitsui, and Larry's reputation, we scared them off. The pants episode really happened.
Chapter 24 and 25, The Sleepout and Awakened (Mostly True)
Indeed, both of these chapters are based on real experiences. We frequently had sleepouts in backyards, sharing ghost stories late into the night. We'd often venture past midnight to explore places, including the eerie house down dirtlLane. The house descriptions in this chapter are close to reality, including the mysterious jars in the cellar. Summoning our courage, we dared to enter that spooky, spider-infested cellar, even in the dead of night.
Chapter 28, A Beehive and Snowballs (True)
Larry found a beehive in a tree at the car junkyard. We created a contest to see who could hold a stick in the tree the longest. We all ended up with stings on our heads and faces, and they swelled up just like in the book. I still remember what it felt like to get stung on my upper lip.
Chapter 29, Arrival (True)
It's one of my favorite chapters because this did happen. However, in real life, we backfired on an FBI agent, not a CIA agent. We didn't know the person was FBI. He wasn't happy and hauled us into the police station, where we received a thorough scolding. The real embarrassment though was when our classmates passed us by, as described in the chapter.
Chapter 41, The Duck Pond (Mostly True)
Much of what happened in that chapter was based on real events. The scene at the duck pond during sunset, with hundreds of ducks landing, was especially vivid and true to life. The pond was beautiful, full of swamp plants, and a lot of wildlife. Many other events in the chapter also actually occurred, though not all of them.
Chapter 45, Farewell
Let me just say with this chapter, I grew up with many great and wonderful friends. In my neighborhood alone, there were probably 20 kids who I could have inserted into these stories. We had many other incredible adventures, some of which I might include in the next book. To Kevin, Tracy, and Jeff, I miss you guys, but we will meet again ❤️ NOTE: In my neighborhood I had many friends. With them we had other incredible adventures. Watch for them in the sequel.
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