Pebbly Beach was well stocked with kids. I said earlier that including Lowell and me there was about a dozen. That wasn't accurate because I left out the eight girls that also lived there. I guess my count centered around the boy population that made up our circle of playmates. Danny and Jimmy Williams, Richard Eber, Otis and Raymond Davis, the three Coogan brothers, Ronny White and Eddy and Buddy Seavers. Richard Eber was the oldest at twelve years old. He was sort of the leader. Danny and Buddy were the same age as me. The rest of the boys were in the same age range as my brother. Kinda of a "Rag Tag" bunch.

Then there was the Monica family. The Monicas were comprised of ten kids and two parents all living in a two bedroom house. The only house in the neighborhood with a front yard. The front yard had a low pickett fence, always full of yelling and crying small children. The oldest, about ten, was a girl named Teresa. Teresa was a quite friendly girl. Kinda tall and slim but already pretty with long black hair. All her sibling were boys and meaner than hell. The rest of us neighborhood kids took short cuts through backyards to avoid walking past the Monica yard. The three oldest Monica boys liked to throw rocks at anybody that was foolish enough to get within throwing distance. To stop and argue with the Monica boys was a sure way to bring their mom out of the house. Connie Monica during one of her screaming and crying fits was not a pretty thing. Something to avoid at all cost. The flip side of course was what awaited those mean ass kids if they foolishly ventured out side that pickett fence. I guess all of us had an urge for some pay back. Poor Teresa was caught in the middle. Kept away from anyone but her brothers. Held in "bondage" as a full time babysitter. Her dad was a waiter at a club in Avalon. From what I saw I figure the family had all they could do just to get by.

One fine sunny day Raymond Davis informed the rest of the guys that his dad had bought a television set. I don't think any of us had ever seen TV muchless actually sat down and watched a program. I knew for sure that Lowell and I hadn't.

Raymond and Otis got the OK from Mrs. Davis for brother and me to drop by for a look. We would have to come by after her husband got home from work. He was the only one that knew how to work the contraption.

Sure enough, we saw our first television that afternoon. Channel 5, KTLA. We watched Benny and Cecil and then Captain Video. All this on a Sear Silvertone set with a big old eight inch screen. The reception was good on the make-shift antenna once you got it positioned right. We set in a totally dark room and ate pop corn. Raymonds sister Judy aggravated and picked at me all through the shows. It was fun and life was good. I discovered that girls weren't all bad after all. Hopalong Cassidy and all the rest were just "channel knob" away.