Stan

The Can Shooting Up in the Air

Perhaps the backyard and driveway of 1303 Ridge Avenue might tell the story of a big brother placing 45 cal. bullets on top of a U.S. Army Surplus fuel tablet, known as Sterno, lighting the tablet and placing a tin can over it. How high the can would go seemed to depend on the number of times the "experiment" was carried out. Not once, just for the fun of it, but, like an experiment, over and over again. The can seemed to go higher each time—up to 35 feet at least. Perhaps the can was getting lighter from the holes blown in it with each “experiment" though it seemed there were really only dents in the can rather than holes. These "tests" were carried out, needless to say, when parents were not home. Though I imagine that the neighbors heard the noise of the explosions and questioned Mom and Dad about them when they came home. But we boys never heard anything about those complaints.