OT:Farmboy memories #2

1. Reaching into a clay drain tile on the creek bank only to have a small blue crawdad latch onto my finger.
2. Marveling at the line with dots either side in the muddy bottom of a flooded cow path viewed through clear water of a broken drainage tile. A turtle passed that way.
3. Carrying the twine pail for my father as he lassoed a corn shock he had just set up.
4. Watching my father take the horse blanket off the ’29 Chevy sitting in the driveway out by the road, 1/4 mile from the house. Snow hip deep to me.
5. Mother washing my hair with the “soft” rain water from the pitcher pump connected to the cistern outside the house.
6. Climbing the hay loft ladder with a Coleman gas lantern hissing and hot by letting it hang in the crook of my elbow and to hang it on a special nail so that I could see to drag loose hay down to the chute. Family fortunes at risk by a 12 year old boy: barn, livestock, lively hood. Thought nothing of it, saved dad some time.
7. Reaching down into the very cold water of the milk can cooling tank to retrieve a bottle of pop. Only available on special events.
8. Nearly winding (damaging the lungs) of a team of horses pulling a 3 section wooden drag by not resting them at the field ends. Had been driving a tractor for several years and father wanted me to “learn something about working with horses” when all he really wanted was for them to get some spring exercise so they would be more docile while on the two row corn planter. I walked in the soft spring plowing behind the drag feeling grumpy and cared little for the horses. Felt bad when I saw what I had nearly done to those greys. Wasn’t their fault.
9. Catching and carrying two pairs of white leghorns flapping and squawking to the chicken house on the night of the “big getting ready for winter”. White blobs up in the apple trees.
10. Five years old, hip deep in big white chickens with my little pail of grain. Witnessed chicken judgement if a chicken couldn’t hold it’s head up properly, getting pecked to death by the other “normal” chickens. Missed the significance of the rooster crowing while sitting on the handle of an axe stuck in a stump in the middle of the chicken yard.

makes me think of the coal fired furnace we had. Every fall dad would drive to WVA (he had dump trucks) and bring home a load of coal that we had to shovel in to the coal bin. I think it was early 70's we got gas forced air - really misssed the warmth of that old furnace. Chores associated with it too - something kids now days could sure use. Now days they don't know where thier food comes from and don't have an appreciation for what it takes to heat the house. I heat with mostly wood and the grandboys are learning what that means.

I had the 6 yr old grandson hold the wrench on the bolts I was installing to reattach the running boards on the pu. Even though I could easily have reached around and done it myself. It is important to teach them some work experience and gives them a feeling of self worth. Young kids are eager to learn and want to do the right thing but we need to take the time and teach them even though we could do it faster our self.

I was working alone on a war-time Farmall H this afternoon and thinking of a couple of pretty foxy young girls. I suppose they are old women now. It's kinda sad when you remember back the times you could've, and you didn't.... And you regret it.

Going to the cellar to get carrots for supper for mom from a crock filled with sand. Carrying water to 40 hogs in 2 12qt. pails 100yards from the water tank. Getting a whippin after younger brothers had a egg fight in the chicken house. Iwas oldest, so was my fault for not watching them. Getting to drink watered down coffee from Grandpa's burlap jug at haying time. Driving B JD of grandpa's to pull slings of hay into haymow.

Yup.

I grew up on a small farm in the 50's and 60's and didn't know anybody that didn't have chores to do before and after school. It's just how life was.

I try to involve my younger grandson (14) whenever I can. He's helped me build a new tool shed, helped with splitting and stacking firewood (wants to start learning to run the saw this year) and helped me and Grandma butcher chickens for the freezer this year. Did the nasty stuff too, the killing, dunking and plucking. Gives me some hope.

After stacking a full wagon load of hay in the mow, 90 degrees outside, probably 120 in mow, coming down to the milkhouse, pulling out a 10 gallon can, pooring the top of can full of cream from top and drinking it.
Driving the Farmall H when I was so young i had to jump off seat to reach brakes or clutch.
Climbing up in silo in winter to throw down sileage to fill carts to feed cows.
Getting up at 5Am in winter to milk, feeling the warmth of cows in barn.
Thowing 60 lb bales of alfalfa hay up 4 bales high onto haywagon. Bales weighed mor than I did.LOL!
Getting kicked while trying to put milking machine on a newly freshened heifer.
Best of all, the smell of drying hay!!

Right on! Had my grandson (3) help dig a hole to transplant a tree. Watched him with his little spade get the feel of good earth. Job took a little longer though! Also helped him discover potatoes "hiding in the ground". Much fun.

Leo

All of that stuff (minus the cream, I can barely tolerate milk...) and my favorite smell was freshly chopped corn silage.

I'm only 50 so I don't have any farmboy memories but soon I will lose my tie to them as my dad is 91 and not good. But i cherish the notion that I can ask any question about horse farming, or the depression, the Nazis, or the "old days" and learn something. Here is a man that went, literally from walking around to the "space age". A simple farmer who Piloted a B-17 at age 23 ( ask a 23 yr old to do that now). No, my memories are with him. I enjoy them as he tells them. some funny. some sad. But most a lot more pleasant than todays Modern memories.