Well I have to chime in
looking back over 70 plus years when I was a child on the farm there was no
television. I recall my dad telling me that someday in the future I would
be able to see pictures that would come through the "ether veins" in
the air like the sound on radio and I would be able to see the people talking.
But there was radio! My dad, I thought, was the smartest man in the world.
I was most assuredly my daddy's girl. When the neighbors had problems with
their radios or telephones they would call my dad.
My dad made a cabinet – like affair to set our radio on. It was about a
yard long and a little over a foot wide and probably about 16 inches deep
standing on four square legs. He varnished it a Mahoney color.
There were three compartments in the back of the cabinet making it possible to
put a car battery on either side of the middle compartment. The middle
compartment was for the speaker to the radio. On the front of the cabinet
dad bored round holes in the front of where the speaker sits. He designed
the holes to represent a square, probably a foot on all four sides with many
holes within the square that allowed the sound to escape for us to listen to.
Currently it is down in the basement. I don’t know what condition it is
in. It has been years since I could go down there. I occasionally mention
it to the boys but they have not brought it up for me to see yet.
The telephones in those days were oblong boxes that were mounted on the wall.
Ours had an adjustable thin "silver colored" mouthpiece about ten
inches long that could be adjusted up and down to the serve the height of the
speaker. The mouthpiece itself was round and about the size of the top of a
small coffee cup. It had a receiver that extended on a cord from the
side with a “U” like cradle to hang the receiver upside down in and the
weight of the receiver would pull the “U” down and terminated the call.
In those days each owner was assigned a designated number of short and/or
long rings and that was your personal "ring". There were also
special rings for fire and other things that they wanted to alert people about.
You memorized everyone’s ring and had the ability to listen in on other
people’s conversations. I remember one lady listening in so much it must
have been her entertainment of the day. My dad called her a “rubber
necker”!
One of the parts to this kind of telephone was a large magnet shaped in a long
U. I loved to play with it to pick up or attach it to all kinds of metal
things. I can still feel it now as the metal snapped to it!
I was instructed very sternly to not walk in front of the telephone when an
electrical storm was in progress. There had been instances when people had
been knocked down by a ball of fire coming from the telephone when the phone was
hit by lightning. They got my attention and I was careful to not walk in
front of it during an electrical storm. Or to bend very low to the floor
and hurry quickly by.
And also mom told me never to be around the dog at those times because dogs drew
lightning and not to use anything metal like scissors, carrying a bucket or any
thing metal.
But I always felt safe with my dad and he and I would sometimes sit out on the
well-protected porch and he would talk to me about the lightning as it streaked
across the sky. He explained to me the lightning was following the veins
in the sky and they were like veins that the radio sounds followed!
I loved to go with my dad when he was called to fix the radio or phone etc. If
they had children that was all the better but many times there were not any
children. But I never had a hard time entertaining myself. Sometimes
dad would forget me and have to come back after me. I always told the
people that my daddy would come back and get me! I never worried because I knew
he would be back.
One particular place I remember going was to an old bachelor’s home and he
took the daily paper. He saved them and gave the comics to me when I came.
They were in color and I always looked forward to getting them. His name
was Gus Sinner. I could hardly wait until I got home and mom would hold me
on her lap and read them to me. My all time favorite was the Katzjammer Kids.
The folks bought me a little oblong book about the Katzjammer Kids, which I
still have; however it does show it’s hard use when I was a child but all the
pages are there.
I was only allowed to listen to the radio for just so long every day, because it
ran on the car battery. When the battery got low or we needed it for
the car dad just unhooked it from the radio and put it in the car. The car would
recharge it.
There would always be an evening time that mom and dad and I would listen
together to various programs. One of the programs I remember was Major
Bowes Amateur hour. Ted Mack was the emcee. I loved to hear Kate
Smith sing. God Bless America, boy could she belt it out and make me feel
so proud to live in America.
Dad made me a crystal set. It had a little fine wire called a cat whisker
with a small knob on to guide it over the crystal and you could find various
programs. It was mounted on a little black square of a hard substance. You had
what dad called a "head set" to hear with.
The little transistor radios of today and their headpieces are much smaller and
are lightweight. These were much larger round circles with a hole in the
center of the part that was placed over your ear. They were made of a black
substance, the same material that the telephone receivers were and you had a
large adjustable deal that went over your head that you could adjust to fit your
head and ears. They were heavy.
The set took no battery it just came over what dad called the "ether
veins" in the sky. He used to tell me when we saw a bolt of
lightening to watch how the lightning was followed the veins in the sky that was
how the sound of radio traveled over. I was allowed to listen to the
crystal set to my hearts content. Really neat for a little girl.
Well if you have stayed with me to the end thanks for listening.
God Bless you all, Addie here
My 2002 Christmas Season
started out this year with The Christmas Carol, a story that brings back
childhood memories of my mother reading the story of Scrooge and little Tim to
me as she held me on her lap.
This year has really gone fast for me. Gary and Loraine came in January
and took me home with them to Thumb’s Point on South Hutchinson Island, FL.
We left here the 24th and got back April 24. I was pleasantly surprised
that I stood the trip so well going down but coming home was another story.
While sitting on the beach and jetty it was hard to believe there was a “cold
world in Kansas”! Rarely a day went by that Loraine didn’t wheel
me down to the jetty! So much to see besides the boats going in and out of
the inlet and the kite skiers skiing & sailing in and off the beach!
Dolphins, blue herons, cormorants, manatees, sea gulls, pelicans & little
ruddy turnstones hunting desperately for scraps of bait or stealing from the
fishermen. I do so enjoy listening to and watching the ocean rolling &
crashing in. I sit in wonder of it all. Our God is such a good
and powerful God! They also took me to Jensen Beach and put me in a blue
padded chair with an umbrella on top & had large rubber yellow wheels.
When they rolled me down on the beach Bill dug a hole down in the sand for the
wheels so I could be level & and get my feet in the water. I love the
ocean & better yet if I can get my feet in it! Lori dug a hole so the
water would pool under my feet as the waves came crashing in! I tell you
the Hickman clan is quite a site to see! Fun to see the onlookers watch us
& I expect they would not care to be mistaken for relatives of ours!
When we were going down the ramp, Bill was behind the chair and Lori in front to
help and especially pull out over the sand. Bill kept talking to himself
he didn’t know if he could do this & Lori kept saying you can do it, you
can do it. I get so tickled at those two kids! Coming back up from
the beach when we got to the ramp, Bill was walking backward behind the chair
and Lori in front pushing on the chair handles to help him & Loraine was
pushing on Lori’s rear to help her while Gary was rolling the video! I
was singing to them “Mule train’! Lori got so tickled and said
“stop Granny I am laughing so hard I can’t push!” Then when we had
to turn a corner to go on up another ramp the big umbrella about sideswiped a
man holding a little boy that were just standing there watching us. The little boy had such an amusing look on his
face. After we turned in the chair & I got in my wheel chair and they
started for the car, I guess Loraine thought we were heading for the stairs with
steps and she said don’t take her down there & and I said “Oh No don’t
throw mama under the train”! And that got the attention of onlookers as
well as keeping everyone in stitches! One guy was starting down a stairway
and stopped and backed up just to watch us. Anyway I was having a blast & I
think the kids were too. Such a silly bunch!
One day they took me to Felsmore Canal C 54 to see the manatees we heard were
there. There were a lot of them. Several would pop their heads up
out of the water all at one time. It was fun to watch them do their dive-like
roll showing their round back and fan-like tail as they rolled!
In February Gary and Loraine took me on a cruise on the ship Fantasy to the
Bahamas. It was a trip to be remembered. Riding up the glassed elevators
that overlooked a rotunda allowing you to look at all the floors as you passed
them by in all their beauty and activities. Thanks to Gary’s “man
power” I was able to get on all floors except the very top one. They
took some memorable pictures that help trigger various memories! I did so
enjoy it all! The cabin we had was handicap accessible and I was so
surprised how big it was. It also had a huge bathroom. There were four
bunks, two beds on two sides of the room with a beautiful table and display at
the foot of the beds in the corner with a TV above. The top bunks folded
up into the wall. Loraine took a top one leaving the bottom one for Gary to be
able to get up and take care of my needs. Since I had not completely
recovered from bronchitis they put me to bed in the afternoons for a little
while and it seemed to refresh me so I was ready to go again and on into the
night. One
night was formal dress night for dinner. Loraine fixed me all up. The
first time in my life that I ever had eyeliner on or whatever you call it!
There was night entertainment and daytime also. So much you could not take it
all in. I enjoyed the leisurely breakfasts on the deck overlooking the
little kids pool on the next deck below and the big wide ocean to watch! I
always enjoy watching little kids anytime anywhere!
There were all kinds of eating rooms it seemed to me. And you could go any
time day or night and they would fix for you. Some of the ice sculptures
were unbelievable on display with the fruits!
The Bahamas were a surprise to me. I had in my head they were not so
pretty and well kept. There is a lot of history to see there and the straw
market was quite an experience and it was a beautiful area.
The last night coming home quite a storm hit us and delayed our getting into
port. In other words that night you could have considered yourself
“rocked” to sleep!
Gary’s daughter, Lori, and Bill are still in Orlando, FL and busy with their
watson@gardencritters.com
business. Bill is quite artistic and does beautiful work and they have
favored me with several of his creations. Take a look at their site.
I know you will enjoy it. Lori helped take care of me while I was at
Gary’s when they came down and took me to church and so many things. We
spent quality time together and had such good talks. We must have been
quite the site going down the streets, me in my wheel chair and she on her
roller blades “tooling” me down to the jetty with me leading
her little dog “Baby” on a leash! Talking about Baby – Lori
and Loraine took me one day to a beach park for a picnic. It was too hot
in the car to leave Baby so put her on the leash and I led her into the park
while Lori pushed me. The Park Attendant said no dogs allowed. Well
now what! Quick thinking Lori spouted out, “it’s granny’s hearing
aid dog and kept on going. Then Baby brought things to a halt as she squatted
and done a job! Lori looked at the attendant and said, “I suppose you
want me to clean that up” and he said yes and she did. We continued on
and I could hardly contain myself! Then we ate right by the
lifeguard but he didn’t say a word. Lori kept telling me not to talk but
to make signs I was supposed to not be able to hear or talk. We both were
giggling so hard people had to think we were nuts. Loraine distanced
herself from us somewhat I think we even embarrassed her! Lori doesn’t
forget her old granny and calls me regularly.
I have a very caring family and praise the Lord for them. They shower me
with calls and Terry and Addie never pass up an opportunity to favor this old
granny with so many things. If a package arrives the first thing I think about,
I bet it’s from Terry! Kin calls everyday and some times more than once.
I rarely miss a day without a call from Gary no matter where he travels.
You know the thought out of site out of mind; apparently not so as no matter
where he travels he calls, even from out in the ocean when he was out fishing in
Hawaii! I could not believe how clear his voice was!
In July Kin took me to the old Settler’s picnic in Oskaloosa. I like to
go on the day that they have the hay bale throwing completion. The sun was
shining brightly as we arrived Kin told me to put on my sun hat. I
wondered why really because he always settles me in the shade. But I put
it on but when I got settled in I took it off. There was a method to his
madness that I didn’t tumble to until I heard him talking to his friend Rick.
About a week before, I think he got tired of my complaining that I needed a
haircut. Anyway he decided he would cut it himself. I was most
willing as when my hair gets a little long it drives me mad! He got out
the clippers and comb and scissors and tied a deal around my neck and we were in
business and a lot of hair began to pile up on the floor! Toward the end
he was complaining about my cal lick how it always gives him a fit every time he
combs my hair and he was going to fix that he said so he went to work on my cal
lick! He clipped and clipped. I finally asked him if anyone could
see a bald spot back there and he replied, “Only if the sun shines on it!”
Anyway my hair ended up SHORT but I was glad to have it cut. When Amanda
came and saw it she had a fit and told her dad never to cut my hair again! So I
wondered what LeAnna would say when she saw it but she didn’t say anything;
however Kin said she had plenty to say out of my earshot!
Anyway I had to laugh after the picnic when I heard Kin telling Rick he wanted
me to wear my hat so people wouldn’t think I had had Chemo! I had a
wonderful time at the picnic short hair and all and I am about ready for him to
give me another hair cut! It is getting too long!
While I was in Florida Loraine kept my hair trimmed all the time and washed it
and fixed it daily like I like with the bangs in front. I am no longer
able to keep my hair myself as my shoulders and arms will not allow me to.
Apparently my body oxygen was becoming depleted and when I got home I ended up
being sent to a Lung Specialist. When I arrived at his office they put a
thing on my finger and the buzzer went off and wouldn’t shut up. When I
asked them what was going on he told me it revealed that I was not getting
enough oxygen. So they put me on 3 liters day and night for a while.
I grew very tired of dragging that “tail” around everywhere I went.
Fortunately I no longer need it in the daytime only at night.
Lenney is retired and he and Arlena are still living in suburbs of Atlanta, GA.
Arlena is quite active in her Quilters’ Guild. They came up early in the
fall for a week and will also spend Christmas with us. Arlena is always kept
busy running the household and Lenney fixing things on the computer etc and
spoiling me by putting me to bed each night and giving me a goodnight kiss!
Their son, Terry and family are still in the suburbs of Cincinnati, OH where he
maintains Internal Technology Auditing for Procter and Gamble. He travels all
over the world auditing and maintaining their computers, in fact, he had to
cancel a trip to see me in September because of an emergency in CA.
But he & Addie did come to see me in October and stayed a few days, and as
usual granny kept him busy doing things especially on the computer! I miss him
so much since he has a family as he had always spoiled his old granny by coming
to see her often. Addie’s children, Anthony; is living at home and
Angela has an apartment & going to college and working also.
Gary’s son, Arlain, and family moved to Couerd’Alene, ID earlier this year
before school started so Jennifer can further her career. I was quite
surprised when I learned they were moving, as I had thought if they moved out of
CA it would be back to Florida where he still owns his house. Arlain is a
Physical Therapist at a local hospital there.
Gary and Loraine came in September for my birthday. They took me to Kennedy’s
timber for a wiener roast and plain old reminiscing of days gone by when Cliff
and I lived on the farm! I love to smell the wood fire! It was
great. They not only took me once but also took me three times while they
were here. Gary took me to several doctors’ appointments to save Kin from
taking off work.
Whoever comes to see me is kept busy but they seem to come back for more.
However, this summer when Gary was here I think I had everyone including the
neighbors upset with me as well as my claimed kids, Jim & Ruby, who were
helping Gary because I was insisting I should be able to get better reception on
my Sky Angel dish. But after all I put them through I have finally come to the
conclusion I had better be happy with what I can get it and be more patient when
I can’t. But since the leaves are off the trees, I am getting wonderful
reception. I do so love some of the channels they have, the 3 Angel’s
Broadcasting Channel and Safe Channel are my favorites. The regular TV has so
much on it that I just plain do not care to watch. I feel so fortunate
that Jim saw to it that I got the dish. A church brother, Ray Carrick came &
provided the cable and helped Jim & Ruby set it all up for me.
My birthday brought so many cards and then calls from all of the family and one
of the most enjoyable was from my “little greats” Sammy, 8 and Katie, 10.
They each sang “Happy Birthday” and talked awhile to me. Katie first
and then Sammy came on and he gave a new “little twist” to the song!
He is getting to be quite a conversationalist. He was all thrilled about
his granddad, Gary, was going to bring him a 22 caliber pellet air riffle that
he was going to pass on down to him. He was so excited. He got to
talking
about “generation after generation” how he was going to hand it down to his
son and so on and on. I interjected and said what if you don’t have a
son but have a little girl. That set him back for just a minute and then
he said he would just adopt a son. Then he hurried on to say he was
not going to get married anyway. He wanted to know if his granddad was
adopted and I told him no he was my boy and he said did you ever get married!
We had quite a conversation. I miss those little ones so much since
they are gone from Florida.
Kin takes me for rides now and then in the country and Oh how I love to see the
fields, crops and then the fall leaves. It all reminds me of Cliff, and
our life on the farm! How I miss that old man! This year Kin had a
hard time scheduling the fall trip on a decent day, as the weather was not
cooperating. But at last he said if we didn’t go the leaves were falling
so fast they would be gone. It had been so dreary looking and no sun, and
drizzling rain off and on. He took me out east of town over roads I
never remember going over before. Oh the beauty of going around & through
the rolling wooded hills and bluffs! We even saw a small flock of turkeys
cross the road! The leaves were beautiful even though no sun on them. Some
of the trees shaped so pretty and perfect and others that looked like they had
been through the mill but the leaves were still pretty. The beauty
reminded me of our Creator. While the world has gone through devastating
happenings the Creator’s beautiful handy work still shines through it all.
Praise the Lord.
I treasure the time Kin takes from his busy life to spend with me. He
always manages to come at least a couple times a week when I’m here alone to
just visit and play cards. Amazing what we talk about while enjoying our
games. If he thinks of me as a burden it never shows through, and for that I am
most grateful, as I know I am a mess! Kin still works for KDOT and LeAnna
still with State Cosmetology Dept.
Kin still has his hunting and show dogs. In the spring of 2002, Grand Champion
Evans Creek Nellie won Grand Champion Female at the Kansas State Coonhound Bench
Show and went on to win opposite sex Kansas State Show Champion of 2002.
Nellie was sired by Grand Nite Champion Grand Show Champion, Evans Creek
Willie, another hound raised and trained by Kin. Elvis, a littermate of
Nellie’s made Show Champion, Grand Show Champion and Nite Champion
during this summer. Their dam was a Dual Grand Champion Female owned by a
friend of Kin’s.
I love to hear the stories of Kin’s hunting and trapping experiences.
They are quite entertaining to me. It is not unusual for him to receive
requests from farmers to come and trap various animals that are causing
problems. This fall one of Kin’s friends, Brian, had some live traps set at an
old farmer’s barn. Brian asked Kin how to get a skunk out of a live trap
without getting stunk up. They discussed different methods like dunking it
in a barrel of water or throwing a blanket over it etc. They finally went out to
the barn where the skunk was. The old farmer, Brian said, was pretty upset
because he had just bought a bunch of feed and had it all stored in by the skunk
and wasn’t liking the fact that things were going to be pretty smelly in
there. When they got there the old farmer was gone, but he had left the
skunk for Brian but had a blanket and a bucket sitting near by. Kin went over to
the trap and started talking to the skunk calling him “Pepe ‘Le Pue” and
started slowly rolling the cage over so the door would fall open. Brian was
trying to get some wire off the wall and made a sudden bang, the skunk jumped,
Kin jumped, and Kin told Brian not to do that again! Brain was standing off
about 30 feet away by the barn door ready to run if the skunk started his way!
Kin continued slowly rolling the cage over, all the time saying softly “poor
little Pepe ‘Le Pue and the skunk was kept busy trying to keep on it’s feet
and the door fell open and the skunk ran off!
No spray!
Kin’s daughter, Amanda broke her right leg Oct. 7th, in gym and had surgery on
it putting in a plate and 5 screws, as well as a larger screw in her ankle
joint. The incision is all of 5 inches long. Since then she
has no been able to come as often as before. I miss her daily visits, help
and calls so much. Earlier this month she was thrilled to get rid of her
crutches and then her cast. She has to wear a brace but limps along
happily! Needless to say the break ended her Tennis for the year.
She plays on the Varsity Team. Thankfully she had already lettered in
Tennis. She went to Tennis Camp this summer and played in matches and
tournaments! Her Regionals were in progress when the accident happened. We
play a lot of table games in this family and one time while spending a couple
days at Kin’ s together she wanted us to play a new game she had. I
never really got it learned but LeAnna struck a bargain with her that we would
learn her game if she would then learn to play “5 point pitch”. She
accepted the challenge and now whips the “socks” off her granny all the
time. She will be 16 in January and is a Sophomore and has her
limited driver’s license. She continues to be on the honor roll.
She is a very special girl to her old granny.
I am still living alone and praising the Lord ever day for keeping me mobile.
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Holiday Season and a Good New Year.
God’s Blessing to you all and let us be Ready for Jesus to come. Can’t
be long now!
Addie here at 642 in Topeka December 23, 2002
Eleanor's strawberry story
brought to mind some precious memories of my own when my big boys were little
and we lived on the farm.
It was mentioned earlier that stories about children were needed so I have some
running through my mind I would like to share.
These were the wonderful days of our youthful years on the farm. We lived
back in a pasture, yard fenced with the south edge a creek bank, we called the
creek the branch! Behind our house was a dense timber called Kennedy's
Timber. With a patch of good rich flat ground called The Slocum Patch down
over the bank which lay east of the branch and south of Kennedy's timber.
Both pieces of land got their names by the previous owner. The Slocum
Patch when my husband, Cliff's, dad purchased it, it was solid timber.
Cliff remembers helping his dad clear the land for planting. The trees had
to be cut and the stumps removed. That was no easy task. It was all
done with horses in those days. No tractor to pull the stumps out. There
was a lot of digging involved and
hard work.
Our home took on the name of The Painted House! The house sit in the
middle of the fenced yard with an orchard and grape vines to the back, east,
against Kennedy's Timber. The name Painted House came about when Gary was
little. Cliff's brother, Hick, who was a bus driver here in Topeka (which is
about 40 miles south east of the farm), came up on his days off and helped
around the farm. He decided to paint the house. So he painted the
top half of the two story house while I painted the bottom half. He used a big
wide brush and I used a smaller one perhaps 3 inches wide. Hick always laughed
and said he never saw anyone paint so fast with a small brush as I did. I
loved to paint but because of my weakness could not use a bigger and heavier
brush. I loved to paint so much and wish I still could. Gary was just a wee
one! Gary called it the painted house when he talked about the house and
the family took on that name. There is quite a story about that time
as well. And I shall have to bore you with it.
It was one summer during harvest time. My husband, Cliff, combined
wheat and oats for other people and was often very late in getting home. He also
had a truck and would haul their grain to the elevator. Hick and I
would do the chores. Because of my weakness, I could not milk so Hick
would do that. However this one night after painting, Hick, without
changing his paint clothes went to the barn to milk and the old cow went
berserk! He was wet with milk and cow doo doo all over him when he
came to the house and some very fancy Hickman words were coming out of his mouth
as well! The old cow had him down on the ground and really worked him over even though she was in
stansions (can't spell). He said he would never milk another cow and he
kept his word!
The moral of the story don't milk the cows with paint all over your clothes!
Gary learned to milk at a very early age though and found he had to do a lot of
it.
There is a story about the Slocum Patch and Kennedy's Timber I must tell you as
well. To get to the Slocum Patch Cliff would go through Kennedy's Timber.
Gary was very little and could hardly talk but he was an outdoor boy.
Could not be kept in the house and there is a story there also. Anyway Cliff has
always told him not to go into Kennedy's Timber. He saw his dad go
into the timber to go down and check the Slocum Patch and he started to follow
him. Cliff saw him so hid in the bushes and when he got close he growled like a bear. Gary turned around and ran as fast as his
little legs could carry him up over the cave he came flying. However we
had a big white dog named, "Bugs" and thought Gary was playing
so he chased him and he would grab his pants leg and throw him down several
times until Gary got his fill of it and he hauled off and bit Bugs, I think on
the ear. Anyway Bugs yelped and left him alone and Gary came around to the west
side of the house and I was on the porch doing something and he said,
"Mama, Mama something went GRR at Gary!" Then before long
Cliff came around the corner griinning. It was funny but looking back that
was really dumb of us to scare him like that. But he stayed out of
Kennedy's Timber until he was big enough to know how to get around.
Another story about Gary and Kennedy's Timber is the gooseberry episode.
My mom and I went gooseberry picking in Kennedy's Timber one day. Gary
went with us and was his first experience with gooseberry bushes. Gary
always wanted to help with everything. And he walked right into the middle
of the bush to pick the gooseberries he saw before I could stop him. The
branches with thorns of course surrounded him even his face area. Needless
to say he learned quickly that gooseberry bushes has "stickers" you
have to watch out for! He was so young I doubt he even remembers it.
There is also a story about the gooseberry bushes and Hick, my husband's
brother. This was before I was born. My mother was a girl and about
Hick's age. She was a close friend to Hick's first cousin, Prude
Wagonseller. They (Kids) were in Kennedy's timber playing. There were
grape vines that they swung on. Hick was rather a "show off"
(that may not be the right word) and anyway he was bragging of his capabilities
on a grape vine. And just then swung out over some gooseberry bushes and
the vine broke and Hick went in the gooseberry bushes. My mother always
laughed and told that story on Hick. He remembered it well also.
Now to get to the Strawberry story I started out to tell. The strawberry
patch was maybe an eighth of a mile west of the house Gary and Lenney were not
very old, perhaps Gary was in school but Lenney was not. There are four
years difference in age. Cliff's brother, Hick, had planted a
strawberry patch and worked in it on his days off. The boys would go with
him. Gary was old enough to pick the strawberries but Lenney thought it
more fun to eat them and give his Uncle a little bit of excitement. Hick
always took the team and wagon to the patch and one day while Hick was in the
patch working, Lenney, got in the wagon and started the horses on the run in a
circle at a hard gallop! Since Lenney was not very big, Hick got
excited and jumped the fence and tried to catch the team and kept hollering at
Lenney to stop them. Whether Lenney could have or not I don't know but
Hick decided the only way he was ever going to catch them was cut across the circle which he did. If I remember right
Hick threatened not to take him again, but he always did!
Well if you have stayed with me to the end I want to say thank you and God Bless
you all. These have brought other precious memories as well but better
stop while hopefully I am ahead!!! Addie here
Hi all! Got here Sat
night safe and sound. The trip went better than I expected. We
stayed at Murphysboro, TN the first night and the second night Lake City Fla.
Then took a slow day on down toward Ft. Pierce to South Hutchinson Island where
Gary and Loraine lives. Of course had to stop at Russel Stover's at
Wildwood and browse! Then on to Orlando to the granddaughter's, Lori and
husband. We all went to Cosco to get my wiener that I like so much!
We got here to the house in the evening and they got me settled in my bedroom.
I have a big double windows overlooking the cove. Sunday there was lots of
activity in the cove. Many boats with fishermen going out to fish! I
thought when we got here boy I was not going to get out of the house Sunday at
all but just rest mainly. But they dangled a "Sam's wiener"
under my nose and away we went! Then in the evening around 9 ish Gary
wanted to know if I wanted to go for a walk in the moon light. Full moon.
So we went for a walk, Loraine, Gary and I (me in the wheel chair)- they took me
down to the beach and sit on the "boardwalk" several feet
"atop" the beach. Listening to the waves crashing in - what a
great sound and what an awesome thought of God's great creation. How He
sets boundary lines and times and measure even the tide - all a mystery to
me. The moon - what beauty as it shone down on the tops of the waves
making a long silver line glittering and glistening as the water moved. Reflection down toward me from the tops of those waves
presented a great show!
They have set up me a couple tables in my bedroom, one overlooking the cove that
I can read, write or whatever from and then one with a computer on so I can do
whatever I want on the computer. They have loaded my FTM so I can work on
it when I like.
I miss my Jake (a big blue heron that was here on my first trip down here).
However he has been replaced by a little Jake! They are two different
kinds of herons but I try to tell Gary this is a baby Heron. But of course
it is not! Anyway he is Baby Jake to me! This morning he walked all
along the sea wall and hunted for bugs etc. I watched as he craned his
neck upward stretching along one of the boat lifts. All of a sudden I saw
something drop from the lift and was caught mid air by Baby Jake and swallowed!
It took him a little while to get it down. Loraine said it was a lizard.
I saw a Cormorant was fishing this morning. And fish are jummping!
The Cormorant would disappear under water for a while and then up with his long
neck out of the water and then back under again.
Quite amazing how I shed my coats along the way coming down here (changing from
heavy to lighter ones) until at last I wanted no coat at all. Well I will
go for now. But wanted to let you know I am here safe and sound and
thought along the way that the juice you were drinking was really working!
Thanks to you all and God Bless each of you. Addie here in Florida