That is for you Helen!

Day 89, "Every picture has a story"

I am posting this picture mainly for sister Helen.  I often give her a bad time about her not working on the farm but here is proof that I am wrong, unless she just got on the M for a picture.  No I am sure that is not the case.  The last time I worked on the farm was the summer of 1966 and I am sure Helen did a lot of work after that as she graduated in 1968 and then left for greener pastures so to speak.  Now about the picture as there are several things to mention.  First the "M" tractor that Helen is sitting on.  It was the work horse of our farm along with the Ford tractor.  The M was fitted with a front end loader for many things.  For one thing it was used to hold up a beef or pig when we butchered!  It pulled the 3 bottom plow.  It was used for pulling the disc in summer fallow land.  It pulled the corn planter and the corn picker and was used to pull the combine.  You may notice the can on the exhaust, well that was to keep the rain out.  No need to have an exhaust with the flapper on so it would be down when the tractor was shut off!  The tractor in the back ground, I have no idea where that came from as it looks too new for our farm.  My basketball hoop is still up as you can see.  That is where I shot 1000s of balls.  It is hard to see BUT I believe it was not used after I left as it looks like there is tall grass everywhere.  I did hone my shooting skills there BUT my dribbling skills were not so much on the bumpy dirt!  The car that you see, it may be an old car that was no long used and should have gone to car heaven but Dad did not bother to take it there.  The electrical pole by the barn.  That is the pole that I would shimmy up to lie on the barn roof and dream about what life beyond the farm may be like.  Many days I did that and I would always lie on the west side so Mom and Dad could not see me!  The south side of the barn, that is just beyond the new looking tractor, was a great place.  That south wall was where I would smooth out the barnyard soil and then spent hours throwing the rubber ball against the barn.  As I did that I became Eddie Matthews or Johnny Logan or Bill Bruton or Joe Adcock.  I always fielded the ball and would throw out the runner at home base or second or third or first.  Just for the record Eddie Matthew's fielding % was .944 in 1956 but I believe mine was .980!!!  I was quite the star back then!!!  A person can not see what those windows look like BUT I am guessing there is some broken glass in them as that was always the case when I lived at home.  As you can see this picture has MANY stores told here and many more yet to come!  One last thing.  Oh my I hope Helen did not get too close to the power take off as that hair may have been history "for sure".

I had my team meeting yesterday and everyone came except for one who was sick.  Later in the day I got a note that one of the guys can not play on Wednesday.  Why he did not tell me at the meeting I do not understand.  Things like that make being a captain less than fun.  I did go for a longer bike ride just to clear my head and I don't think it did the trick.  Come on Carmen, lighten up!

These new "smart phones" I think are just way out in left field.  Terry and I purchased new phones about a month ago.  Thursday I put the alarm on mine for a 30 minute nap.  The alarm went off and and I got up.  When I went to look at my phone there was a message on it and it read, "snoring 8 minutes and 39 seconds ago!"  What the heck is that all about???

The tiles did not get up on the roof yesterday.  I parked the car over at the pool for nothing.  Maybe Monday.  

In the spring of 1961 I was kind of ready to be finished with grade school.  I had my 100+ book reports in, I had OK grades and I was looking forward to high school.  In early May I sat in the back seat of the bus as it pulled out of the Cayuga School yard.  I saw where Larry, Jack, Walter and others were walking to the east ball field at school for a new game.  I thought well that will not be the case next year, me going home at 3:30 and them playing ball.  I also had some news to tell Mom and Dad and I was not sure if I was excited about it.  Mrs. Odenbrit had asked me to stay in the room for a bit during lunch hour as she wanted to talk to me.  She had gotten a call from the county superintendent and I had been picked to go to Bismarck for a government day.  I was excited and not so much.  Mrs. Olson, the county superintendent would drive me and a girl from Forman to Bismarck next week.  We would drive up on a Tuesday morning and take in an afternoon government session.  Then on Wednesday we would tour the capital and the governors home and take in another session.  After 2 nights in a hotel we would come home on Thursday.  I mean it sounded like fun but yet I was so shy that I did not really want to ride with her and a girl all that way.  I remember sitting in the back seat and saying little or nothing.  Now staying in a hotel, that would be a first for me and maybe would be fun.   Today, that trip is kind of a blur.  One of the pictures that burned in our house on the farm was of me sitting in the assembly in the capital.  I think that I was so shy and so uncultured that the entire trip kind of went over my head.  I do remember being kind of proud that I was picked and I could tell Mrs. Odenbrit was happy for me too.  I also remember Dad gave me $3 to spend while I was there.  I do not remember if I spent it.  That is about as close as I ever came to being involved in any kind of government thing!  I should add that the "uncultured" thing has been me pretty much my entire life.

Story done, FP gone and it is on to other things this Sunday.