Jeans

When we moved to Chisago City, MN, my mother, for whatever reason, always dressed me different then my brother.  I was never allowed to wear jeans like him, always khakis and a button down Ivy League shirt.  I felt that I could get into Yale just for the cloths I wore.  One day in the eighth grade I revolted and after breakfast, snuck back upstairs and took my brothers old ratty jeans he wore around the house and put them on and ran for the bus stop.  Little did I know that I would be setting a trend, albeit 50 some odd years later, with blown out knees and rips across the thighs and without a belt they hung so low I thought I would trip.  It was one of those, “what the fuck is that kid wearing” kind of days.  Needless to say I went back to wearing Khakis’.  Never did make Yale.  Being stupid, I could have been President.

Longest Ferris wheel ride

Tales from the Backyard… One year a small traveling carnival  came to Chisago City (my home town) and set up next to and in the park in front of the then Post Office.  Around six, my friend Ron and I started to walk around and as a storm was approaching (in those days you had to look up not on a screen and no weather alerts) we decided to be the first on the Ferris wheel to beat the storm.  We were loaded and the operator was moving us to the top to load more passengers when this big gust of wind hit and down came the torrential rain and hail accompanied with flashes of lightning and the immediate sound of thunder.  Everyone ran for cover, including the operator.  We had nowhere to hide and were pelted mercilessly for about 20 minutes as we went round and round, laughing all the way.   When out popped the sun and we finished the ride soaking wet,  we weren't even charge us extra for the extra long experience.

The Red Bellied snake attack

Tales from the Backyard…  We had family friends we used to visit while on the farm and they had a son my age (Dennis) and we were good friends and even when we moved to Forest Lake, I used to hike back out to where he lived and play for the day.  I was ten and full of adventure.  Their neighbors had a barn full of stuff, one of which was an old rail road hand truck, the kind used for moving workmen along the tracks by pumping up and down on the handles.  We got excited and thought we would put it on the tracks again and take off for parts unknown, but it was so heavy we couldn’t even lift one corner.  On the way home along the tracks I surprised a Red Bellied snake basking in the sun.  Rather than slink away, he started to attack.  Luckily the railroad bed is made of rocks and at ten nothing got away alive, but by the time I finally hit it with one, I think I had made a hole about a foot deep; such was my accuracy with throwing objects.  Later

Very first job

Tales from the back yard…   When I turned 10, I was able to work and I got a job at Houles Berry farm in Forest lake picking strawberries.  After toiling away in the hot June sun that first day, I realized that this was not going to be my career and after making 70 cents for the day, I quit.  That was the first of many jobs I would have in my life that I would just walk off.  No 2 week notice, just see ya.  Hey, it worked fine for me.

Spring Rain

Tales from the Backyard…  Sitting on the back porch looking out at the various flower beds, sipping an iced tea having just come in from weeding, nothing spectacular at this time of season, our tween time.  The spring showy flowers have come and gone, then the Irises with their spectacular blooms (thank you the Presby Memorial Historic Iris Gardens for your contributions) and only a few left amongst the slender stalks of flowers past.  The peonies have come and gone in days, it’s so dry.  A fluffy cloud passes and drops a few sprinkles, not enough to moisten the dry soil.  Looking out I see the Hollyhocks have come in bloom, how did they take over my yard.  The Salvia is in full bloom in the bee garden and is being used.  The apple trees have for the first time in 20 years, little bunches of apples.  The plumb had a full complement of fruit but they all fell off,   its coming down this week, as well as the ornamental pear.   Janice said she is going shopping, “what kind of beer do I want, Sam I said”.  She leaves as another cloud passes from west to east as usual and she said “looks like more sprinkles”.  The cloud does a 90 degree turn to the house and by the time she gets to the end of the driveway its pouring.  That was 40 min. ago and it hasn’t stopped. The lightning is so intense Chip is barking to chase it away, and Cady is shivering, something she has never done.  She crawls in my lap and immediately stops, then hops down and goes inside.   Janice just got home, the backyard is awash, from the sprinkles I guess.  Did I mention I love my back yard.

Thunder storms

Tales from the Backyard…Probably the best days of growing up on the farm was when it stormed.  The lightning would flash and the wind would howl in the trees and rain would fall and it was time for my brother and I to go out and round up all the pretend cattle in the woods.  We would mount our pretend horses and off we would go, running madly through the storms, from one end of the woods to the other, much to my mother chagrin, but she didn't stop us.  One storm the wind was especially bad and trees started crashing to the ground around us and here she comes through the rain and wind and falling trees to collect us from the storms wrath.  She couldn't call us in, the wind was too loud.  We didn't resist… After we moved to town and my brother got sick with Rheumatic Fever, we were never close again.

Boat vs Van

 Tales from the Backyard…  Heather mentioned we are  looking at another boat and it got me to thinking of all the misadventures I have had in boats.  The first I will relate to you is after a day of family fishing the mouth of the Williamson River in Mass., I brought the boat back to the ramp and docked.  I told my son of 14 to back it back out and trailer it, after I brought the van and trailer back down.  He was ecstatic, but the current was at its steepest, sideways to the ramp and my son, after 3 failed attempts to bring it in straight, just said he couldn't so he brought it to the dock and everyone switched places.  As my family and onlookers were watching, I backed up, came in slightly against the tide and revved it a little and up the trailer we went.  A little too fast and I hit the winch station hard and bounced back, which knocked me forward and down I went with my hand still on the throttle and off we went again, I hit the winch and bent it over and into the back of the van I went, a perfect ten, as I hit dead center of both doors.  Even above the roar of the engine I could hear the gasps of the onlookers.  Nothing to do now but take a bow and start laughing.