I've sat here day after day and read the stories about life on the ranch/farm, but there are still some things that nobody has mentioned. How about the other chores, like bringing in the firewood... or hand milking. Hey, farm life can be tough for a little feller. And sometimes, it could be dangerous. When I was a young whippersnapper, (about a hundred years ago), I had to go out and chop firewood. It was always better to cut the firewood in the afternoons, before it got dark. If you didn't hurry, the wolves would be out and smell your sweat, and think that you were an easy meal. I remember sometimes it would be so late they would be tugging at my pants leg as I was bringing in the last armload. Then, I had to go back out and milk the cow. Our old cow had a kind and gentle spirit, but try touching her with cold hands and she would kick the barn down, and/or you'd get your head kicked in. And yep, I had to walk ten miles to school...uphill both ways. The mountain lions caused us to have the highest tardy rate of the whole state. And sometimes, when I'd have to chop wood for the school, I wouldn't get back for days. I'm glad I only had to go to school for eighteen years, or I might not have made it. Yep, young folks just don't know how easy they have it these days.

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), January 30, 2002

Answers

HeHeHe. You musta been freinds with Granpa! That's about the way he tells it too...hehehe.....

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), January 30, 2002.

People like you make this country great! God bless you! Ralph.

-- Ralph Roces (rroces1@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

Up hill both ways ??? Love it !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), January 30, 2002.