1948 the church bought a motorized mower; it was the original motor on a reel type lawn mower. Wow! What a trip I did not get paid of course, but if I had had money I would have paid to use that thing. It was a modern miracle.Sometimes I was required to clean the church, it was sorta expected that the pastors family was hired when he was. So we accepted it as a family and never thought a thing about getting paid for the tasks. Compared to my buddies my chores were nothing.
(these two pictures were the closest I could come to MY lawnmower!)Some of my buddies were farm boys, not a whole lot of rest for them. Even the ones with small gardens, there were daily jobs. Some boys cooked the evening meal every day, slopped the hogs and fed the stock along with the garden duties. Some of these chores seemed like play to me so I was glad to help when I was around.
But there were days that four or five boys and their dogs had nothing to do but plan mischief, hunt, or go swimming. Hunting was out in the summer so to the river or the creek we went. Sometimes we rode bikes, but most of the time we walked the 3 to 5 miles, through the country and woods. We always picked a tomato or pulled an onion or two from the fields we passed. During the time for apples (green or ripe) we managed to get a few of them. Someone always had salt in a wax paper wad, in their overalls.
Summer was a time of fun. Once you grow up, get out of school, quitting or graduating, you realize you do not get the summer vacation from a job. How disappointing that was I remember it very well.
Thanks for coming by the log.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Good sense and advice from Will Rogers:
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
+018.jpg)
+040aa_edited-1.jpg)
9 comments:
Fun...well that was always after the chores were done, no matter what the season. I loved when school was out for the summer tho. We had lots of horses, so rode every day, played in the creek, made wood whistles and grass whistles, pulled weeds for a fresh meal of steamed green beans, etc, etc, etc . After the hay was made, it always meant a trip to Conners Lake for a swim to get the chaff off our necks. That was a treat. The folks would load all 9 of us kids in the car and we'd sing the whole 20 miles, dreaming of the dip in the lake and the watermelon after. Thanks for conjuring up some summer memories...there are lots more but it would take awhile.
BlessYourHearts and
HappyTrailsToYou
I loved hearing about the lawn mowers and the rise to the best of mowers for you. Ours never graduated from the first picture. We really did not need a mower in the first house I was born in. We had nothing but dirt. I don't even remember weeds. The second was when the mower came in but I can remember my dad with a sickle and a corn knife. Mom telling him not to cut the lilac tree down.
Wow what memories. summers for kids are so different now days. I remember running from shade to shade because the hot sand burned so much on bare feet. My sister and I didn't have many chores either. We had to iron our big flared skirts that were in style in the 50's and take turns washing the supper dishes. Other then that we could run around the town anywhere we wanted without reporting in. We were fond of having a picnic by and old abandoned oil well. Why we chose there I don't know. Charlene, our friend's mama always had some pinto beans cooked and would fill a jar and add an onion. Our mama would give us what ever she had that day. Like Dar I could do on and on but I will say we never said we were bored.
YES JACK, I REMEMBER THE OLD PUSH MOWERS.
A KID WAS SORT OF LOOKED UP TO IF CAPABLE OF ADJUSTING THE MOWERS TO DO A GOOD JOB OF CUTTING.
THOSE MECHANICALLY INCLINED ONES ALSO WERE USUALLY TOP KNOTCH TO TUNE UP THE MODEL-T FORDS.
I WAS GOOD AT HARNESSING A HORSE AND PLOWING WITH A 'DOUBLE SHOVEL' PLOW.
WE WERE SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR FROM THESE MODERN DAY INVENTIONS.
THERE ARE A FEW YOUNG ONES THAT WILL SERIOUSLY SPEND TIME TO LISTEN TO STORIES OF THE OLDER DAYS. MAY OUR LORD'S BLESSINGS BE ON THOSE FOR LISTENING. sam
One thing I've enjoying so much about retirement is the vacation I'm getting. I haven't had a summer off in many years and this is the 1st of more to come (I hope) It feels so good...almost as good as when school was out.
I guess I didn't have any chores except help
clean the Church. Sweeping the basement was
worse with all the dust flying. Like Lucy I remember dirt yards at our Great Great Grandpa's the Judge. We could draw a good hop-scotch in the dirt. "Scotch has two meaning" according to the dictionary. HEE HEE
Shirl
Shirl
and it is so funny, but most "young uns" are so anxious to grow up, not realizing all the responsibilities in growing up and the worst of it, losing 3 months of glorious freedom! with lots of times not much to do with chores, but lots of time to play, explore, hang out with friends, etc. We had one of those push type mowers when I was growing up; I remember it being good for getting lots of exercise LOL.
interesting one or the other of you would carry salt as you guys went about your day; like you knew you would be picking things along the way to enjoy together
great summer memories!
the kids here only get about 2 months off for summer as they take long Christmas and spring breaks, etc so they will be going back to school mid August. Seems not much of a break for me, enjoying those lazy days and not going back until after Labor Day
enjoy the days Jack and Sherry!
betty
What a great mean to measure time. Remember indeed very well to cut grass back at home, in the afternoon stealing corn and apples, eating plums and and and.
What a great difference to children growing up here in the middle of the city. Please have you all a nice Wednesday.
Yes, Jack, I remember the push mower. We had one...maybe two (kind of like a spare ... one to work on and one to mow with.) We used the "grass sling" or some called it a "lazy boy" a lot. You were blessed if your assignment was the mower instead of the sling. LoL One of my main chores was sweeping the church floor and straightening the song books in preparation for the Sunday Services. Wood floors can hold tons of dust. Wads of chewing gum had to be removed from the benches too. In the winter kindling wood and coal had to be brought in for the fire in the old pot-bellied heater. But summertime - after the chores - there was the watermelon or ice cream and going to the river to swim. Hot lazy crazy days of summer we played in the old railroad box cars which were sitting on the side-track, waiting for a load of horse hames. Sneaking a smoke of "roll your own" tobacco such as Prince Albert or Old North State or Duke's Mixture was part of summer too. Rabbit tobacco was also available part of the time. You stirred up too many memories here.
Post a Comment