I am a city slicker or town dude, from Kensett. Never really had to do chores. Maybe mow the lawn, rake the leaves, shovel the snow, but nothing on a regular basis. So, I think my parents thought that I needed an education about what life really was about? Or maybe it was that I actually had friends that lived on farms? Which ever the case, I ended up visiting at two rural locations:
Robert Hall's home - My mother dropped me off and of course had to chat with Mrs. Hall. While waiting on the chit chat, I picked up a rock on their drive way and nonchalantly tossed it aside. Unfortunately, it hit a chicken on the head and killed it!! I was totally embarrassed and immediately wanted to go home. Mrs. Hall was very understanding, insisting that I stay and that they would have chicken for dinner that night.
Dick Brunsvold's home - They had a horse. I reluctantly got on it while my mother was looking on and probably thinking that I was finally getting a taste of the real world. The horse immediately took off for the barn. The barn door was what I call a dutch door with the top part closed. The horse was smart enough to duck, but I wasn't, I was holding on for dear life. It is only one of two times, in my life, that I have been knocked unconscious. The visit was cut short.
To this day, I have never liked horses, but chicken is one of my favorite foods. Such is life.
Robert Hall's home - My mother dropped me off and of course had to chat with Mrs. Hall. While waiting on the chit chat, I picked up a rock on their drive way and nonchalantly tossed it aside. Unfortunately, it hit a chicken on the head and killed it!! I was totally embarrassed and immediately wanted to go home. Mrs. Hall was very understanding, insisting that I stay and that they would have chicken for dinner that night.
Dick Brunsvold's home - They had a horse. I reluctantly got on it while my mother was looking on and probably thinking that I was finally getting a taste of the real world. The horse immediately took off for the barn. The barn door was what I call a dutch door with the top part closed. The horse was smart enough to duck, but I wasn't, I was holding on for dear life. It is only one of two times, in my life, that I have been knocked unconscious. The visit was cut short.
To this day, I have never liked horses, but chicken is one of my favorite foods. Such is life.
We also had horses on our farm, and the familiar phrase was "barn-blind", meaning wherever you were, a horse would prefer to be in the barn, and if he/she got free rein, would go there. Our doors were cut so the top half could not be closed unless the bottom half was also closed, but when they were both open and the horse smelled "home" the risk was getting your leg slammed between the door jamb and the horse.
ReplyDeleteIt happened to me on more than one occasion, and the funny thing was, the horse was normally at a full gallop when we hit the barn door!
These two stories take first prize. They are so funny!!
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