GILBERT FARM WIVES, 1919

My Aunt Lynn (Myrtle Dobson) took this picture of farm wives at “the Cunningham sale” near the farming community of Gilbert, Idaho, in the summer of 1919. I suspect that the Cunninghams were selling out and leaving the area. It’s the only photo of this type that I find in my grandmother’s collection. I think it was a poignant occasion. The small farmers, many of whom were original homesteaders in the area, were selling out. Perhaps Ina foresaw that this group would not be together again. The Gilbert post office closed in 1920, meaning that their hopes for a real town had not materialized.

It doesn’t matter about the event. In fact, 100 years later, even the identities don’t matter very much. These were hardworking farm wives of the pre-electrification era. The picture speaks to me without words, as I hope it does to you.

The women are Identified as follows:

Standing, l. to r.: Mrs. Wells, Mrs. Cordell, Bertha Dobson, Ida Chandler Dickson, Ida McCain, Ina Dobson (my grandmother), Mrs. Dieterle, Mrs. Trutton, Kate Lugar (standing behind Mrs. Laura Moss), Effie Hill, Mrs. Reese, Mrs. Phar.

Seated, l. to r.: Mrs. Cunningham, Grandma Chandler, Emma Pratt, Mildred Boehm.

Bertha Dobson was my grandmother’s sister, affectionately called “Aunt” by Ina’s children. Ida Chandler Dickson, called “Ida-Ben” to distinguish her from another “Aunt Ida,” was married to Bertha and Ina’s brother, Ben Dickson.  

Mrs. Cordell and her son Jay were guests at Ina’s Christmas Eve parties, as were John and Mildred Boehm. Someone told me that Jay Cordell was interested in courting Aunt Shirley, but when Henry Shockley came along, he backed off. KW

MORE WORK THAN WE EXPECTED

Son Milo was with us for Thanksgiving. No turkey and dressing for us. I roasted a couple of pheasant breasts the old-fashioned way – in the oven – wrapped in bacon and smothered in sour cream. The resulting sauce was delicious over baked potatoes. Milo brought a pumpkin pie, so the meal was an easy fix.

Devastation discovered Nov. 15

As you might recall, on our last trip to the farm, we discovered that the maple tree in the yard had suffered yet another wind event that left the yard a mess of limbs and branches, so Friday, we took sons Milo and Clint with us to the farm to clear the debris. “It’s no big deal,” we said. “It won’t take long. It’s probably an hour’s work. We'll be home for lunch.”

“It looks like a lot of work to me,” observed brother Chuck as he looked at the picture of the mess. And he was right!

4-wheeler fun

It took the three of them four hours. Mike did the sawing while Milo and Clint made a dozen trips to the burn pile on the other side of the pond with the 4-wheeler and trailer. Once the delimbing was done, Mike cut the branches into firewood, and again, it was more than we expected.

 

 

 

 

Hallie said she was sorry to miss the “Family Fun Day,” and based on the photo I texted to her, she immediately observed that Mike still wasn’t letting anyone else use the saw. That wasn’t lost on the boys either. “When we’re 50, will we be old enough to use the saw, Dad?” queried Milo.

 

At any rate, we are so grateful we had the help to clean up that mess. As Mike put it, it amounted to 12 man hours. It was probably more than the two of us could have done in a day. 

Pocket gopher mounds

We had two mice in traps. I’ll spare you the details. I reset the traps, but I forgot to bring more with me, which was unfortunate because I see that the little pests are cavorting throughout the first floor. The rodent problem in the yard has escalated. Fortunately, I had the time to work those over with my applicator. KW

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

A postcard greeting, 1913

 

READING THE WEATHER

Our lives have been revolutionized by the ability to check online for the weather report. Mike wouldn’t think of planning a hunting trip, a visit to the farm, or a bike ride without checking his weather app.

Some years back, a son gifted us with a digital weather station, and we were hooked. Eventually, we upgraded to one that would give us more info, but last summer the anemometer (wind measure) wore out, and we missed having that piece of info. A few weeks ago, an older unit we were using in bedroom also quit, so Mike decided to do a total upgrade of our weather equipment.

First, he replaced the bedroom unit and his clock radio with a simple digital thermometer and clock. 

 

 

 

Next, he upgraded the main unit, which required replacing the new sensor on the garage. (A picture is worth a thousand words.) I did not enjoy being the assistant, especially when I had to climb the ladder to give him the wrench he dropped. Just attaching it to the garage took over an hour, but he persevered, got it done, and hit the “easy” button. 

 

 

The receiver sits on the organ, as did the other one, and it gives us all sorts of information – time and date, indoor and outdoor temp, wind speed and direction, the amount of precipitation, humidity, barometric pressure, etc.

My dad was also a weather-watcher and would have loved the digital weather station and the apps, even though he wasn't born to the digital age. He kept a close eye on the thermometer outside the kitchen window, and he daily tapped his barometer, which hung on the living room wall outside his studio. After he died, we used the barometer in his memory until it broke a few years ago. There was no reason to keep it after that, but my memories of Daddy tapping it and commenting on the weather go way back. It was the end of an era in more ways than one. KW

DOES YOUR STASH LOSE ITS LUSTER?

Late afternoon sunlight reflected on a gray day

The refrain of an old song goes like this:

Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?
If your mother says don't chew it,
Do you swallow it in spite?
Can you catch it on your tonsils,
Can you heave it left & right?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the bedpost overnight?

As I stood before the bolts of holiday fabric in JoAnn’s the other day, holding back the urge to buy, that tune began to play in my head:

“Oh, does your fabric lose its luster

In the cupboard overnight?

If your conscience says don’t buy it,

Do you purchase it in spite?

Can you think of how to use it,

Can you fold it left and right?

Does your fabric lose its luster

In the cupboard overnight?”

My stash, except for what's in the shed, etc.

I don’t have room for more fabric. I need to use what I have before I buy more. And yet, inspiration seems to lie with what’s on the bolts in the store, not what’s in my cupboard. But I know if I buy a yard or two of fabric, it will become just as stale as what’s already in the cupboard UNLESS it’s purchased for a specific forthcoming project. And even then, it can end up in the closet losing its luster. KW

 

 

[You can listen to the song here. For a whimsical treat, watch the Muppets' rendition here.]

LOCAL SHOPPING

Sunrise (Nov. 17)

I just happen to have a suit of long underwear, and as I dressed for our trip to the farm last Saturday, I couldn’t help but think how grateful I am for it. I was browsing through ShopKo on my lunch break one day 20 years ago or so when I found both tops and bottoms on a clearance table. I don’t remember what they cost –probably around $5.00 each. I bought them on a whim, and I’ve been glad to have them every winter since. The brand name is “Chill Chasers.” They’re polyester/cotton – not fancy expensive silk like my mother wore. But honestly, my “Chill Chasers" make all the difference in cold weather.

Then I went out to the shed and retrieved the little snow boots I keep here in town. I was browsing in Kmart one day when I found them on sale for $20 at a time when I needed them. They aren’t comfortable enough for a long walk, but they’re warm and keep my feet dry – just the thing for our quick trip to the farm. In fact, I was glad I was wearing them when I had to step out of the Jeep into slush to get the mail.

These are just a couple of little things that make life in winter more comfortable, and I happened to find them while shopping in person. I don't think I would have shopped for long underwear online, nor would I have found them through online browsing. And when it comes to shoes, I just have to try before I buy.

This morning Mike tried to buy a t-shirt he saw at a local shop. They didn’t have the size he needed, so he bought it online. But – the point remains that he wouldn’t have known about that shirt if he hadn’t seen it locally.

In my community, retail is changing rapidly. ShopKo and Kmart are gone, along with Penney’s and Macy’s, the local gift shop, etc., etc., etc. I guess I’m part of the problem because I don’t buy very much – not really. And besides, keeping local retail alive is more than any one person can do. KW