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We had eighteen years of running a dairy farm. Some were good years, some not so good. All who wanted to, or desired, to own, and or run a farm, whether a crop farm, timber farm, truck farm, chicken, hog or dairy farm, needed to know this rule: "there are good years and bad years, and when one has a real good year, one must put aside enough money and seed, to carry over one, two or three bad years, just in case", if it so happens that way. For disasters do and will happen and we have to take it as it comes. Missive 23 26 August 2009  Good Morning from Red Acre, It might come in the form of a wind storm, ice storm, dry spells, wet spells, fires, livestock deaths, or deseases to same. One always needed to be prepared for the worst, otherwise one went "under". We called it quits in the summer of 1964, but, we stayed on the farm. We made it pretty good until OUR disasters struck. We lost our new truck that had just been fully paid for to a fire. Just a few days before this happened the insurance man was out here, and I told him we needed for him to get the truck insured, but when I called about it, he said he had no record of it, and that the truck was not covered. Too bad...our first real disaster. It was hay time, and some of the "help" had taken the truck to town to get water and gas. There were the two 10 gallon milk cans in the bed of the truck. When the help got to the hay field, he thought the truck was running hot, so he stopped the truck, reached and got one of the cans. Not good, he got the wrong can, instead of the can of water he got the can with the gas, and that was the end of the truck. That meant we had to start all over again, and it was not long before we had another pick up truck, used, I am sure. It was a long time before we could afford another brand new truck. That was our first real disaster, and our very first brand new vehicle. Oh, sure, we lost a milk cow now and then, and maybe a calf or two. That is to be expected. In a previous MISSIVE I told you about losing the hay barn to a fire. Then one year, the tennant house burned. Oh, sure, now, that, had been continuosly insured. No problem there. But, we did not rebuild. Then some time after we quit milking, after 1964, the milk barn burned. The boys had turned it into a place where they could repair, rebuild and put together old cars, and to our surprise all of them would run. Kept them "off the streets and out of mischief". And it has stood them in good all the rest of their lives, for they could keep all their cars, running. Now, these newest cars are a mystery, so out goes some of that help. The loss of the milk barn was really a tragedy....for the milk room was stuffed full of antiques from "over home". When the Stiles girls, Sara Frances and Virginia sold the old Stiles homestead to George Craine, they stored some of their "things" over here in the milk room under lock and key. We had various items, some antiques stored in the milking area, some car parts, and Miss Lucy's 1946 black Chevy club coupe'. Frank had laid claim to it and was going to put it back into good running order, keep it and run it, as he had, during his three tours to Vietnam. He courted his wife in that car, and he would take his hound dog, Doc, with him and Doc would sit on the pasenger seat and enjoy the ride, etc. The night the barn caught fire, Carson was at a Masonic meeting in town. I got in touch with him to tell him, and all he said was: "let her burn!" Of course the fire department came and put the fire out and saw that it was completely out before they left. Oh, yes, we had seen to it that it was fully covered. That was a sad time. I would much rather have had the "things" in the barn, than the insurance money. Sons, Hugh and David would go out there and work on their old cars. They would need, say a fender for a certain car, like a 1957 Chevy, and found and bought a whole car for 20 dollars just to get the fender. That way, they had all those extra parts. Sons, Hugh and David, woould repair their "transportation" out there. Hugh built one car, from scratch, and getting a tag for one turned out to be a hoot, but, one was always obtained. I went out one day, and saw that Hugh had taken this motor apart and had all the parts lined up on this long, old plank, plantation dining table. He said he did it that way so he could and would put it back together, properly, knowing just which part went where. Smart. Once he needed my help. Said he had one chance to get it right. So. I held the motor steady while he lifted and guided the transmission and set it in place. Yep, it worked on the first try. We both breathed a huge sigh of relief. When he got one car ready for a trial run, he said come on, and so I got in the car. Half way down the hill going west, I thought he had finished shifting and settled back for a nice trial run, wrong assumption, when, wham, he shifted into high gear, putting the pedal to the metal...and away we went. Whew ! ! ! ! One night, about midnight, after he had worked on this one car all day, and until midnight and wanted right then to start for the Coast. I told him, NO, that he had to get some sleep under his belt before he left. And so he took my advice and did just that. Most of these "put together" vehicles were for transportation to school. There is still one old 1956 still hanging around out back. This is the one that David hates so much. One could not open the driver's door from the inside, always had to roll the window down, no matter what the weather. It used to sit out front, and every time David would come down for a visit he would give it a good swift kick. He sure hated that car, and still does. But, Peggy.....They, she and friend, would stop for gas and let the attendant check the oil, only the attendent never could find where the dip stick was. That would tickle Peggy and friend no end. They loved it. Now, it is a famly relic. Now, that they are all grown, they have been telling "tales out of school" of the different "things" they pulled or got into, behind our backs. They told me once that they had figured out how to appease Mama and Daddy. "tell them, 'Yes, Mam" and "Yes, Sir" and then go and do just about as they wanted. Only they never got into trouble. Thank goodness for that. Thank you, kids. You all turned out fine. I am right proud of all of you. Your Daddy would be proud, too. Gently be, : <> Next -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to List of Articles
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