My Grandparents Home...

I was in my hometown the other day so I drove by my grandparents home to see if it looked as I remembered it. And of course it did not. It was much smaller than I remembered. And it looked so run down.

Grandma loved her flowers and they were so beautiful. And the front porch was always so cool and such a pleasant place to sit and wait for the mailman. And of course my grandmother always had a tall glass of something cold for him to drink. I would love to go inside and see if it is as I remember.

Funny the things that stick in your mind. I remember walking up the steep hill after taking swim lessons on cold mornings to Grandma's house to dry off. And I remember daddy dropping off us kids in a mad rush to get mom to the hospital to have a baby. And I remember Grandma's salmon patties and lemon pies and sour kraut with hot dogs. And I remember here is where I found a lump in my breast and thought I was going to die of breast cancer but was too afraid to ask anybody about it, only to find out I was going through puberty and that "lump" was a normal part of growing up! I remember picking little blue flowers that always grew in her yard and lying down in the grass and rolling down the hill in her side yard. And I remember she had a Mimosa Tree in her side yard and for some reason I don't like Mimosa Trees. Memories are funny things.

And here's my grandfather's shop. I remember he had some kind of old car like a Model T with a seat that slanted down on one side. And I remember Grandpa sitting under this tree using a grinding wheel to sharpen tools. And Grandpa and I loved to play a game called "Fox and Geese" by the hours. And my Grandpa once lived on a farm and everyone said he raised the largest watermelons you ever saw. And I never remember him ever wearing anything but a pair of overalls. He had a pocket watch that he would pull out of the overalls and tell me it had diamonds in it and when he was "gone" it would go to me. And of course it didn't. But hopefully, it did stay in the family.


Here's a picture of me holding the baby of the family in front of my grandfather's shop. I remember playing on that bench under the tree. Looks like the tree grew in the almost 50 years since that picture was taken!

Sad to say, I haven't kept up very good with my father's side of the family. Cousins that I have not seen since childhood have moved away and I don't know where they live now.

I think I'm beginning to ramble. Hope you all do a better job of staying in touch with relatives than I have. It's important to have more than just memories as time goes on. We need to have relationships!!

MuleSkinner and the Potato Gun....

Story and pictures by Muleskinner's daughter Janet:

"Karla made a potato gun for her boys and dad got to play with it while they were in Idaho visiting. Dad thought his Missouri grandkids needed to have the same thing


so he built one and couldn't wait for the grandkids to come and try it out.

He is still working on some details like a pressure release valve before he sends it home with the kids. My boys spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa the Sunday before school started

and they kept Grandpa and the air compressor busy shooting potatoes that mom had grown in her garden.

Doug and the kids came over and each kid had to take turns shooting the potatoes. Luke loved shoving the potatoes in but he didn't want to pull the "trigger". Dad used a broomstick as a ramrod and they saw how far they could shoot potatoes.


You can also shoot water with it but dad concentrated on potatoes. The first shot that they did started Katelynn and she started crying but she got used to the banging and then the cheering.




I believe Grandpa had as much fun as the grandkids did."

Now where is that road.....

Here's my fellow caseworker Valorie and I trying to locate where our latest fire is. The DAT team is on the way and we're standing by ready to help.

It's a traveling chicken house!!!

The boy's Poppy  wanted to build a smaller chicken house for the banties and guineas before colder weather got here so out came the tools this past week. I think he did an excellent job, don't you? Here he is painting it the easy way!

This little door on the back is a vent so we can get some air flow.

It also has nesting boxes with a door that opens to the outside, just like the bigger version.

Here it is sitting in the "dog pen" that I bought off the trader program. See the little window on the side? Looks like a little playhouse to me. I just love it! Hope the chickens and guineas are as excited about it. They had to be caught and put inside cause they didn't want to go in on their own. Go figure!

The ducks are growing up! Look at the green on this one!

Isn't this one beautiful!

The guineas are checking out their new home but they're pretty cautious.

Isn't John Wayne looking good?

And he's still running. Usually AWAY from the "girls." He's a disgrace to his namesake!

My little flock. I think they are "molting" or something. Their feathers are starting to turn white


4 eggs. Hmmm... one of my chickens is slacking off.

It may be hot outside, but we're getting ready for winter ahead of time. Must have a warm and snug place for my farm animals for this winter.