What you don’t know won’t hurt ya….

What you don’t know won’t hurt ya….

My Aunt Edna related this story to me and it was confirmed by my Dad. When they were young they lived about 4 or 5 miles southeast of Gildford on land called the “Hatch Place.” They were very “Hard Up” which in Montana speak means they were damned poor. Yes, they walked to school the 4 or 5 miles and if they were lucky they rode an old wagon with a horse pulling it. They had a lot of chores to do and all of them worked. They had very little food and it was rationed out. My Aunt’s job was to cook this particular day and the only thing left to eat in the cupboard...

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Another Railroad Tale: Bo Bo and the chickens

A real character on the Railroad was nicknamed Bo Bo or Bo. I made many trips with him and still appreciate what I learned from him. He was a tall, lanky, not an ounce of fat, 6 foot something when he straightened up cowboy who happened to be a “Rail”. He was a class A #1 engineer and a B.S. er. One morning when we were eating in the Greasy Spoon Bo was telling a Tale. We were all listening intently as well as 2 young waitresses who stood by the table. Beside being a “Rail” and a cowboy, he was a hunter, and an outfitter who took other hunters or Dudes into the...

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Lookin Back…

Lookin Back…

I think it was the Great Satchel Paige who said don’t look back there may be something gaining on you. This guy likes to look back to see where he came from. I like to remember the lessons learned and the especially where I came from and the people who taught me what is important to me today. Here is a few pictures of the ol’ farm/ranch then and now. What did I learn? I learned hard work is a reward unto itself and honesty and straight-forwardness are the best qualities. I learned that simple pleasures are the best and I learned to entertain myself. I have a lot of...

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My Hero

My Hero

My Dad is on my mind on Veterans Day. To me he was a real hero. He like many others served in the Armed Forces. He was in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy in WWII. He was in 4 campaigns and received the Purple Heart for being wounded in Italy when the enemy overran his outfit’s position and he was hit with a German pistol a P-38. The bullet was cut out about an eighth of an inch from his spine. When he came home he most likely had what they called Battle Fatigue then and PT Syndrome now. My earliest memories was that he talked to me about all of these experiences and I’m so glad I...

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“A Swift Kick in the Rear”

How Lucky are we some days? There are days when you get up and dwell on all the things not right in your life then something comes right out of the blue and makes you realize how lucky you really are. Years ago I ended up in a hospital in the Midwest for an illness. I was a long way from home and really down in the dumps feeling very, very, sorry for myself. I was walking down this long hospital corridor looking downward contemplating my sorry lot in life feeling pretty sad.  I wasn’t looking where I was going and almost ran into a wheelchair pushed by an attendant. I looked up and the...

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