How I spent my summers in my teens!

Dick, This is a great post. May not be woodworking related, but it sure shows what’s great about this website and moreso, the members. Thanks for the journey.

-- I love the smell of sawdust in the morning....

Summer there as a teenager.

My wife would have called that child abuse..

I call it heaven.

Thanks for sharing.

Q

-- I don't make sawdust...I produce vast quantities of "Micro Mulch."

Hi Dick;

I’ll bet that stirred up plenty of happy memories. Always sad to see certain “progress” take place.

Amazing photo work.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Hey Dick, that could have been a picture of my gramps farm where I grew up in summers. Bailing hay, combining corn and raking hay, all those old machines I’ve pulled with the old John Deere B. Gramp had one horse left too when I was a young kid about 6 or 7, his name was Pet, he was a Percheon and he’d give us rides around the barnyard. But I started helping farming when I was 9 or 10. I remember falling asleep tilling the corn, and ended up going across the field sideways, man was Gramp mad. I ruined a lot of corn. Seeing that poor old horse made me sad. He probably ended up in a glue factory. Hope not. Thanks buddy for the memories.Is that orange tractor a Massey Ferguson? My Gramp only lived 5 miles away. Sometimes my brother and I walked out there.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Wow, how times have changed. I now hang out with friends, help my dad with some projects and blog about them! (The projects, not the friends!)

Nice view and nice dog!

Good day Dick,

Thanks for sharing! It brings back wonderful memories when I spent lots of time down on the farm as an Extension Agent. It’s great to recall fond old times.

-- Dave, Ohio "Count Your Blessings Everyday!"

Thanks Guys!

My Grandpa was working in an ammunition box factory pretty far away at the time.

I drove the old model A Ford like a tractor. I’d put it in 1st gear, & drive the whole ways into town.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I grew up on two farms almost like that in Southern IL…. My Grandpa had one until I was about 8 or so, then I went to work for one at about 11 until I was about 19. I’ve bailed lots of hay, fed lots of animals, and driven lots of equipment… I loved every second of it. I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything…

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

THANKS you bring back a lot of memories.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Very sweet memories.
I used to hunt with my Dad on the farm he summered on (his two bachelor uncles and maiden aunt spent their whole lives in the old home place with the giant stove and the Hoosier cabinet). Man, could Aunt Lucy put on a spread. They had a huge (everything was big to a seven year old) foot-pedal whetstone positioned under the eaves of the chicken coop. They would sharpen the axe before taking the head off the Sunday dinner chicken.
Thank you, Dick for sharing this with us.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

I know you still remember the old foot switch to turn on your bright lights, huh?

Great story and memories!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

A lot of history there Dick. Thanks for sharing. I am in the middle of doing my photos on the PC as well. I know what you went through.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

you old guys kill me :) “first computer about 4 years ago” I am glad we have you in the next generation. I love the old stories.

I turn 50 next year, I guess that means I may be joining the “old guys “ranks. I love that line in Men In Black “Hay.. old guys”

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Doug!

The Hoosier cabinet is exactly what my Grandmother had in her kitchen.

She also did all of her cooking, & baking on a kitchen wood range.

Boy, did it ever get hot in the summer. I don’t know how she survived all of that heat.

Also, about the old days. All we had was a radio, & when I was real young,

I thought band music was made from some sort of machine.

Not being able to see it, I had to use my imagination.

Computers??? Unbelievable!!

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Dick- you were talking about the wood range above….

My Great Grandmother came here from Poland in 1916. She was born in 1899. About 1978, I can remember being a kid and going in her house. She had an old wood burning stove that was her oven. She wouldn’t have anything to do with a “new” model where you could use propane or electric. She did have electricity in her house, but only one light bulb per room and one or two plug-ins. She had just gotten running water, but almost didn’t allow that. Still had the toilet outside that she used, though her family put one inside. I remember going over there for lunch of a day, and that is the only meal she would cook in the summer because the stove was so hot. The old phrase, “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”.... it had to be 120 degrees in there. Toward the harvest of her garden (she had about a 1/2 acre garden), she would can veggies and tomatoes on that hot, old stove all day. I have no idea how she stood the heat in the summer from that old stove. She was the most basic person I had ever met. I learned a lot by just watching her.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Reminds me of my uncles farm in south Alabama, where my aunt whipped my butt good for shooting at her washtub hanging on the side of the barn with my Daisy bb gun. The same bb gun that taught me never to use an electric fence as a prop for taking aim. Heehee

-- miles125, Alabama.."Architecture is frozen music""

Thanks for sending such nice pictures. The picture of the horse awakened my dream of having one for myself. It has never been realised though. The black and white photograph looks so cute.
Sharad

-- patanjali

I just added a picture of the family, next to my Grandmothers kitchen range.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

reminds me of ireland maybe because of the farm Ireland has thousands of scatered farms all over the country side

-- A. Molloy

this was wonderful. How did you do it? I had tears in my eyes as I “relived the memories” – and they weren’t even mine!!
Tearing the old house down… aaaaargh…
Little lady caring for/feeding all those kids—and hubby was away most of the time? What a woman!

Hoosier cabinet: oh how I want on.

1st computer 4 years ago—- and you are more capable with the machine than most people!!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks Dick, this is priceless.

Debbie!
I couldn’t resist sharing this with Lumberjocks.

Aaron!
Thank you, My wife Barb is part Irish. You can look at some of my Irish themed carvings in my gallery.

Rikkor!

Thanks, to a fellow Norwegian.
Have you heard of Goodridge MN?

I just added a photo of my Grandma’s farm in Norway.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I have a friend in Grygla. I love the Norway farm shot!!!

I have a cousin who married a Grygla girl. I’ve been there.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Debbie mentioned it above, Dick, but I think the point needs amplification. I work in a field that involves a fair amount of computer savvy, and I continually interface with people who have a few years behind them. The majority of them throw up their hands and seem to have an irrational fear of computers. They dig in their heels and just balk at the idea that they can learn the technology. Nothing like this at the Cain household. I think you rock.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thanks Douglas,

When I first got my PC, I asked a clerk in the computer store for advice on what the best book I should buy.

He told me my HP manual was good enough.

He said just type something in, & don’t worry, you can’t break it.

I made a lot of mistakes, but every time I made a mistake I learned from it.

That’s what’s wrong with most people, they’re afraid they might break their computer.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Steve, we must be related. That house your grandmother had sounds like the one I grew up in. LOL

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

On one visit to the farm, Barb will never forget the time she was helping my Grandma prepare a meal.

Grandma said get the potates , that’s how she said potatoes. Barb said where are they?

She said, ”take that shovel outside the door, & go dig some out of the garden.”

That’s the first time Barb had ever done that, she was amazed, & thrilled.

Ever since then, that’s the first thing Barb wants planted in our garden.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Also nothing better tahn corn straight off the cob Dick.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Grumpy, Lately we’ve been eating frozen whole kernel corn, & it’s delicious.

Those new steamer bags are great.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Sounds great Dick. We must try it out. I will tell the wife.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

This one is our favorites. If they have it in Australia, try it.

I guess we’re getting farther, & farther away from wood,<;O)

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks Dick.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Thank you, Dick. Mom still lives on 52 acres in NW Pennsylvania. Brought back memories. My wife and I are looking at properties south of the Cities now. Hopefully with an older farm house on it. Shame they tore yours down.

-- Master of my domain (My wife says so).

My Granddad is Norwegian. They farmed in I-Oh-Way :-))

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Thank you, TopamaxSurvivor!

You have to be proud, & feel good to be part Norwegian.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Mom told me my GG-Grandpa had a note pinned to his collar so they knew were to put him off the train in the middle of Iowa in the 1880’s. He was told to go north to Bode and the farm he was indentured. The prarie grass was over his head! That must have been a interesting walk!

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.