A Bigger Boo

A grandfather story. Our four-old granddaughter walked into a fairly dark room where I was sitting. I said, "boo."

She stopped, put her hands on her hips and and looked at me. "Grandpa," she said. "You've got to have a bigger boo than that to scare me."

So I'm working on a bigger boo.

The Old Timer Says: "This time of the year, stop by a pond. Listen for the bullfrogs singing slow and deep, a strange but beautifully haunting tune."

Upcoming Events:

August 16 and 17. Railroad Days, Stonefield Village, Cassville, WI I will be there both days to sign books. I will also speak at 1:00 p.m. each day, "Every Farm Tells a Story."

September 1: IN A PICKLE available in paperback. If you've not yet gotten the book, here's a second chance.

Farm Tech Days

I spoke at Farm Technology Days this week on a farm in Brown County, WI--always a fun thing for me. Farm Tech days shows off the newest of the new in farm equipment and agricultural research--the future of the industry. But I talked about the old, what it was like to farm without electricity, when farmers listened to battery operated radios, got their local news from the party-line telephone, milked cows by hand, and farmed with horses.

Great changes in my generation, because I grew up with the old, when electricity was a welcomed novelty, a milking machine was a wonder, and a new tractor--according to Pa--just might make his boys lazy (I have two brothers).

The Old Timer Says: "Some people are hard to listen to because their actions speak more loudly than their words."

Coming Events:

August 3-9. Writing From Your Life Workshop at The Clearing in Door County. (Class is filled)

(September 13, One Day Saturday writing workshop at The Clearing has open slots. Call toll free 877-854-3225 for more information)

August 16 and 17. Railroad Days, Stonefield Village, Cassville, WI I will be there both days to sign books. I will also speak at 1:00 p.m. each day, "Every Farm Tells a Story."

Wild Turkeys

The other day I was walking in my field, checking on some trees I'd planted back in April. The grass was knee high and I was concentrating on finding trees when a wild turkey hen exploded up in front of me, her huge wings pounding the air. I was no more than six feet from her. Slowly I walked to where she'd flown up and saw the grass moving in every direction. Little turkeys were trying to hide. All except one. It sat there looking up at me, it's big brown eyes checking me out. Not moving. Not doing what his nest-mates had done. Taking a chance. There's always one.

I quickly walked away because I knew the hen was watching me from the top of the hill and would return to her little family--not so small, there must have been a dozen of them.

The Old Timer Says: "Don't forget the importance of a good example."

Upcoming Events:

Farm Technology Days, Greenleaf, WI Wednesday, July 16, 12:00. "Stories From The Land."

Farm Technology Days, Greenleaf, WI Thursday, July 17, 11:00 AM "Stories From the Land."

Garden Tour and Book Signing, Governor's Mansion, Madison. Thursday, July 17 4:30-6:00 PM

Pitch forks

I have fond memories of pitchforks, mostly. About now we were in the midst of haying season on the home farm. We "made" our hay loose in those days, which meant after it was cut and raked we piled it into bunches with a pitch fork. Tossed it on a steel-wheeled, horse drawn hay wagon with a pitch fork. And moved it into the upper reaches of our barn with a pitch fork.

I had my own pitchfork, a three-tined, hickory handled beauty that slid through my hands with ease, was well balanced, and did what I wanted it to do.

You could tell who was a city person in a minute by the way he handled a pitchfork. We tried to teach our city cousins the nuances of pitchfork use, but they never seemed to catch on. How dumb they were, they thought. As I think back, we were the dumb ones. We did the hay pitching while they watched, pretending ineptness.


The Old Timer Says: "There's lots of talk these days but little being said."


UpComing Events:

Barnes and Noble Madison West. Wednesday, July 9, 12-1:00 Booksigning.

Barnes and Noble Madison West. Wednesday, July 9, 1:00 p.m. "Who Was Casper Jaggi?"

Circus Camp, Mazomanie. Thursday, July 10, 12:00 noon. "The Ringling Boys and Their Circus."

Barnes and Noble Wausau. Saturday, July 12, 11:00-2:00 PM. IN A PICKLE and more.

Farm Technology Days, Greenleaf, WI Wednesday, July 16, 12:00. "Stories From The Land."

Farm Technology Days, Greenleaf, WI Thursday, July 17, 11:00 AM "Stories From the Land."

Garden Tour and Book Signing, Governor's Mansion, Madison. Thursday, July 17 4:30-6:00 PM