Beacon Sept 2022

Page 12A THE BEACON September 2022
By
Doris
Butt
Community
Correspondent
goodolddays@goBEACONnews.com
My Life: Growing
Up on the Homestead
Not everyone is as privileged
as I am. I still live on
the farmstead where I came
as a toddler. Here I only need
a quiet moment to see myself
as a happy child playing about
the yard and buildings. Many
yearn to return to their childhood
home, mine surrounds
me.
My earliest memory is sitting
on a rock in front of the
barn and playing with a makebelieve
miniature village with
houses made of mower teeth
and stick soldiers. I remember
I had a make-believe playmate
named Mert that battled in
war games with me. I often
pleaded with my parents to
buy me a cap gun like my
neighbor friends had to shoot
the enemies. It never happened.
World War II had a
definite influence on my childhood
games.
I was about the same age
when something special happened
once a year. No child
who has lived the experience
of seeing and hearing that giant
threshing machine pulled
by a puffing steam engine will
ever forget it. The harmonious
sounds of the chugging thresher
and snorting engine are still
very much in my memories. I
can still see the neighbor men
arriving with their teams and
wagons. The ladies helped my
Mother cook a special dinner
that would-although never a
spoken word said so-out do
all other meals served. I can
smell the worker’s sweat, and
see them washing their faces
in the pan on a bench and
drying with feed sack cloth
towels. A crew of men carried
bags of wheat into the granary
and up the stairs. I would sit
in the bin and they would pore
the grain over me. I liked that.
It was a wonderful day.
I have only to enter the barn
to see my mother milking
the cows while Dad did other
chores. I can see the horses,
Fannie and Barney. I remember
slipping them ears of corn
and enjoying their chomping
noises as they ate. Their
noses felt so soft. Later there
was another team, Sam and
Bob. They were sold when
they were of no more use. My
father did not ask what would
become of them.
I hear the business of the
barn: the squeak of the hay
wagon and hollow sound of
horses’ hoofs as they walk
across the wooden floor, the
creak of that loaded hay fork
as it struggles along the track
of the barn, and the rattle of
impatient horses shaking their
harness. I hear the sound of
machinery: the slap of the
drive belt as it powers the feed
grinder, the pulsations of the
tractor as each grain bundle is
received into that noisy thresher
or the corn shredder. I can
hear the talk of horses, bellowing
bulls, mooing cows crying
for weaned calves, cats with
kittens, and chickens clucking
in nests in the hay. I definitely
will not forget the hissing of
geese as they chased me. They
are sounds so alive and gratifying
to my ears.
One of my jobs as a child
was pulling the hay rope back.
Of all the jobs my parents did
I remember harvesting hay
the most. My dad pitched hay
to my mother who arranged
it on the wagon. Later in the
barn, she ran the hayfork
while my father worked in the
mow. ...The tractor driven by
A chicken scratching in the yard at the farm.
my sister pulled the rope that
pulled the fork with the hay
into the loft. I pulled it back.
It always seemed to be a very
hot day.
Many of the chores I could
not do because of a health condition.
When I got old enough
I cooked dinner while my parents
worked in the fields. For
some reason, I especially remember
cooking corn. Homegrown
corn from the freezer is
still a favorite of mine.
I have many special little
memories. My father had a
special way of keeping the
From A Dog’s Point of View
By Alfred and Tammy Turner
Times are hard for everyone
right now. Boy, I tell you I
can remember back when I
was a pup, people didn’t put
out their animals just because
they were getting old or had
medical issues. These days,
those seem to be all who are
coming into the shelter. This
even happened to me. I can
remember having a home and
being loved and taken care of.
The next thing you know I’m
out on the streets, and someone
brought me here to Paws.
Don’t get me wrong, they take
good care of me. They even
took me to the vet and found
out that I was anemic. The
Doc put me on some meds
and even neutered me. I am
doing better now and waiting
to find a new family.
I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce
myself. My name is
Alfred, and I am a ten-yearold
lab mix.
I am a debonair gentleman,
with a little greying around
my muzzle and head, but
they tell me I am still quite
the catch. Over half of the
animals here at the shelter are
considered seniors or have
come in with special needs.
This month alone, we have
had two special surgeries on
dogs, two special surgeries
on cats, and three dentals on
senior dogs.
I just don’t understand
people. Animals are supposed
to be a part of your family.
Everyone is going to grow
old, and to think that you may
have to spend the rest of your
life alone is terrifying. We
would never think of leaving
you because you mean everything
to us.
Take care of your family
members. Make sure they
get plenty of exercise, go for
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grass mowed. He would tie
a calf in the yard. For years
afterward the lawn had special
little patches where the grass
grew especially high... I can
remember playing in the haymow
and on the straw stack. I
can remember my father helping
me learn to ride a bike.
I can say in all honestly I do
not have one unpleasant memory
from my youth. God gave
me a very positive outlook on
life and good parents. And a
very special place to grow into
adulthood. I say thank you to
him with every memory.
walks,
play ball,
or just
spend time
with them.
Keep up
on the
vaccines,
spay and
neuter, and Alfred
microchip.
Make sure they are getting
good nutrition and healthy
snacks.
Take care of their grooming
needs, and do regular checks
on ears and teeth to make sure
they don’t have problems.
Make sure they are getting
preventatives for fleas and
ticks.
Consider adopting a senior,
like me perhaps. If you can’t
adopt, check with the shelter
about fostering. If you can’t
foster, consider volunteering.
You can come in and walk
dogs or do transports (to Florence
or Covington, KY).
If you can’t volunteer, then
donate. We use donations
to help people who may be
having a tough time and need
help with food so they can
keep their animals.
Anything you do will be
very much appreciated.
So please, keep your family
members with you. They
don’t have as much time as
you, but all they want is to
spend that short time with
you.
Take care,
Alfred
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