Grandpa tell me about the Good Old Days!

     Well I guess it is official Bruce Jenner is going thru with it, he will have a Jay- Jay instead of a Pee-Pee. I know because he was good enough to go on National TV and tell us ALL about it. And oh bye the way He will be in a Reality show starting in the Fall, didn't see that one coming.  Pray tell how do you raise kids in this crazy world where at anytime your 6 year old will go from seeing hostages being beheaded, to Blacks rioting in the street because a black kid was shot, which of course was captured on video, which of course means that we will watch it over and over a hundred times. But sports is the great escape, right? Turn on ESPN, what do you see, story after story about Oversized Black men who have been arrested for beating up women, and of course there is the Video again. Mix in stories of athletes using drugs to illegally enhance their performances, at least our local sports stories are without controversy, Wait a Minute, what the Hell , Football players raping Co-eds and getting away with it?   Not sure what the rest of you will do but this Grandpa is moving the "Magnificent Seven" to the Convent/ Monastery previously known as The Farm, where we will listen to Baseball games on the radio, have picnic's down at the Creek where there will be frog catching competitions and skipping rock challenges. Of course we will make homemade Ice-cream  smothered with our own raspberries. Which will be followed by a furious game of "Annie I Over" , And if there is any energy left how about a game of "Kick the Can"?  When is the last time you snared a Gopher with a piece of twine? The truth is Bad things have and always will be OUT there, maybe it is up to us to guard the door so they don't come into our kids lives. There Grandpa just told you a few things about "The Good-Old Days"

Excuse me Miss, could I clean your carpet?

         Funny how truths can be evident , but go unnoticed.  Just recently it became apparent to me that I have a gift, this gift is not really a gift per say. Ok it's difficult to explain but here goes. when I visit with people they start out with the usual  Hi Blackjack how are you?  and my response is something as mundane as "Good how are you?"    This is where it becomes different, Not sure how I do it but , the other person starts to tell me "How he/she is doing!"  Sounds crazy but people talk to me, and I mean really talk. For example the other day in Chesters Post Office I ran into someone I hadn't seen in twenty years, We will call him Stanley to protect his identity, " Well I'll be damned , Hello Stanley" he responded, "Hi Blackjack, it's been a long time."  "Sure as Hell Stanley" we shook hands and I couldn't help but notice his little finger on his right hand bent at an alarming angle to the immediate right, say  90 degrees right. Strangest handshake ever. " Stan what the hell happened to your hand?"  The bait was set and he took it, for the next five minutes Stan told me stories of his life as a Roughneck on the drilling rigs , not totally uninteresting, but he just went off, I just smiled , nodded at the appropriate times, and let him go. One more person that walked away from me feeling like he was fascinating.  I strolled across the street to check in with the local Farm Services Agency, to see if they were printing me any checks , You never Know! Anyhoo Russ was at his office and we conversed for a few minutes, then I asked him "How is your brother?"  His brother is battling cancer, so far to a draw. That was an easy one, Russ regaled me with stories of coyotes coming in his brothers corrals and killing baby calves, while the brother was too sick to go out and help, I showed just the right concern, I hit it just right because Russ had to stop and wipe away a tear. Walking back to my car I realized there was not one question from either about me or mine, and that is just fine .  I go forth to offer my services to those in need.   I have been a Farmer for 40 plus years and now realize that while I am a damn good farmer perhaps my true calling was to be a Door to Door Vacuum Salesman,  We've decided to leave the farm to The Branch Davidian, a very misunderstood group and take up my Kirby Vacuum and Accesory box , and hit the road. So if you notice a Doddering old Fool walking the streets dragging his future behind him, looking more pathetic than sympathetic, please stop and say hello.  I will be sure to listen to your story.

Happy Easter

Spring Break is over, Easter has come and gone, and this farm is back to it's usual quiet, routine. I say routine can be comforting and at the same time empty, I feel empty. We were blessed with our team Harrington, surprising us by driving into the yard last Tuesday horn blaring with four children yelling triumphantly , standing up thru the moon roof  as if to say "We are here to conquer the Farm". And then proceeded to do exactly that!  A whirlwind of two days,  the hi-lite would be catching a raccoon in a live trap the first night, the day after catching a skunk in the same trap!  both had been stealing cat food from inside our shop and we could not stand for that. The look on the teams face when we looked into said trap was of shock and awe, their little legs didn't touch the ground on their sprint to tell Mommy and Nanna about the Catch. Tie that into the beloved Cat "Edna" having a very swollen sore foot caused by a "Racoon bite" it was to the Gallows for the troublemaker! We had fun for the short time, so much so that there were tears when it was time to leave, but the promise for more adventures soon "On the Farm".         No sooner then the dust had settled from the Harrington Van leaving the Yard then "The Laird Clan" rode in.  The car door wasn't even open yet , when I heard my first  "Bop, Bop can I tell you Sumpin?".  This much I know, they can always tell me Sumpin, and I pray they always do. The Lairds had great weather , the Gophers were out and we slaughtered them, Cory was a dead-eye  and Jack never missd a shot with his weapon of choice his trusty plastic pop-gun. Fourwheeling was a big hit for sure, especially when we went to the Creek and then got off and threw rocks and raced sticks thru the "Waterfalls".  Brynn wanted to stay the night in Uncle Richards abandoned house, to prove her toughness but was talked out of it. Easter Eve Spencer pulled her loose tooth with the courage of a true warrior, just like the Badgers of Wisconsin, and by God the Easter Bunny found the Farm just fine, I think Emerson  was a little worried he might not know where it was.  We got up and made Easter Mass then on to Fort Benton for a wonderful Luncheon. Good-byes were hard but back to Missoula they went . And here I sit by the fire, with a heart full of memories from the great week that was. I don't need to write how much I love my family they know,  but ssssssshhh they might not know how much I treasure my time with them.    Happy Easter everyone.