Al Baker(pumpman)
Member
Talked with a cousin who folks farmed 1/2 mile up the road from my Parents. We were laughing about growing up in Podunk and things that were normal that would get us on ABC news if it happened today. At every home coming game they raffled off a gun. If you won, you got to pick from a rifle with a scope, or a semi auto shot gun. Then the winner would walk around the crowd showing off his prize!! The principle for the elementary school was a cowboy flash back, 100 years to late. He drove a old 50s Harley dresser to school up until snow started to pile up. He had leased a pile of rough swampy land and pastured 100 or so Momma cows on it. During calving season it was normal for him to run out to the ranch during lunch to check the cows, on his bike. On his bike was a leather sleeve that carried a 30/30 lever action, and his leather cowboy hat. In his office was a pistol in its holster hanging from the coat rack. Never did anyone touch his bike or guns, or question why he carried it. We all knew he ran a ranch, never know when he would run into a coyote or bear, or maybe a cow with a broken leg. Today hanging his pistol up in his office would get him in jail!! Also wasnt uncommon to see kids roller skating on the paved country roads for fun. We didnt have lots of traffic back then. Had one neighbor who used to pull his backhoe behind his dump truck without a trailer. Just tilt the bucket and drop it over the tail gate of the truck, then lift the front tires. Havent seen that trick in many years. In the summer every farmer carried his kids and their friends to the lake in the bed of the pick up. It was a way of cooling down to set in the back. Then when you were a BIG kid you didnt have to sit down in the bed. You could stand and look over the cab, or set on the fender well. That would land a guy in the big house today. Funny how times change. Al
