Where I was born, Part II - - - Out in the Nebraska country

Picture 3111 -- click picture to enlarge

This isn't too pleasant? Well, it never was as nice as my upstairs bedroom. Then trouble came with a four letter word. What you are seeing was to become my bedroom. What happened to cause a banishment like this!

A blessed event for most was the problem, my sister Lois--the four letter word--was born. She got my bedroom and I slept on this front porch, on that very couch you can see. I remember the day when it came from Sears. The couch would be upright in the day and open for my sleep at night.

Some days, especially on rainy nights with lots of lightening, being there was fun. I could see it all around, then wait for the thunder. The telephone lightening arrestor was on the wall towards the front. It would click right after the lightening crash, well before the booming thunder. Birthplace Life Photos Nebraska Country

What about those cold winter nights? Dad and his carpenter cousin installed glass storm windows to go over the screens. That kept the wind out but didn't do much about the cold. There wasn't any heat out there. On very cold nights, often below zero, my blankets would be all frosty in the mornings, especially around my breathing places.

For a while when I was a teenager I would sleep walk. Mom was real worried, once she found me out in the barn, still asleep. Finally they figured out that if we hooked the inside hook, it might wake me up trying to unhook it. That worked and my sleepwalking stopped.

Then, as now, I sometimes had trouble sleeping. I can always read myself to sleep, faster than I want. My favorite read was Zane Grey. I had many of those, some publisher was doing a book reprint in a monthly periodical. Before the destruction you are seeing, Mrs. Jim and I looked for those but all were gone. They would be collector items now.

On the far left is that open door you could see from the back. The front of the porch has been knocked completely down. First the raccoons (Rocky?) tore in from the top, then a tree fell on that corner, and finally the buggers knocked it all down so they could steal the kitchen cupboards.

Finally, in the back with open door is one of the back porches. It contained the cream separator and the deep freezer and some closets. The open door is the back door that we used most of the time, even a lot of our company did too.

[Part I is below as yesterday's--Aug 10, 2006-- blog. There will be a final Part III tomorrow.]