Oct 27, 2010

Tell a story about a time when you dressed up in a costume.

When I was in high school in the 9th grade there was a practice back then that would now be considered as hazing in schools and that was "Initiation".

The seniors would each be assigned a freshman and they would make them do something for the morning and then in the afternoon both grades would go up to the D on the hill and repair it then whitewash it. Well my senior, and I don't remember who had me, told me to dress up as Cinderella in a gown for the ball. I also had to have high heel shoes to walk around in and I remember walking down main street for our initiation parade in that dress and heels. It was pretty awful but not nearly as BAD AS BEING HIT WITH THOSE PADDLES THAT THE SENIORS MADE AND SEVERAL OF THEM HAD DRILLED HOLES IN THE PADLE which really stung when they hit you, even through your clothes. It was a bad day in the life of every freshman and I for one was not disappointed when the practice was banned from schools.

Oct 26, 2010

Share a memory about being very scared.

An excerpt from my journal stories of 4H Forestry will best answer this question.

Mines and Mt Lions, Oh My.

Another trip found us about half way up Indian Canyon where we had hiked up the east side of the canyon on the slick shale covered hillside. We were identifying different species of trees and different types of rock formations. We were also collecting samples for our presses. We had actually gone several hundred yards up the side of the canyon and had become somewhat spread out when we heard a very strange sound. I can’t recall what it even sounded like now but I very clearly remember everyone’s reaction. Burt’s reaction was very short but very clear, “Get down the mountain” he loudly shouted and we all started running down the hill. I have thought many times about the incident since that day and cannot recall what the sound was but have often wondered if it was a Mountain Lion or a Bear or something of that sort which caused such alarm in his voice. We never did (or at least none of us young men) ever did identify the sound but it was obvious to me that Burt had and he knew the present danger that it posed.

That day ended up being eventful to me in a couple of ways. In the afternoon on our way back down the canyon we decided to hike up to the old Gilsonite mine, the entrance is still visible to this day as you travel the canyon. The road looked like a trail and from the bottom of the canyon the doorway appeared to be pretty small and so I was worried from the start about this particular event. We started up the hill and I soon learned that the trail was big enough for a vehicle to travel. It had the room for a vehicle although I would never have driven it since it was also not very far before the drop-off from the road was straight down. It was a long hike as well though and took us quite awhile to get to the entrance which when we got there was not only two stories high but each story was probably 10 feet tall. We started into the cave but only a few of us had flashlights of which few I was not one. So I depended on the guy in front of me and at times found it hard to see. I apparently have a bit of a dislike for dark, tight spaces (even though it was ten feet to the ceiling) and became somewhat scared that the water, which was steadily getting deeper on the floor, would suddenly be over my head or that the road which was very level would suddenly drop 150 feet to the next level. All of these were not founded on fact and in fact I learned later from my father that the mine actually comes out the other side of the mountain into what we refer to as the right hand fork of Indian Canyon. I was glad though when Burt decided we had gone far enough and to the dismay of several others in the group had us turn around and go out. It was a short hike to the vehicle and that only because we all pretty much ran back down to the bottom. Twice in one day and each time I had been pretty scared.

Oct 25, 2010

What hobbies or collections did you have as a youth?

Wow I was just an habitual collector from old radios, art and marbles to stamps, rocks and trinkets. I came by it naturally as mom was a collector of sorts as well. We always were having to pick up rocks for her gardens, rock gardens. I also collected coins and candy. I would buy Life Savers too and had a cigar box full of them. I didn't like to open the wrappers since they were so fun to collect so I just wouldn't eat the candy inside, they were only a nickel a roll. When I went on my mission I had left them in the box on a shelf in my room and after returning was cleaning out my stuff when I was getting ready to be married and move away when I found the box. I knew what was in it but couldn't believe haw light it had gotten. I couldn't understand how even when the candy would sugar over time that it could get lighter. Well it wasn't due to the chemical change but rather the ease which it provided the ants to go in a make a small hole in the wrapper and then carry away the sugar granules. Every single wrapper was empty and so I did something pretty dumb for a collector and threw them away. I now wish I had them even tough I could repeat the process and get more I would not have the wrapper from the era of the 60's in which they were made.

Oct 24, 2010

If you had a watch tell about it.

I had several watches. One pocket watch and then several that I would put on a leather band around my wrist. I hated them though and didn't like having things on my wrists so eventually I stopped wearing them and would just guess at the time or ask someone else. Now I just use my phone.

Oct 23, 2010

Did you ever pick apples?

So why did she have to stop with apples? I picked apples pretty much every fall by the bushels since we had several trees on the farm . Apples bear usually every other year but there are always some each year so we had to pick them as well. I asked why she had to stop with apples since we also picked cherries, plums, apricots, pears and peaches of the big fruits and then gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries of the smaller fruits. Mother loved trees and planted a lot of trees and bushes so we also had walnut and a couple of other nut trees.

Oct 22, 2010

What is the farthest you have ever ran or walked?

In one day probably 20 miles. That was for scouts and was a part of a camp. Other than that I mostly rode a bike to get around and didn't have to walk except for when I was in training for cross country and track.

Oct 21, 2010

Do you have a story about standing up against odds for something that you really believed in?

That would probably be the same story that I have told about being kicked out of English class to take photos for the yearbook. I did not have the reputation for causing trouble but I had yo meet a deadline for the yearbook and had no choice in the decision.

10-20-2010 (Oct 20, 2010)

Share a favorite fall memory?

I guess my favorite fall memories would have to include returning to school and seeing Marie again on a daily basis. She always looked so good as she walked to the school from her house and I loved to sit on the planter box in the hall in front of the doors and watch her come.

Oct 19, 2010

Was an injustice ever done to you?

Not that I can remember or at least that mattered in the long run and so I forgot about it.

Oct 18, 2010

Did you ever lose or break something that belonged to someone else?

Dad and mom's new car. The salesman had brought a new car over to Duchesne for mom and dad to look at and had parked it behind the car that was in the garage. I had just gotten my license and asked if I could use the car to go to town. The answer was yes and as I backed out of the garage I didn't see the new car and hit the bumper. It didn't do too much damage but it did do some and felt pretty bad. I went back into the house and the salesman just laughed. He took it home, had it repaired and as far as I know paid for it then brought it back over and dad bought it. I may remember wrong but I think that was the car that they gave to us a couple of years after we had been married.