Midway Memories: Bruce

Bruce was from Ogden Iowa, he came out on the road after he graduated from High School.  Fresh faced hardly a whisker to be found, longish curly brown hair, he was lean and spry…and was always smiling.  He also had a bit of a sparkle in his eyes.   It was his dream to go out on the road…The Boss told him when he was old enough he could.

In 1970 we (Far Guy, Paul and I) took him under our wing.  He wasn’t old enough to drink although I think he may have enjoyed a beer or two.  None of us were habitual drinkers…we would occasionally have something.  No drugs.  So we were probably a good influence on Bruce.  He started out as the second man on the Scrambler.  He worked hard…we all did.

He watched and learned everything he could about every ride there was.  He sometimes strung wire for Kenny (the show electrician). He lived and breathed the Carnival Business.

The Carnival was his life, it seemed for a long time that he was married to it.  In later years he met Kathy and got married and they had two children, born and raised out on the road during the summer.  Kathy had a couple of joints…a Shoot the Star Out, Cork Guns and Speed Ball.   Bruce was the Ride Superintendent he was busy in Winter Quarters in the early spring, worked all Summer and Fall and come home a few months in the Winter.

Kathy, Bruce with Makayla, Far Guy with Savannah  1997 in Barnesville Minnesota.

Front and center is the brand new Carousel, a million dollar ride made by the Chance Ride Company.  Barnesville Minnesota 1997.

Far Guy says:  Pocahontas Iowa tearing down the Scrambler, and a cop came by and told me to call my Mother In Law.  I found out that my good friend Danny Hawks had died in a car accident.  I was upset, started grabbing the pig iron by myself and tossing it into the truck… Bruce and Paul were having a hard time keeping up with me.  We got the Scrambler tore down in record time that night.  Bruce told Paul “I don’t think I am going to like that guy.”

Bruce worked for Merriam’s Midway Shows until a couple of years ago.  He and his wife are now with a different show.   So we have not seen them in two years.

Far Guy and Bruce in August 2006 Owatonna Minnesota.

Flashback to 1982

I am still in the process of sorting and organizing.  I should be ashamed of myself for tucking so many things away in different places.  I will blame it on the three moves between 1995 and 1998 and putting “stuff” into storage several times.

Yesterday I found a piece of heavy cardboard in a drawer, tucked inside were many old 8 x 10 photos. Now they are on my desk to be scanned. They will make good blast from the past blog fodder.

We gathered at the top of the hill overlooking Straight Lake at my parents resort (Bass Bay).   Mom had hired the cranky old photographer from town.  He really didn’t take his time to get good photos.

The year was 1982.  At this time my parents had six grandchildren. My Mom is holding Katie (6 months old) and Dad is holding Benjamin (2 months old).  Jennifer (age 7) is sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the two lawn chairs.  Trica has her eyes closed (age 10).  Our dog Snuffer is running around someplace…irritating the photographer.

Back row: Julie (my sister), me, Far Guy, Jody (my other baby brother) She who sees Robin’s first with Josh (age 2), Beth and Carey(my baby brother) holding Kirk (not quite 2).
This summer will mark 35 years since this photo was taken.  It seems impossible…but the calendar doesn’t lie.

Change

Change is sometimes difficult and hard to watch.

We pass by Far Guy’s  parents old home on the way into town.  There is no avoiding it.  Far Guy came home there in 1950 fresh out of the hospital. His parents lived there until 1994 when they moved into an apartment building so they could avoid snow removal and lawn mowing.

I am not sure exactly when they purchased this home…sometime 1947-1949 it was brand new.

1955  (the car was a Hudson Hornet from the early 1950’s)

Last summer the house was sold and has been in the process of a renovation.  First they dug under the house and put as far as we could tell three new basement walls.  They tore off siding, shingles and replaced windows. 

August 2016

Yesterday we drove by and stopped for a photo, it looks like they will add a back porch.

The old neighborhood is gone, next door is a Casey’s. Taskey’s old place with the teeny tiny  cabins, Larson’s place with a garage out back and Eddie Andrew’s place with the back porch covered with vines...all gone.  The house that used to be Brills is still there on the other end of the block.

Nearly everytime we go to town we notice the old water tower is missing from the skyline.  We also watch what is happening at the old house.  Most of the Summer and Fall it was an eyesore…finally it is looking better.

Stones and Roads

The Grandgirls gave us some garden stones for Christmas.  They made one for Chance too.

I talked with Savannah and decided that they should be sealed.  So that was one of the projects for yesterday.

Now they are all ready to put out in the spring.   Spring…seems so far off.

Some of the roads are still not great.  We ventured out to go to the dump and to recycle.

In some areas the snow banks are quite high.  This is the most snow we have seen in a few years. 

We will warm up this next week and it may rain again.  Crazy stupid weather anyway.

We snowblowed…with the ice under a layer of snow that stupid ass machine wants to dig down and spin it’s tires.  We got the worst of the snow moved…Chance has a spot over toward the edge of the woods to poop and the bulk of the snow was removed from the patio.

Another Package

This one cannot be opened but is anticipated.  We know what the gift is but we don’t know exactly when it will arrive.  Some time in the spring and before summer…possibly in May.

It’s a boy!!

I took a photo of the photo that appeared on Facebook. 

Grandma Trica called us to tell us the news and we were sworn to secrecy until Maddie could get the photo up on Facebook.  Everything looks fine with the baby.

That is what we want a healthy Great Grand!  I knew the name they had picked for a girl (Klair/Klare), but I am not sure they had discussed a name for a little boy.

Now we can shop for boy stuff.

 

Package

My husband got a package in the mail from an old friend. 

He was trying to attack me and my camera.  Can you tell he thinks it is great fun to stalk me?

It is a flying thing/Gyrocopter and kept him occupied for quite some time.

Flying in the kitchen

It is hard to photograph in flight, it will give me practice on moving objects!

Chance retreated to the bathroom to den up.  It is his safe place.

It was cold…it is still cold.   The wind is just raw.  No matter the weather Chance still needs to be walked. He loves to eat snow and can spend part of his potty time crunching down snow and sniffing the air.  Not wonderful activities for the person walking the dog.

Not sure what I did yesterday some sorting…some laundry…some straightening up…and the day was gone just like that.

Still Sorting and Updates

Yesterday I made progress with the big sort…I was in a throwing away mood.  I cannot possibly keep every Thank You Card or Birthday Card I have gotten for the past 25 or 30 years.  I kept a few…the real special ones…the ones the Grands scrawled their signatures on…and the ones with Chance’s paw prints!   Far Guy kept far less than me. The sort continues…

My embroidery floss containers were straightened up and all the wayward needles put away properly!

Today is the day we will have –50 F windchills.  The wind will blow the snow all around.

We are supposed to warm up on the weekend.  I am looking forward to it!

The path to the sauna needs some work, your boots would fill with snow.  No sauna is worth snow filled boots.

My other baby brother is home from the hospital.  He is not 100% yet …it all takes time.

Far Guy is having a little less pain with his TN this week…he smiled a few times.

Noah got the Flu right after his four wisdom teeth were removed.

And I am not as cranky as I could be.

Midway Memories: Russell and Marty

Russell was an Iowa boy, but loved Texas and called it his winter home. He had a tan to prove it!  Russell was a short little guy, he was what my Mother In Law would call a “sharp dresser.” Always neatly dressed usually in dress pants and a sport shirt.  He mostly wore glasses or sunglasses, he had dark hair and a really short butch hair cut.  Russell was a talker…he could talk to anyone anytime any place.  Russell was also “the patch” if someone felt they were hoodwinked into spending money Russell would talk to them until they figured out they spent their money all on their own.

In the summer Russell would be out on Merriam’s Midway Shows.  He had one trailer joint…it held two games a nickel roll and maybe darts?  He also had a set joint…a color wheel.  Now that was a fun joint.  There were squares of different colors on the counter and you put a quarter on a square…the ball was tossed into a large lacey hoop above the color wheel.  The wheel had pegs and what ever color the ball stopped on won.  A quarter got you a six pack package of gum…six of those six pack packages got you a stuffed animal.  Great fun!  Russell was a showman with a lingo all his own.

Clickity Clack look at that it hit the black, BLAK Black.  Hiddy diddy diddly do pick the color that best fits you.  Win gum World War One Army surplus chewing gum.  World War Two Army Surplus gum to chew.   Brown, Brown go to town.

Blu, Rad, Blak,Gren, Yelo, Ornge, Brn…he never spelled the colors right…everyone laughed and he took their money.  On weekend nights he need an extra scooper so Margaret and Mike would come out and work for him.  One started from the left and one from the right…scooping up money and paying winners with gum and plush. Russell would just talk to the crowd. He was a Showman.

Far Guy says “ Before Russell had the Color Wheel he had an Over and Under.   You would rolls small rubber balls toward numbered slots.  You got six balls, if the the total was under eleven or over thirty you would win a Teddy Bear.  Every year in Algona Iowa it would be my job to go and win a Teddy Bear for the daughter of one of my Dad’s friends who lived in town.  I would go to Russell’s game and pay like everyone else, roll the balls, Russell would do a fast count and I would win the girl a Teddy Bear.”

One time a very well dressed lady brought out a little boy, the child sat on the counter while they visited…there was some speculation that Russell had a fling and a child that was well taken care of.

Russell had a brother named Marty who had a few kids, they would come out and work for Russell sometimes.  Jody was outgoing and Jackie was shy…they had a baby brother called little Marty.

Sadly Russell was murdered In Harlingen Texas in 1976.  He was robbed and shot in his workshop. We were all stunned, and saddened with the news. Russell was a good friend to many.   The murderers were caught, they stole a TV set and it was marked with Russell’s name. I am not sure how much time they got in prison.  What ever it was it was not long enough.

Marty took over and ran Russell’s joints.  Marty also bought both sets of Diggers from Far Guy’s parents when they retired.  Marty died in 1989. 

1972  Marty in the Color Wheel Joint

Rain and Car Shopping

It warmed up and we had freezing rain.  It will snow some more….and then we will be thrust into the deep freeze again.  The roads were beginning to improve and now they are icy again.  Such is life in Minnesota.  It will be –50 F windchills on Thursday, now that is something to look forward to.  It seems the weather elsewhere is a bit crazy…at least we are not flooding and we have more than one snowplow.

We made a trek to town for essentials, fresh fruits and lettuce.  More organizing supplies were purchased. 

We have been looking at buying a new vehicle.  I will never use State Farm Bank for anything ever again, their customer service is non existent and when you call there you are never told the same thing twice.   The paper that clears the title on my vehicle has been in the mail since December 26…or has it?  Maybe something was mailed on January 9th.  Are you kidding me?  Far Guy was livid.

My vehicle (The Sunday Car) is front wheel drive, we really need four wheel drive or all wheel drive since we live where it snows everyday.  We call it our Sunday car because that is usually when we drive it!  Love the heated leather seats…nothing better…and auto start…and bluetooth…and it gets 36 to 42 MPG consistently.  I hate that it is black and gets dirty on the gravel roads and that it is low to the ground.  Far Guys vehicle is four wheel drive and it is our go to vehicle but it is getting older.  It is just fine for a second vehicle.

So we are car shopping. Unbelievable that vehicles cost more now than our first home.

Snowy reeds along Shell River

Ongoing Projects: Folders, Family Tree and “stuff”

I wanted to include a family tree in the Grands folders.  I spent a good share of the afternoon yesterday finding a template I liked and entering the information.  It is a solid five generation tree, I have several birth and death dates yet to enter but it is printable as it is. I also made some copies for me going back to the 1790’s in Finland and 1812 in Germany for Far Guy. That would be seven generations back for the grands….but those parts will require much more research. If and when I get around to it…I will be able to hit the ground running…then on Far Guys side of his Mother’s family I believe there is an American Revolution Connection.  Of course I will have to prove it….someday our daughters may find it worth pursuing.

I used a Five Generation Fan Chart, some charts are confusing but I found this one easy to use and easy for a person to comprehend.  There are many Free Downloads out there.

I have a good start on the grands three ring binders.  I still have a few things to include.

During one of my sorts, I found a packet with about 20 Graduation Photos of me!  Far Guy said “Put one in the grands folder!”  So I did.  I found some very interesting things that I saved from the grands, some made us laugh and I will be sharing them here on the blog at some time in the future.

My desk is still a mess.  Imagine that.  At one time so was the dining room table!

I need more three ring binders and so far I have used over 100 page protectors.

In my process of checking places for buttons for the button jar, I ended up cleaning out my sewing kit.  No more threads hanging out all over, no more threaded needles waiting to attach a button.  It is all neat and tidy.  Seam bindings, zippers and ric rack are headed to a garage sale.

I actually shredded some old photos…it is true.  Some old Graduation Photos bit the dust.  I kinda shuddered as I shredded them.  Along with those old photos many High School Memories were unearthed….many are in a pile to see if they give me good feelings…or not.  The decorations from my Graduation Cake ended up in the garbage…the tassel's and the diplomas were saved….not sure what for?  I guess for the children to throw out! Remember those name cards that you traded with other classmates?  We had three boxes between us.  The grands got ours and the rest were tossed.

I almost have the downstairs Christmas Decorations put away…not completely done yet…and the Shiny Brite tree is still up.  I admire it several times a day!

It is too cold to do much else but work on projects.

Cabin Fever

We have  not been out of the yard for many days.  Cabin Fever will get you.   We decided to go for a drive.  Far Guy was antsy…as was Chance and we all enjoyed a drive over to Shell Lake.

There are a few fish houses out there…way out there.

Shell River winding its way out of Shell Lake headed for the Smoky Hills.

The roads over there are very icy.  I didn’t venture too far away from the car.

The moon was out as we headed for home.

I have been working on many projects.  My desk is still full.  The advice I got from Jen was “ When sorting if you hold something in your hand and it gives you pleasure then keep it…if not THROW IT OUT!”  Good advice and I have been trying it…sometimes I am just a miserable failure at tossing “stuff” out.

Cold Miserable Week

My husband doesn’t like to hear how cold it is, he says that is all they talk about on TV.

It was –32F on Friday morning or –35C eh.

It has been a week.  My sister law Beth and my brother Carey have been in St Louis.  Beth’s father died on New Years Day he was 89 years old.  The funeral was Tuesday.

A old friend died in Kansas on December 31st he was 67 years old and died from a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.  A very scary cancer.  His parents brought him to Bass Bay on Straight Lake fishing when he was growing up and he continued that tradition with his children…and his children and our children were good friends.

What can you do but send flowers and words of encouragement.

My other baby brother, Jody who lives next door was sick with what he thought was the flu.  It turned out to be a complication from the Gallbladder Surgery he had last summer.  He has four stones in his duct.  They tried to remove them but were unsuccessful.  They put in a stent because they noticed a narrowing of one of the ducts.  Now he has pancretitis. He will be in the hospital for a few more days…he is in a lot of pain.  I talked to him on the phone ( he didn’t make much sense, he doesn’t do anesthesia or pain meds well), he is in a far away hospital.  I am sure he will be okay…it all just takes time.

Dad and Jody about 1963

Our grandson Noah had all four of his wisdom teeth removed yesterday.  We were able to Facetime with him and encouraged ice packs and overlapping meds for pain.  Poor kid, but at least he is rid of them all at once.  I felt so sorry for him that I didn’t even ask if he saved the teeth for the tooth fairy.

Far Guy has been enduring a Trigeminal Neuralgia “flare” all week, sometimes the lightening bolt pain is continuous.   He has been miserable and discouraged.  He tries real hard not to be cranky.  It has been a long time since he had a flare that lasted all week….usually a day or two and the pain burns itself out. Not so much this time.

I am fine, I try not to be cranky too!

One project leads to another

I started cleaning out a cabinet… but got distracted and decided to clean out my old jewelry box.  Far Guy said “Make a list of the stuff only you know about.” Like the cross that does not have a chain that I got for my Confirmation back about 1965. Some of the earrings were my Grandmothers…some are from garage sales…nothing is valuable.  But they are of sentimental value to me. The “Dear Wife” postcard that I got in 1973 from my Dear Husband while he was at Basic Training that says if there is an emergency I should contact the Red Cross.  The flower from Arvilla’s funeral when I was a Pallbearer.  My bead bracelet from Nellie.  An odd collection of pins that I used to wear to work in the 1980’s.  I did make that list.  I parted with a few odd earrings and a very old emergency cigarette..and Old Gold just incase you were curious. 

Then I got out one of the hatboxes.

It was over flowing, I have mashed that lid on for a few months.

In order to find a different small box filled with treasures I had to tear apart the rest of that cabinet, I had stuff all over, but got it dusted  and most everything moved back. MOST is the key word.  Some ended up on my desk to be dealt with.

It may look like a mess but it is an organized work in progress mess.  One project led to another…embroidery thread to be wrapped on little plastic thingys and marked with the color.  Buttons that were found in several containers were gathered together and I now have a button jar. I even found some of my hair, what ever will I do with it?  I think Far Guy has a few more lengths.

I have enough OCD that I will take all the threads off these buttons before they go in the button jar.   Who saves half a button?  Apparently I did at one time.

It is cold here…the wind chills are really cold.  Our HIGH temperature yesterday was about –10 F or –23C eh.  COLD.   Today the sun may shine so that will make it seem warmer.  Oh well I have enough projects on my desk to keep me busy for a few days.

Katie’s Ornaments

I got a nice note and a photo via Facebook Private Message.

Katie wrote:

Thinking of you guys today as I pack away my favorite ornaments! Hope you are doing good!  Katie

****

These are all ornaments that we have made over the years…beginning back in 1990 the Loon top left was the first ornament.  The small bear with the pink shirt is an ornament that my Mom gave her grandchildren in 1989.

Time for an updated list!

1990  a Loon

1991  Santa or Mrs Santa or an Elf.   Katie got a Mrs Santa

1992 a pair of Mittens

1993 a wooden toy soldier

1994 a shot gun shell santa

1995 a big red sleigh bell

1996 a wooden birdhouse

1997 a wood turned snowman

1998 a shell that smelled…Katie is missing this one…mine is in the garage someday I will get the box of sea shells down and make her another one.  After 19 years they shouldn’t smell any more!

1999 clothespin angels

2000 santa face on a bent spoon

2001 a black walnut tree with buttons

2002 a black walnut gingerbread boy with buttons

2003 a decoupage photo..everyone was different ( Katie’s was a photo of them on one side and a photo of the day their trailer moved in next door on the other side.

2004 a wooden flag

2005 a little light bulb santa

2006 a hand carved candy cane

2007 a beaded angel

2008 a snowflake design burned into a piece of basswood

2009 a loon wood burned and painted

2010 a cottonwood bark hand carved church

2011 a basswood spool with a hand carved santa face

2012 a christmas tree handcarved

2013 a Milkweed Pod Santa

2014 Showy Lady Slipper handcarved

2015 Loon handcarved

2016 Yellow Lady Slipper handcarved

I have two ideas in mind for next years ornaments they are both carved.  One I have carved previously…one is just an idea.

It was fun to see all the ornaments together.  Katie is my niece who used to live next door but has moved far far away to North Dakota…and she took the twins and Aubrey with her!   I miss her and her children.  Her husband works in the Oil Patch.

Katie and Aubrey  July of 2016

Gavin, Aubrey and Jordan

Midway Memories: Jack, Red and George

The two names Red and George kinda go together. The worked for Jack Thomas.  Jack had a whole string of joints on Merriam’s Midway Shows back in the 1960’s.  Jack Thomas was the only person I ever knew who put a lit cigarette in his mouth and the ash hung on until he was done with the whole cigarette…it was quite a show. Jack had a dark complexion and eyes, he was short and stocky…always with a cigarette.  His son was Little Jackie and in his mid teens…with dark curly hair and dark eyes.

Red was tall and had red hair what was left of it and freckles, his real name was George White but everyone called him Red.  Little George was short and lean with dark hair.  Red would wear polo shirts and George usually a white shirt.

Red and George were Flatties.  They ran joints where the win was controlled. One of them had a spindle…a wheel where there were prizes…and the G was in the cigar box that held the money.

If they could talk you out of all the money in your wallet they would.  They would give out some prizes, walking a fine line to stop complaints.  They worked the crowd and would give away a large piece of plush and cause lots of commotion to bring in more customers or “Marks.”   A large piece of plush walking the Midway was always good advertising and locals would ask “Where did they win that?”

When times were good they stayed in a Motel, on tear down night they slept in the car.

Red was a talker and told me lots of stories, I wish I could remember them.  I don’t recall where they were from, but they both had a good sense of humor and a liking for alcohol.

They left the show in 1969, not sure of the circumstances…Jack and Little Jackie Thomas left too.  They had Milk Bottles, Cork Guns, Spindle, String Game, a Bumper Car that stopped on a peg for a prize every time.  I cannot remember the wife/mothers name.

Red and George were in the Cambridge Minnesota fight between the jointees and ride boys Billy and Ron.  Billy ended up in the hospital and Ron ended up at the bottom of the stairs.

I wonder what ever became of Red and George?  I suppose I will never know.