The bull whisperer meets family from Chicago
Scott Mclean
Next chapter!
We lived in the house on Cox road until I was 7. Sandy was 8 years older so rightfully considered me a pain in the butt. Steve was 3 years younger so just getting to the time he could follow me around. Our neighbors were not far away but you could not see the houses and that made it seem like we were all alone.
I made friends with the various farm animals and our boxer Dixie was a constant companion. I caused a great deal of excitement when my folks saw me riding around the pasture on the back of my Uncle’s Santa Gertrudis bull. The bull had a bad reputation and most of the adults would not get in the pasture with it. Evidently the bull and I had an understanding. There was also a rooster I talked to and various half wild cats. Dixie would take over the litters of kittens if they were not being cared for enough. It was an odd sight to see her on the porch with several cats she had raised curled up with her.
I started school around this time. For some reason I had to walk to the intersection with Rosenkranz to catch the bus but was dropped off in front of the house in the afternoon. Dad worked at H and H meat packing and was later supervisor there. In younger years he drove straddle truck and sold fertilizer. Mom packed apples at various warehouses including Leo Beffa’s just down the road.
I remember eating pheasant or quail and dumplings, venison, elk, and whatever we raised.
Around this time, I met my cousins from the Chicago area for the first time. My Uncle Dean and Aunt Mary came to visit with their daughters Lynne, Joyce, and Kim. Uncle Dean had traveled a lot in the military and the girls had seen a lot that us country kids had not. We got along well. I think Uncle Dean kind of liked Mom’s country cooking! There is one picture of the girls with Steve and I think looks like Joyce had a strangle hold on the cat she was holding.
Uncle Dean liked fishing, so we made a trip to Milk Lake. There was a place where the road had slid down and you needed 4 wheel drive to get through. I still don’t know how we piled both families in Dad’s ‘57 CJ5. It would be a few years and another house before we saw our cousins again.
Done again for now.