Miz Mick's Place

When We Lived In Merced

MOM GOT 200 WHITE LEGHORN CHICKS AND HAD TO RAISE THEM TO LAYING AGE. I SHOULDN'T SAY,"HAD TO"; SHE REALLY WANTED TO GET THE CHICKS TO PULLET AGE AND HAVE THE PULLETS START LAYING. WE HAD A PRETTY WHITE YARD FOR A WHILE!

WE LIVED ON A PRETTY STEEP LITTLE HILL AND ONE DAY ONE OF DADS FRIENDS CAME TO VISIT. WE HAPPENED TO MEET HIM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL SO ALL OF US GOT TO RIDE UP THE HILL IN THE BACK OF HIS PICKUP. ABOUT HALF WAY UP, THE TRUCK SWERVED AND I DIDN'T! I FELL OFF AND ROLLED ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE HILL! THE OTHER KIDS WERE SCREAMING AS LOUD AS THEY COULD!

WHEN THE MAN FINALLY LOOKED BACK AND SAW I HAD FALLEN OFF, HE CAME BACK FOR ME AND REMINDED US THAT WE HAD PROMISED TO STAY SITTING DOWN. I WAS SITTING DOWN BUT I FORGOT TO HOLD ON. LUCKILY I WASN'T HURT.

ONE DAY BEFORE BUDDIE GOT HIS BIKE PAID FOR, HE WALKED DOWN THE HILL TO A SMALL CAFE AND WENT INTO THE CAFE AND TOLD THE LADY THAT HE HADN'T EATEN FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS. HE WAS REALLY BROWN FROM NOT WEARING A SHIRT AND HAD ON RAGGEDY TORN UP BRITCHES. HE WAS A LITTLE SKINNY FELLER, SO THE LADY FELT SORRY FOR HIM AND STARTED FEEDING HIM. WELL, BUDDY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HER AND SHE TOLD MOTHER LATER THAT HE ATE MORE THAN MOST GROWN UPS,- LIKE 2 QUARTS OF MILK LOTS OF EGGS AND BACON AND JUST KEPT ON EATING. MOTHER WAS EMBARRASSED BUT THEY BOTH HAD A GOOD LAUGH!

MOM WENT HOME AND ASKED BUDDIE WHY HE WENT DOWN THERE AND TOLD THAT LADY ALL THAT STUFF,- LIKE HE WAS HITCH-HIKING AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY AND, OF COURSE, HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN SINCE HIS LAST MEAL. BUDDIE LOOKED UP AT MOM AND VERY SOLEMNLY SAID, "WELL, I WAS HUNGRY!"

AFTER THAT, BUDDY WORKED HARD MOWING LAWNS AND DOING ALL KINDS OF YARD WORK TO HURRY AND FINISH PAYING FOR HIS BIKE.

THIS HAS BEEN ANOTHER EPISODE IN OUR LIVES!. MIZ MICKS.

See ya...