Growing up Country

It is pouring down rain right now and 41 degrees, it is slowly melting and washing away the Snow.  I have been napping in the recliner,  I was woke up by a gust of wind, we are posted for a High Wind warning ! Great night last night, we played at the Nursing Home, this is my FIRST TIME playing back with Karl and  Mark in almost 3 years !  

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I sang along with the Guys and did a couple solos and lost my voice once and ran out of Air a couple times but hopefully it gets better  as I sing and Play more! 

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Here we all are in 1966 when we graduated,  The 6 guys were all Drafted before Graduation,  Morley who was in the Army is 4th from the left back row was killed in an accident in Fort Carlson. Next is Raymond, (Army) then Rod, John an Larry all Air Force then me, Navy !   The girl standing to my Left I was  married to for 22 years then divorced.

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Above is our 20 Year class reunion !  It was less than half the class who showed up,  Since this Picture we have lost my cousin Linda,  the lady in green shirt in front on the left.

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This was our 50th Hich School Reunion for the Class of 1966.

The Reunions are held at the VFW in Gouverneur, NY !

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Thats me on the back left in the rear, I took all the Photos for the Year Book for the class of 1966 !

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7 of us got together the weekend of the Reunion for an "Ice Breaker" to check up on each other.

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My Honey goes to the Banquets every year and fits right in, she graduated from a different High School. She is talking with Marlene and Linda !

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My Buddy Marlene !

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John, Rod, Me and Raymond !

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. Brother Roland, James, sister Bev and me, missing was Ronnie who was in Florida !  this was 2022 !

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The Wood Family, Kevin, Roland, Janice (rip) , Jim, Roland, Bev Me and Tom !

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This is some the Wood Family, Just about everyone in this Picture went to Edwards Central High School  !!!!

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Memories, Country School

 Sitting here today and found some old Pictures of School,  My Blogger Shipmate Jack over at "Shipslog" jarred my memories:  Shipslog (shipslog-jack.blogspot.com)

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I started school here in Pond Settlement in the first Grade, it was a 1 room School with a big wood shed on the left side, a bell tower, porch and off to the left was a side by side  Boys and Girls Out House.

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I am number 14.  My sister is 9, most everyone is a cousin !

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There was also a playground with swings, teeter totter and a whirl around !

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I can remember getting on that circle of Pain and the bigger kids pushing it around and around and around, faster and faster  till we went flying off into a pile, banged up, bruised and scraped but "No Tears" as we were "Tough" !  The 1 teacher we had was guarding the door to the Girls Outhouse so naughty boys didn't go peek or stick their head inside and yell---!!

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We sat in school in Alphabetical Order regardless of Grade you were in !  As a Wood I was in the back with W !  This was my view most of the time unless it was my turn to go to the wood shed thru the door on the right and get some wood for the stove, all boys had to carry wood, we would have a burlap bag to put in front of our shirt so it didn't get dirty !

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The Pot Bellied Stove in summer was not used but in the winter it was used as for Heat and also cooking !  It was not unusual for the Teacher to have the older girls peel taters, carrots, onions, turnip and Parsnips and the teacher adding it early in the Morning to a Kettle she had added some nice large chunks of Beef we had got from the Main School !

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, these 2 Internet Photos !

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Lunch was delicious, besides Stew we had Hot Dogs and Beans, Spaghetti, Chili, Soups, and of course fresh "Venison" !

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.   We would eat at noon with fresh Milk kept in the Ice Block Cooler along with Water !

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Ice was cut every Winter, taken to the Ice House, stacked up and packed in sawdust and used when needed, it usually lasted till fall !  Above is my Grandpa Wood sitting on the Pail,  MY Uncle Lynn Jones driving the Team and My Father on the left side sitting on a sheepskin on the ice.

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In the 5th Grade They shut down the Country and I got my first "Bus Ride" to the above Edwards Central School in the 5th Grade,  Bus Ride was 45 Minutes from my house, pick up students and get to school at 7:45Am as school started at 8AM !  We had a 55 Minute Lunch Btreak and school was dismissed at 4PM!

. More to come on School !

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Winter Views

 We are now in my Birthday  Month, February is usually our coldest Month up here in the North Country !

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Looking out back thru the icicle towards the Garage and the Snow roll !!

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The back yard looking at the house ad deck,  we have about a good foot of hard packed snow and ice.  

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Looking at the eves and rain gutter you can see the ice build up so far,  I will wait as this week kt is going up to the 40's and might get some rain, then what's here I will have the Neighbor come over and with the sledge hammer break open some areas 4 foot apart so the water drains !

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The "Snow Curl" coming off the Garage Roof !  It will curl so far then fall hopefully  missing my pathway !

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The Birds are happy I filled the feeder,  we were lucky also as a flock of Evening Grosbeaks came in to feed, we were Blessed to see them as they do not come around that often !   The color is caused as we have Plastic Storm window over the Window and the Sun was directly shining in the front window !

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The eves had some melting snow which dripped down on the flag and water froze !

Everyone stay warm and safe !

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Inside Day 2 *(Cold)

Got up this morning at 5AM and it was - 31 BELOW Zero,  Cold,  Thankfully front part house was toasty warm, Not going anywhere again today so I crawled back in Bed till 8AM  !!!

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I have been in Temps as far as having it in the minus 40 degree s below zero during school back in the 60's !   We didn't close school and I went to a country school till the 5th grade and remember walking to school in sub zero temps, also huddled around the wood stove in school !

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The school was heated with a Pot Belly Wood stove,  the men of the community of Jones Pond paid part of their School Tax by donating a cord of wood cut, split and delivered to the school !

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Well, as this is the 2nd day of not going outside I went to the Kitchen and made my favorite Cookie,  *(Sugar Cookies).  I made 2 dozen cookies, decorated them and have been snacking on them all afternoon !

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I enjoyed making them for us and enjoy eating them more !

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Cleaned dust off and wiped down the Utica Boiler.  The wire Page fence taped to the end is to keep the Cat from crawling up inside the boiler which she did this summer !

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Getting tuned and ready, going down this coming week and play at a Nursing Home with another fella,   should be fun unless they shut it down due to Covid !

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Bitter Cold

Well, "Old Man Winter" and "Mother Nature" had to show us who was in charge !    The Temps have bottomed out, we have a breeze last nite, (Thurs) and it blew in a Cold Canadian Front with drastic frigid Temps !  It is a Dangerous Cold !!!!!

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The worst part is going from Bitter Cold freezing to Snow and Rain and 40 degrees !

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Our 6 PM Weather report for Friday !!

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Right now outside it is 15 Below Zero,  we have stayed inside all day !  My Honey spent the day making a delicious Beef Stew!

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 I rearranged the Pantry as it was nice and warm in the cellar !

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Got the Heater just a cranking and cellar is warming up the floors upstairs,  curtains closed, shades drawn and ready for a nice night snuggled up inside !

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IT;S COLD OUT !!!!

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Check Up Docs !

Well, today was my checkup after surgery  on my ear and Eustachian Tube !

It appears everything is starting to heal up with the ear drops and medications so am happy there !

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Weather today was a bitter wind and this is what we have forecast for our up coming weather !  Like the old saying ----"Baby, Its Cold Outside" !!!!

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After the Doctors we were going to Olive Garden for Lunch but we realized that on Monday Watertown had a Brand Spanking NEW POPEYES !     SO-----------

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I had Chicken, Red Beans and Rice, Biscuits and Root Beer !

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Now to settle in and gonna stay home during this cold snap !

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