Persimmons, Head Feed and Storms - #2

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we were two young siblings helping our Dad clear some land for planting "head feed". He was cutting the persimmon sprouts and we were dragging them over to a pile. Some of these sprouts had some orangey looking fruit on them. After much nagging about what they tasted like and Dad telling us they weren't ripe yet, he finally said, "Well go ahead and eat one". Now if you have ever eaten a green persimmon you will be totally sympathetic with us. Your mouth puckers until you can't get a straw in it. Strangely enough, we didn't complain but I assure you that we never nagged again about eating those orangey things.

Now if you have never experienced the joy of harvesting head feed, you are surely deprived. It puts off a fine dust that gets all over you. Down your collar, in your socks, hair - well you get the picture. Anyway, it stings just like you had walked through stinging nettles. We would cut off the tops and throw them in the wagon for hauling to the barn. Did a bath ever feel good!!!

It was during this time that Dad was working at the ammunition depot (during the war) and trying to keep things running at home. This was during the time of rationing. My parents would trade some of their sugar rations for coffee rations. On Fridays, when Dad got paid, he would be given four milky ways with his check. Chocolate was very hard to come by. I can still remember how good that milky way tasted. During this time frame, Dad took in a homeless person (they knew him well) and he lived with us until he got back on his feet. Now the good part of this was that he would also get five candy bars since he lived with us and he would share them with us.

This will be the last memory of the ranch shared as this final episode necessitated us moving into town.

We have violent storms in this part of the country. Mom was so scared of storms that Dad always said if it clouded over, she made us go to the storm cellar. This one day she had done just that. As my Dad watched from the cellar door, he watched the wind blow the roof off the house, the lightening kill livestock and the hail beat the car up pretty bad. Then and there the decision was made to move.

Thanks for visiting!!!