I recall waking up most mornings to the guitar music in the kitchen where my dad would be drinking his coffee. It was always a peaceful sound with my dad’s voice singing old Hank Williams and Merle Haggard songs.

We had a blue Parakeet named Joe Joe that dad would share his coffee with, and Joe Joe would dance on the table to dad singing. He'd bob his head up and down and walk sideways back and forth.

Then dad would turn the coffee down on the second pot, and pour two cups, and Joe Joe would let out a holler, “Mom coffee’s Ready.” Of course dad would be saying it too. Mom would get up and have her first cup, then she would start breakfast for everyone. It was always a full breakfast with meat, eggs, potatoes, sometimes pancakes or waffles, eggs, and meat.

When it was almost done, mom would holler at us; "Kid's breakfast's almost done.” That was the queue, if you weren't already awake, then it was time to get up, get dressed, wash up, and go eat, then you had chores. I fed the animals outside and my sisters did the dishes, then we went off to school.

When we came home from school, we got a snack ,and did our chores. I took care of the outside animals. I watered the garden, cleaned stalls, etc. The girls cleaned house and did laundry, started dinner, (which was pre arranged or left in a note).
Mom came home and finished what was left of dinner, then dad came home. We all sat down at the table and had dinner, and discuss our day. After dinner the dishes were washed, and we did our homework. The day ended; and we would start the cycle over.

We had motorcycles to ride on the weekends, and we had an old mare we called babe. I rode her up into the hills and stayed one or two days. This wasn’t too hard to accomplish as we lived at the base of Adams Point. This was a small mountain between Merrill and Malin, Oregon.

There was suppose to have been a shipment of rifles stolen from the Calvary by the Indians, or so everyone said, and they never were found. Being the teenage boy that I was, I spent days trying to find them.

I did however, find an old telegraph office, and lots of antique bottles, insulators, a couple of coins, and an old watch. I guess for the most part I really did enjoy my childhood.

By: James Grimes
4/29/09

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