Arts, Crafts, Music, & Events of Breckinridge County Issue 2, July 2015 | Page 48

and sit down before that jumping gets the ice stuck in your
throat and chokes you.” But, being kids, never once did we
calm down much, if any, and we never did swallow the whole
ice cubes. After being warned of the danger of ice, we would
again lean far out the window (ever watchful, as being within
swatting distance of our moms) to sniff the newly mown hay.
We counted the Hereford cows, with an occasional Jersey or
Brown Swiss milking cow thrown in amongst them, as we
passed each field. We, being curious youngsters, wondered as
we passedany mailboxes with red flags up, which part of the
country the letters inside of the boxes would end up and who
was waiting for them.
I am the product of cool, spring water (that no family ever
thought to test for safety) drank from dippers and mason jars.
In the summer, we had watermelon spitting contests and ran
around barefoot. Almost weekly we stepped on bees, but our
feet survived after shedding a few tears and baking soda was
applied to them to neutralize the sting. We had shoes, a pair
of Ked sneakers, either red or blue, as we reversed our choice
every other summer. However, we never thought of putting
them on our feet unless Mom made us do so to go to town or
church.
In my memories living vividly are the old hounds that use to
dig holes in my grandmother’s yard in an attempt to make
dust to stay cool in the hot days. Grandma was very