Thanks for letting me know about Ed Bacon. I just vaguely remember him...I think I'm getting to that age... Here are some of the memories I have... I do remember Noel Lightburn - he used to come up to the farm often. We were both in the same grade at Bear Creek elementary school. The bus always stopped at Pfeifer's Corner on the way home so we could get a fudgsicle before coming home. I think they were 5¢ back then. I used to skip buying my milk at school so I could have a fudgsicle on the way home. I used to spend a lot of time with Noel at his house - but no big memories of anything special there that I can remember. Then there was "Kato" (sp?) - the Japanese guy who worked for years at Junglewood cutting and watering all the carnations. He was really fast at planting new carnations in the summer, too. We used to have contests to see who could keep up with him. Seems I remember I finally got pretty good at keeping up with him - but I remember never being able to plant them in such "straight rows" as Kato and Andy did. I can't believe the story you told about the rat under the carnation bench after it had been steamed! I'd never heard that one before! You guys seem to forget - but between 1958 and 1963, I was in the Navy so I missed out on a lot of the Junglewood action that you all had during that time. I do remember coming back to the house every morning during morning break and watching "The Price Is Right" on TV! That TV program is still going strong with Bob Barker as the emcee. When I told Jeanne that this program started over 40 years ago - she didn't believe me. When we weren't watching "The Price is Right" - we would play ping pong in the garage. Seems we always were having contests to see who could play the best game of ping pong. Billy and Jimmy got pretty good, as I recall. Then there were the usual "disbud" fights we used to get into at Junglewood. Remember those? Andy never did approve of those! Tim Wirth used to come over and disbud with us - and we'd get into fights with him. Does anyone remember the guy who drove an old 1929 green Chevrolet coupe? I think it was a Chevrolet... I've always tried to remember his name and can't. What a neat looking old car that was... He used to park it next to the barn on the east side. Of course, my most infamous memory of Junglewood was when I cut off my finger on the power saw in the chicken house. Most of you probably remember that event fairly well - as it was pretty traumatic - and kids always ask me today - "what happened to your finger?" I usually tease them by saying, "Mommy and Daddy always told me to be careful and follow the rules. This is what happened to me when I didn't!" Then they think Mom or Dad cut off my finger - and I quickly tell them, "No, I did it myself by accident when I didn't follow the rules of being careful - and not to go near things that were dangerous." And ... there have been the numerous jokes I play with the kids about "losing" my finger when I did the finger removal illusion trick. More specifically, though, I remember I had my gloves on - and was being just plain stupid by trying to cut a 8" long piece of wood on the power saw by pushing it through with my left hand. "Wham" - the wood jammed and went flying across the chicken house and my hand felt like it exploded. I looked down and there was my finger hanging out of the glove. I tore off the glove (doing more damage, I'm sure) and ran home holding my left forefinger. When I got to the house, Patsy and Mom were there. I told Mom I cut off my finger - and she said, "no, you didn't". When I showed her, she about passed out. Patsy was the one who managed to keep so calm - gave me some aspirin and said, "get in the car". We went to St. Joseph's hospital and I remember staying in the emergency waiting room for almost an hour before any doctor came to see me. Dad met us at the hospital. It's a memory I have that will never go away. They sewed my finger back on - but told me that the biggest problem would be "scar tissue" forming that would freeze my finger at the joint. The doctors didn't really tell me the truth then and that the real problem was getting good blood circulation back into the finger. Long story short - the finger tip turned black and I finally had it cut off 6 months later at the Naval hospital in Oakland, CA. The first finger joint still froze up due to the scar tissue forming. What really amazed me was that the US Veterans Affairs group has given me a monthly 10% disability check every month since August of 1962 when I left the Navy to come home and go back to college at CU. Most of you guys won't remember this one - since you weren't born yet. Back in 1948 or 1949 - Dad had a car, I can't remember which one, but it was stolen by some guy who had escaped from the Federal Penitentiary. They caught him a day or two later and the car was returned to us, I think. I can only remember what a "fuss" everyone made at the time - and that we were without our car. My most "embarrassing moment" at Junglewood was in my junior or senior year at Littleton High School. It was in 1956, I think, Anyway - I hadn't made many friends at Littleton High school - and as I recall, I was desperate to have some. Mom and Dad suggested I have a party at Junglewood and invite some of the kids out after the junior or senior prom. I can't remember which year it was. All I remember is - no one showed up! I was mortified and really embarrassed in front of mom and dad. They had it all set up where Billy, Jimmy and Tommy were going to direct traffic and show them where to park their cars in front of our house. That's when I realized a lot of those people at Littleton High who said they were my "friends" - could have cared less. Mom did her best to try to comfort me - but I still remember that day quite vividly! The dining room and living room had all been decorated up by mom and Opal, it was awful!! Then there were all those times when the girls at the girl's farm next door used to run away. Sometimes they would try to "hide" in the greenhouses. Andy usually would find them and get help. But the one time I remember was when Noel Lightburn and I tracked one of the girls up toward the "trash dump" - and found her in the only standing large oak tree. We flagged down one of the cars "circling" the Junglewood property - and they came and got her. Noel and I asked for a reward for finding her - and the prison guards said they would let us know. When Mom and Dad heard about this they really were quite unhappy with me and Noel too! I had to apologize to the prison people. The "Sams brothers" - I never knew them very well - so I can't be of much help here. Seems I knew the oldest one of them - but can't remember his name. I think they came along after I was in the Navy. About the donuts - I remember I was the one who used to stop and get donuts at Mr. Donut each day after delivering flowers to DWF. May have been someone else also did this. Andy started it, I believe, but turned it over to me when I started taking the flowers to DWF. There was no such thing as "air conditioning" in cars back then - and it used to get pretty hot driving in the summertime. During the school year, I would take the flowers to DWF, then some of you to St. John's - then Patsy to St. Mary's and then I would go to Regis. One heck of a drive - I would be late to Regis and had to go to "jug" (stay after school and memorize a page of text before I could go home). Dad used to really get mad at me for this. If we didn't leave Junglewood promptly at 6:30am, I would be late to Regis for daily mass which started at 8:30am. I can't imagine how I drove all those miles and still managed to get to Regis about 70%of the time by 8:30 am!! I think Mom must have taken Patsy most of the time, because there's no way I could have gotten to St. Mary's - and then back to Regis by 8:30am. I do remember picking Patsy up after school many times, though... Anyone remember the old coke machine? What did we used to have to pay to buy a coke - or orange soda - or root beer? Does anyone remember? It was a nickel or ten cents - I'm not sure which. I remember always having to stock that old thing. They sure were a treat after working 3-4 hours in the blazing heat outside during the summertime - especially around 3:30 - quitting time! I'd always drink at least two!! I'd love to get one of those old coke machines from an antique store somewhere and find some old soda pop bottles. I'm pretty sure they aren't made anymore - even for bottle collectors. I always remember looking at the bottom of the coke bottle to see where it was made. They always put the name of the city on the bottom of the coke bottle. If it wasn't made in Denver - it was a very "special" bottle, and I would save them. I can only remember Kansas City being the other city I would find. OK - keep up the great idea of "Junglewood Trivia"! It would be nice if someone could collect all these stories and put them into a book of some sort. Since 1957 to 1965 seems to be the really "active" period for most of these stories - it should be one of you guys who were at Junglewood during these years. Being in the Navy during this period - I'm afraid I wouldn't be a good choice for doing this - or I would volunteer. Kenny, Danny or Dicky should do this (possibly Jimmy too), in my humble opinion. On Chuck Haley's side, I'm sure Charlie, Timmy and Chris could contribute a few stories also - and we shouldn't forget the girls - Patsy has a great memory and I'm sure could contribute - and possibly Peggy too! Then there are the Wiebensons. Someone should ask them what they remember. I think we'd all be surprised. Billy and Tim Wirth used to have a few crazy moments at Junglewood - but I have no memory of them. Hey, some of you guys should have some good stories about Opal! She was great - but what teasing some of you guys used to do to her especially with Othello and Wesley. Danny - you and Peter should have something to say about that!! Well - I'm pooped out on this for now. Keep those stories coming! Your children will love them!! Now I'm trying to remember who started this forest fire.. it was either Dick or Pete. I liked your stories Benj! By the way, I saw your dangling finger before you went to the hospital. Yuk, why did you show me? I remember saying to myself.... they'll never get it back on right. Here's a short story that I remember. I'm guessing the year at about 1954 or 5. Kenny and I were playing in the garage doing I don't know what when Mom steps out of the laundry room and says something like "You two be good while I'm at the store" and she proceeded to get in the old 1949(?) Mercury (the one Benj fell a sleep in and totaled - I let him tell that story) and started backing out. At this point Kenny and I are outside the garage waiting for the car to back out when he turns to me and says, "Do you think it would hurt if I let the back tire run over my foot?" I must of said "Nah" or maybe I said "Nobody could do that!" I think it was the latter, because he faced this deed with no apparent signs of fear that I could notice. Any way, here comes the car or should I say Ken's horror. When Mom rolled the car up onto his foot she stopped because she knew she hit something and while she's PARKED on his foot, she reaches out and fine tunes her side view mirror (to this day, I don't know how she missed seeing Ken, because he was right there in her mirror) and eventually finished running over Ken's foot. Ken reminded me of Fred Flintstone... the episode where he had to hold a scream due to some major injury that he had inflicted upon himself and he didn't want to wake up Bam Bam so he ran a block or so down the street to let this loud echoing yell in a city mail box. The clearest part of this particular memory though was watching Ken's facial expressions while Mom took her time backing out with extreme caution - something Ken didn't factor in! Even though this story is over 45 years old, I'm sure Ken remembers it like it was yesterday. Hey Ken, my foot was starting to hurt just watching you! I was thinking of telling Mom (as she passed by) that you might need to go to the hospital. By the way, wasn't it Jim, John and Ted Sams - in that order? Tommy, remember when Dennis David (Jimmy's friend) worked down at the greenhouse? or am I just dreaming that? He did funny things. I remember when Opal figured she'd lost her job because Dick ran away... it was when she was in charge while Mom & Dad were in Hawaii. Dick can tell this story. I think Pete knows some Opal stories. Hey - Think Peggy or Billy have anything to add? Peg, What did Andy used to call you? Was it Sis or Sweetie-pie??? Can you remember? Bill, Did you sell your steers to buy your first car? Was it a 1954 Mercury Station Wagon? 1959 or 60 ? Billy was driving, Tommy was sitting in the front, and me and Danny were in the back. No seatbelts of course, and I was standing up in the middle so I could see out. There we were, westbound on Yale at Meade St. All I remember was hearing Billy say "Oh Lordy" and jerk out the emergency brake. On impact I flew over from the back seat and hit my head on the lower part of the dashboard by Tommy's feet. No bleeding but a good scare. Hey everybody, If we start telling stories about getting hurt at Junglewood we'll need another book to hold it all. I'm sure I can think of a whole chapter recounting just how I got the scars on just one hand not to mention any body elses hand (Dan). Everybody close your eyes and generate this picture in your mind. Your on the fan end of 5 & 7. Your supposed to be picking, but it's Saturday morning and it was a late night and your just leaning on the heat pipe in front of the fan. The cool air is helping your throbbing head, the drone of the circulation pump down by the pipe shop is sort of mesmerizing and you could just close your eyes and take a short break. Suddenly the peace and quiet is interrupted by the sound of the sliding door and the familiar refrain of 'Three Blind Mice' and your jolted back to reality. You quickly pick some carnations to make it seem like your working before you dare to look. Then when you finally look and there is Dicky, holding his knees laughing at you. This tune should be the Junglewood theme song. We all got real good whistling it just to catch people loafing or sitting down on the disbudding benches. Remember the dusty prints you would get on your back when you would lean up against the screens covering the fans? We use to call them loaf marks. Do any on you have any stories about Kiso Kataka, Kaso as my dad called him. The old Japanese man that drove the old green Corvair. He always had that watering apron and irrigation boots on. He would give me candy. I can still see him watering the benches and walking around with that old white timer. I've added Steve, Kim and Cindy's name to this. I've already forwarded one email to them, but this thing is growing -- and, I find it terribly entertaining. Thanks everybody! A story that many of you might remember shows Dad's amazing sense of humor. One evening, one of my friends (I think it was Dennis David, but I can't remember for sure.) was hanging around at dinner time -- which had a way of annoying Dad at certain times. This time, Dad got up on the step stool in the kitchen and asked for someone to hand him a plate that had food on it. He then asked for a broom. He pinned the plate filled with food to the ceiling with the broom and asked my friend to hold the broom while he got down from the step stool. With my friend holding the food plate to the ceiling with the broom, Dad got down, picked up the step stool, and simply left the room. I've been thinking about the Sams family. Two questions: 1) Andy had a nick-name for John. What was it? and 2) Didn't the father work for Junglewood for a short while? What was his name? What about Albert and Shorty? Shorty always had a stick of Doublemint gum for me when I would come around. That had to be in the late 40's. Anybody remember anything about them? Another trivia question -- There was a blacksmith who would come to Junglewood to shoe the horses on a regular basis. He's the first person I knew that would chew tobacco -- it seemed so nasty to me! And, his voice was real raspy. Does anyone remember his name? (How is it possible that I can remember things like this, but I can't remember where I put my car keys?) I remember my parents talking about Albert & Shorty. There are several pictures on them in the collection I have of my parents. Danny, we should get you and this box of pictures together so we could add pictures to this chain letter. You'd need a new scanner before we got through. I think that there is a picture showing Shorty at about the time that the large building that was next to the root cellar was moved out. I only know this from the pictures and having mom tell me who was who. Jim the blacksmith's name was Gordon Crick and I do remember him being a real character. Danny here is one for you. What was the name of the well pump installer? This guy communicated almost completely with swear words. One time the pump went out and he got it pulled out, the new pump installed and got it down over 600 feet only to have it short out when it hit the water. I'm sure that Danny was there. He should tell his version.
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