While we were there, Grandpa told us a story from back in the early years of him owning the Ranch. It was funny and seemed fitting for an April 1st story. I have dubbed it "The Pea-Plant Escapade". I called Grandpa to clarify a few details in the story and he shared a few other gems, too.
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The Ranch
Ramon bought The Ranch from Frank Twitchell early in December of '56. "I'd only been out of the army for a couple of weeks and when the place came up for sale I was able to come up with enough money to make a down payment. I got a job at Little America in the truck shop as a mechanic. Verla came to live with LuJean at around Christmas-time and she was working at Little America as a waitress. That's where I met her. Then, of course, with all of their employees traveling back and forth, Little America had a station wagon they used to transport workers. When we had the same shift we traveled together. We were married in June of the following year, '57. We lived in the Old House for over ten years. Verla thought she was in heaven when they moved into the new house in '58. You know, we didn't have running water, we just pumped well water into Old House. If we took a bath we had to set it right next to the stove to stay warm and we used that old outhouse in the back yard. When we moved into the new house Verla was so happy. (And the kids, too - Susan was about ten years old!)."
The Pea-Plant Escapade
Ramon and Verla lived in the little white house on the property that Ramon purchased in '56. They planted many different crops in the acres next to their house. One year they planted several acres of peas down below the barn but they started having trouble with local kids (including Ramon's younger brother by seven years, Stan) who kept getting in the pea patch and stomping them down.
"I told them if they wanted to have a party they could come down and have a party during the day. They could have as many peas as they wanted. But don't come at night. At night time they come and tromp all the peas down. One time we had the police come with their spotlights but they were laying down in the rows so they couldn't see them. I thought that the police had chased them away, but a couple of hours later I heard a car pull up. Out by the pig-pen there was a big billboard. It's not there anymore, but a car pulled up behind that billboard so I couldn't see it very well and the lights went out.
I thought the little buggers were in the pea patch again!
So, I grabbed my shotgun, went out, and shot around in the air. I yelled 'Get out of there.'
All the sudden I heard a thunk-thunk-thunk and realized that it was a person who had pulled off to the side of the road to change their tire. Fast as anything he pulled his jack down, threw it into the trunk, and took off down the road, with his flat tire going ker-thunk, ker-thunk, ker-thunk all the way. I felt so bad because I know he ruined that tire and because you know that he didn't stop till he got to town. Poor guy, traveling in the dark and then getting scared out of his wits by an ornery old rancher with a gun in the middle of the night.
The Pea-Plant Escapade
Ramon and Verla lived in the little white house on the property that Ramon purchased in '56. They planted many different crops in the acres next to their house. One year they planted several acres of peas down below the barn but they started having trouble with local kids (including Ramon's younger brother by seven years, Stan) who kept getting in the pea patch and stomping them down.
"I told them if they wanted to have a party they could come down and have a party during the day. They could have as many peas as they wanted. But don't come at night. At night time they come and tromp all the peas down. One time we had the police come with their spotlights but they were laying down in the rows so they couldn't see them. I thought that the police had chased them away, but a couple of hours later I heard a car pull up. Out by the pig-pen there was a big billboard. It's not there anymore, but a car pulled up behind that billboard so I couldn't see it very well and the lights went out.
I thought the little buggers were in the pea patch again!
So, I grabbed my shotgun, went out, and shot around in the air. I yelled 'Get out of there.'
All the sudden I heard a thunk-thunk-thunk and realized that it was a person who had pulled off to the side of the road to change their tire. Fast as anything he pulled his jack down, threw it into the trunk, and took off down the road, with his flat tire going ker-thunk, ker-thunk, ker-thunk all the way. I felt so bad because I know he ruined that tire and because you know that he didn't stop till he got to town. Poor guy, traveling in the dark and then getting scared out of his wits by an ornery old rancher with a gun in the middle of the night.
(This story makes me just giggle. I wish I could capture the way that my Grandpa's gruff old voice sounds saying things like "the little buggers" and how he talks about the "poor guy". My few typed out words don't give his delivery justice.)
The Skunk and the Motorcycle
One night I was out irrigating with a little motorcycle. I was driving through the tall grass, and a motorcycle only leaves a track 3-4 inches wide. I was banging up through there and all the sudden a skunk appeared in my path. As it came out, I hit it with the wheel. It went flying and started spraying everywhere. The spray went all over - in my mouth in my eyes, all over my clothes. I near drowned in a ditch trying to wash it off of my face and out of my mouth. (I tell ya, that stuff doesn't taste real good.) After I was done irrigating, I made my way home but Verla wouldn't let me in the house until I took off all my clothes because I smelled so bad. But we got through it.
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I love hearing stories like this.
[When I was wrapping up my telephone conversation with my Grandpa, he told me to give the kids hugs for him and I told him that I wished I was there so I could give him a big hug - so just to pretend that I was giving him a great big hug. He responded, "Bygolly, I can feel it." I about started bawling just thinking about how wonderful he is. He's gruff and tough and he has such a kind tender heart and I am grateful for him. Grateful to know him, grateful to be one of his grandchildren.]
[When I was wrapping up my telephone conversation with my Grandpa, he told me to give the kids hugs for him and I told him that I wished I was there so I could give him a big hug - so just to pretend that I was giving him a great big hug. He responded, "Bygolly, I can feel it." I about started bawling just thinking about how wonderful he is. He's gruff and tough and he has such a kind tender heart and I am grateful for him. Grateful to know him, grateful to be one of his grandchildren.]
I love that my kids love "Wyoming" (which is what we call this specific home, this wonderful place, when we are referring to it) as much as I do. I hope they hold on to these memories for their whole lives.
Some pictures with Grandpa-Great.
It is colder in Lyman than it is in Morgan/Utah. On our way up, I realized that I hadn't brought much more than jackets for my kids and certainly not hats or gloves. About the same time, Lydia mentioned that she had forgotten to grab shoes as I was rushing her out the door to strap into the car So we made a stop at the Walmart in Evanston (which we joke about being my favorite Walmart - mostly because it's true, it is my favorite!) and picked up some hat/scarf/glove sets on clearance plus some new shoes for Lydia (and for me, because #favoritewalmart).
It was also April 1st, which meant - April Fools Day! So, you know- our food consisted of peach-and-yogurt "eggs" for breakfast, and hot-dog "octopi" with macaroni and cheese for lunch. Mom-win!
It was just such a nice day to spend with my Dad and Grandpa (and sister). On our way out of town, we stopped at Grandma's grave and talked for a minute about how much we missed her. It's just different to go to Grandma and Grandpa's and not have her sitting in her blue chair by the door. I miss her sweet hugs and her heartfelt, "I love you, special lady." I'm blessed with wonderful grandparents and I wish I could capture more of their stories, more of their life, more of their hearts because I know that all too quickly, they will be gone. Their memories are grounding to me, they teach me about life and about how to handle hard things and how to do good things.
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