Cousins Story 12
Besides getting together with the John Duecks, we also got together with Grandma & Grandpa Dyck from Langham occasionally. Grandpa Dyck was actually our step-grandpa, but Grandma Dyck was the mother of my Dad, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Jake, Aunt Nettie and Aunt Frieda. Our three families: Jake Paulses, Fred Duecks & Abe Paulses all went to Langham one summer to visit. Aunt Sarah was there too with her children (John and Nettie). All of us cousins were still quite little. We were intrigued by all the trees everywhere and by the ram Grandpa had in a pen. Grandpa warned us sternly to stay out of the pen because the ram would bunt us, and we obeyed. John who knew the farm well because he sometimes lived there, showed us kids around, through the garden and in the trees.
Being still very little, probably aged 2.5 - 5, judging from the photo the trees seemed very tall, but they were probably no more than 10 or 12 feet high. As we walked among the trees, we disturbed a bat, and it flew deeper in the bush. John immediately told us to run for the house because he said bats would get tangled in our hair, and our Moms would have to cut all our hair off to get the bats out! We ran, screeching, from that place. We didn't want to get shaved bald.
Nightime came and where did all us visitors sleep? On the floor in the small living room. Quilts, pillows and straw ticks were spread on the floor. I don't remember whether or not our Moms brought the quilts and pillows, though to expect our grandparents to have enough extra bedding for 12 guests isn't likely. Everyone laid down, the kerosene lamps were blown out and we all went to sleep, except me ~ I began to cry and no one could comfort me. Mom tried, my aunts tried, my Dad threatened a spanking (which he didn't carry out because of the big audience) but nothing would stop me. I just remember crying for hours, everyone becoming more and more upset with me, me howling even louder because of their displeasure until finally I fell into an exhausted sleep. To this day, I have no idea why I was crying because I had a very good day.
This picture is labelled "In Langham"
Being still very little, probably aged 2.5 - 5, judging from the photo the trees seemed very tall, but they were probably no more than 10 or 12 feet high. As we walked among the trees, we disturbed a bat, and it flew deeper in the bush. John immediately told us to run for the house because he said bats would get tangled in our hair, and our Moms would have to cut all our hair off to get the bats out! We ran, screeching, from that place. We didn't want to get shaved bald.
Nightime came and where did all us visitors sleep? On the floor in the small living room. Quilts, pillows and straw ticks were spread on the floor. I don't remember whether or not our Moms brought the quilts and pillows, though to expect our grandparents to have enough extra bedding for 12 guests isn't likely. Everyone laid down, the kerosene lamps were blown out and we all went to sleep, except me ~ I began to cry and no one could comfort me. Mom tried, my aunts tried, my Dad threatened a spanking (which he didn't carry out because of the big audience) but nothing would stop me. I just remember crying for hours, everyone becoming more and more upset with me, me howling even louder because of their displeasure until finally I fell into an exhausted sleep. To this day, I have no idea why I was crying because I had a very good day.
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