Hi there neighbors.  Good to see ya.

I can’t believe the years have gone by so swiftly.  The gray hairs in my temple have overtaken the dark ones.  I stand here and look in the reflection of Lake Lowell which is at the edge of my acreage.  I remember all  the times i swam in it as a kid and did the belly flops off the big rock.  It was 1956 when we moved to the Treasure Valley, south of boise 34 miles.  I was only 8 years old gettin ready to enter the third grade.  the school house was 3.2 miles down Pleasant Valley Rd.

Dad had been working for the Highway District for the State of Wyoming for 35 years. He had a pretty terrible accidnet with some heavy equipment and lost an arm.  He needed to retire after that.

After sitting down with most of the family; it was decided we would move to Southwest Idaho where Uncle Walter had a big 400 acre ranch.  It was loaded with Black Angus Cattle.  I swear there must have been at least 5000 head.

Uncle Walter was close to retirement and sold 135 acres to Dad.  This was a good way to get some income for the family.  Dad was 55 years at this time and needed to keep busy.  Boy he sure was busy from there on.  In the next few years he put most of the land into alfalfa and rented out the rest.  He would sell and due business with the other farmers and some of the feed stores.

As a 8 year old i learned how to drive the tractor and followed along Dad and my older brother Robert while they bucked hay up onto the flat bed trailer.  We would work long days and i sure learned how to sleep good.  Ha Ha!!

When i was 19 i had become a pretty good farm hand.  It was during this year when dad had a big stroke and passed on to Heaven.  He was a good God fearing man and always said the blessing at every meal.  I have missed him greatly.

Mother decided to split the farm in half between me and my brother.  Each of us got around 35 acres.  as time went on we each built mighty big herds of black angus and mad a fair living by sending them to slaughter.

FAST FORWARD TO 2000     SWOOOOSH !!!!

I never did marry cause i figured i was to busy with my work.  I reckon my three dogs kept me happy enough.

Early Spring !  Good gravy, i can’t believe i am near 67 years old.  I smile when i see the old family barn with its sagging corners.  My brother and i drove the old tractor into the corners of the barn more times than i can count.

Nothing can take away the memories that were made while living here.  Sometimes i do think back and wonder what it might have been if i had married.  It would have been interesting.

I have an old chair on the front porch that i sit in almost every night as i think about the days activities.  I built it when i graduated 7th grade.  I made it from drift wood  gathered on the banks of the Snake River.  figuring back and it was about 54 years ago.  One of these days i better get around to putting a fresh coat of varnish on it so it might last another 50 years.

I almost forgot to tell ya.  I still have my old 1949 Chevy flat bed pick up.I used to be a bright canary yellow.  Now a days it is kinda faded; after all it has nearly 700,000 miles on it.

Friends it is almost dark now and i am a getting kinda hungry.  I do thank ya for stopping by to visit.  Next time ya drive this way and ya see the old truck parked by the barn then i am here.  Give a long loud honk and drive on in.  We will sit on the porch and vist for a spell.

Bye for now!  Yours truly, old Mumbly Joe

Route 443 box 22

Terrace Valley Springs, Idaho

Now i ain’t got a phone so don’t try to call.