Barbara. Her name was Barbara. We went to school in Amery; I’m not sure when I first talked with her and got to know her. She left me when we were 7 years old. My foggy memory recalls my parents visiting her family’s home. They lived on Keller/ Main Street, next to the Amery Clinic […]
Amery
The Afternoon I Heard My Teacher Toot
The Afternoon I Heard My Teacher Toot
While in 7th grade in Amery Public Schools, my teacher and I spent an afternoon at work on our schoolwork. Soon the air was disturbed by air coming out someone’s butt. Told with class, I hope, and a vivid memory.
Hired Farmhand Died in the Pasture: Finalized
Hired Farmhand Died in the Pasture: Finalized
In an area south of Amery, south of Deer Park, a hired man died in the fall of 1947, his remains not found until the next spring. Details were printed in an article from the Amery newspaper, the Gazette I think, a short summary telling about the discovery of the bones and skull. This identified him positively as Edward […]
O Holy Night, in Amery, WI
O Holy Night, in Amery, WI
Tears from my eyes came down without me realizing it, but I made sure Johnny and Ralph on either side of me didn’t notice. TheChristmas program at the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Amery most often happeneda week or more before Christmas, on a Sunday afternoon. Even at 5:00 it wasdark, and the candles and subtle […]
Between the Silos We Found the Remains of the Hired Man
Between the Silos We Found the Remains of the Hired Man
We found him between the silos. Visiting Grandma on a hot summer day, my Cousin Brad and I found the hired man, dead. His body was covered by tarps and scrap wood, and we didn’t know who else knew what we just found. Every summer for a few days, Brad and I spent a few […]
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury: Summer, New
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury: Summer, New
The book Dandelion Wine caught my attention because of the descriptions of growing up in a small community, seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy. The variety of opportunities and choices mirrored my life in the area east and west of Amery, Wisconsin. I’ll present parts of the first chapter in which Douglas woke […]
Summer Memories and Anticipation: Finalized
Summer Memories and Anticipation: Finalized
Summertime. June, the perfect month for anyone who enjoys summer and has an advantage of a time without responsibilities. As a student for 17 years and a teacher for 35, summer was a smorgasbord of possibilities. As a youth growing up around Amery, WI, the choices were nearly endless. It’s been common to lay out […]
Writing: What Is the Perfect Environment?
Writing: What Is the Perfect Environment?
The ideal writing setting may be summed up in this photo. Once I tried writing at a lake cabin north of Amery, no distractions and no interference. Everything was there. But I had no ideas, no plan of what to write. That didn’t work. My writing as a serious hobby began at a summer class […]
“Growing Up in Amery”: NOW Available on Amazon
“Growing Up in Amery”: NOW Available on Amazon
Amery stories are out on Amazon, and the book only costs a buck. The stories are from my childhood, some fictionalized, some 100% true. This is not a history of Amery, and you do not have to know about Amery to enjoy this memoir. Sampling of the Stories in the Book — Amery–The City of […]
Brenda, the Good Shepherd in Western Wisconsin
Brenda, the Good Shepherd in Western Wisconsin
From a modern sheep herder: “People think I’m crazy, but I don’t care.” April can be a busy month for raising sheep because of the birthing and follow-up care needed. Brenda from western Wisconsin says, however, “I love it.” Her worst experience? She sold a lamb to a person who let it starve. Since then […]
Ebook Growing Up in Amery Soon Available
Ebook Growing Up in Amery Soon Available
New ebook available soon: Growing Up in Amery Please spread the word about the Elkfarm blog. If you enjoy the stories and photos, please pass the word to friends and family. The number of hits, openings, is not that high right now, and I feel like this poor wall climber just hanging on. (smiley face) […]
My Foray into a Strange Little Cave
My Foray into a Strange Little Cave
A bear’s den? Not unless bears used campfires and slept on blankets. It was a small cave, but just about right for miniature beings. Running in the pasture in back of our house west of Amery, I spotted an opening at the base of a rock formation. A cave opening. The merry month of May, […]
A Spooky Girl Visits Our Campsite
A Spooky Girl Visits Our Campsite
We didn’t know about the spooky girl at our campsite until days later. Shocking and puzzling for us all. At the end of July the neighborhood camping crew walked our long pasture to a lakeside spot on Pike Lake near Amery, intending to spend two nights in the wild. Two nights meant a full day […]
Margie and I Meet Up at the Drugstore in Amery
Margie and I Meet Up at the Drugstore in Amery
Margie and I spent a great afternoon together the first day out of third grade. Both of our birthdays were in May, and we were loaded with cash. She had $3 and I had $2. We decided to blow it at the drugstore in Amery. School had just let out for the summer, and on […]
The Mile High Club in 7th Grade–Final
The Mile High Club in 7th Grade–Final
East of Amery a group of pre-7th graders gathered bravely to test weapons. We started a Mile High Club, not knowing that in the world outside of Amery it had a completely different meaning. Ours had nothing to do with airplanes or jets. The summer before our 7th grade year at Amery, a few of us […]