Stories From a Former Chicken Farmer

Every so often I email my Uncle Jim an update of our family "goings-ons."  Obviously I added updates on the chickens as they are part of the family now.  haha  Anyway, he sent me back a couple of memories from his childhood.  I thought they were cute and wanted to share them.  Uncle Jim just turned EIGHTY last month (and I'm worried about 30. haha).

Without further ado:

"I had enough of chickens on the farm to want any now, but they would be interesting. I'll tell you a story. When I was a young lad on the farm, we had chickens and a chicken-house...and there were fleas in that chicken-house! I had the task of daily "gathering eggs" and learned the tricks of stealing them, sometimes from under the chicken who was sitting on them. They would peck at me, but I ignored it. One Sunday night we went to the Methodist church with our farm neighbors. I went up and sat on the front pew in front to the preacher, and suddenly I got a terrific itch on the top of my foot! So, like any young kid, I pulled off my boot and proceeded to pick that flea off my foot and stopped the itching. The preacher stopped his sermon, looked down at me, and asked, "Did you get him, Jim?" Mother could have fainted she was so embarrassed. If she could have reached me she probably would have choked me! I still get laughs from that from those that remember!

Dad used to order baby chicks by the big carton, and we would go down to the local post-office and pick them up. Talk about old-fashioned....but those were the good days!"