WAY BACK WHEN

Valsetz Mill & Log pond During mid 1920's

It's been a good month old February 2010 has. I guess it all started by making the wife happy on her birthday with flowers and sweets. Keeping her happy over Valentine's Day by making her forget Valentine's Day.

This was done by keeping my promise of finding a 55 gallon fish tank and getting it setup, I finished his task by putting the fish in the tank this week. Now the snow is melting and sun shining, the week end should be just great.

The best part is at the first part of February I received a e-mail from A Mr Donald A. Davis with his Valsetz Story and told me he would send pictures. Then I received this large envelope containing pictures dating back into the Valsetz day's of the 1920's and 1930's. Now I had pictures to go along with this very fine story about life in Valsetz from a man that was born and lived in Valsetz in the 1920's and 1930's. This man wrote his own story at the age of 82.

The only part of his story I'm telling you about is the parts about Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.

Please see : http://www.valsetzoregon.com/ WAY BACK WHEN for Mr. Davis's story.

Again February has been great. While working with Mr Davis on his story and getting it in print I receive a email from Phillip Clay also from Valsetz, but many many years later than Mr. Davis. Come to find out both of these Valsetzers had something in common. " Western Oregon University".No they were not alumni of W.O.U. in fact nether went to W.O.U.

Nether new the other or about the stories each had.

Do I have your attention yet?

Mr. Davis had in his story: "I had no problem by starting school in our small town or having teachers right out of normal school in Monmouth." That school now is known as WOU, Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon .

The e-mail from Mr. Clay stated he had recently learned of a dinning hall called Valsetz Hall located on WOU in Monmouth. It seems as when he visits family in Monmouth Or. he takes walks on the WOU Campus with family members living in Monmouth.

Before I could get back To Mr. Clay he had solved the mystery. And I thought Philip was a lawyer not a detective, But wasn't there a called lawyer Perry Mason that was also a great detective? I will tie the two stories together in a few minutes after we find out what Mr. Clay Found about The Valsetz Dinning Hall and it's history.

Mr. Clay wrote " The University was founded in 1856 as Monmouth University. Other names followed: Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education and Western Oregon State College. Its mission for years was the training of teachers for Oregon schools but has expanded to achieve University status to include a broad range of educational studies but its graduate program still appears to be oriented to educators. Valsetz Hall, would be a good destination for any old Cougar."

If you remember the quote from Mr. Davis "I had no problem by starting school in our small town or having teachers right out of Normal school in Monmouth." Mr. Clay had contact with a WOU faculty member who had a long association with the university. She explained that it had long been the policy of WOU to give buildings only generic names. She believed that she remembered that Valsetz Hall had originally been called simply, the dining hall. She went on to explain that in the early 1980's, about the time that Valsetz was being closed and was much in the local news that the committee charged with naming the hall learned that a large number of teachers who had gone on to teach in Valsetz had been graduates. She did not recall the precise number but indicated the percentage of Valsetz teachers who had graduated from the University was stunning. This led the committee to select the name, Valsetz Hall. She also indicated that in the foyer of the building is a tribute with photographs to the town of Valsetz, with pictures contributed by many of these same teachers.

Isn't it intriguing that two different times in Valsetz history could bring one story together.

Just a note: I want to thank Mr Davis and Mr. Clay for there Stories, and as a result I plan to add a new page to the Valsetz Web Site called Did you Know? Please watch for it .

VALSETZ VALENTINES

Valentine Day, The days of your life you were groomed to celebrate differently as you went Thur the stages of your life well into adult hood, to believe the day of Valentines cards, love, dances, dinners, diamonds and flowers for the ladies.

This is a story most guys may not be into but I believe the ladies may enjoy it and both may learn something about karma.

Many years ago in a little mill town that sat in a valley of the Oregon coast range mountains comes a story about a Valentine's day school dance. Few Valsetzers know of this story, but many more know the people but not of their involvement in the story. I will not reveal names or date this dance occurred on, or will I confirm your inquires of whom you believe it to be.

But first lets all sit back in the chair, close our eyes and remember your last Valentines school dance and grade school Valentines days.
Remember back in grade school we were taught we must give Valentines to the other kids in the class even at times when boys disliked girls. Most of us have passed it on to our children and they to theirs. What happens to the guy that breaks that tradition is what this story is about.

A great many years ago in Valsetz, Oregon the yearly February plans were being made for the Valsetz school Valentine Day's dance that would be held in the Valsetz gym. The decorations and trimmings committee were busy making decorations and plans to trim the gym for the dance. The girls were all Gitty and excited. The guys were talking about who they were taking to the dance and the young male talk.

Then there was a few guys that were busy making a bet that blank couldn't get date with this one cheer leader. The bet went like this: You will have to get this girl named blank to accept your invitation and have witness she accepted.

Finally the scene was set for the boy to ask the girl to the dance. After a couple attempts the guy finally got nerve up and asked the girl with-in ear shot of the others for her to go to the Valentine's Dance. The Girl accepted
his invitation. The boy won his bet and was happy with himself. The girl
was looking forward to going to the dance.

Come the day of the big Valsetz Valentine's Dance the girls were getting their hair done and all the things they do before a big dance date. The guys were all doing their thing.
Come the night of the dance all the guys were picking up their dated and heading out to the dance.

That is except the guys that bet blank couldn't get the date. They were hanging out at the Rec Hall with no intentions of going to the dance.

When the time came to pick up the girl at her home this guy was wearing jeans and walking up to the Rec Hall door eager to collect his bet from the others at the pool tables with no intentions of picking up the girl for the dance let alone telling her. The pretty young cheer leader didn't know she was being stood up by a jerk.

After hearings others at the school talk about the dance, and seeing the girl he had stood up ( who ignored him, as he deserved) started to think just how bad he had screwed up.

That is the story of what happened, I know because I was a member of that group of numskulls.

Now comes the part of the story about the revenge the pretty young cheer leader got upon the jerk that stood her up.

That Year after school was out the young cheer leader and her family moved out of Valsetz.

Jumping ahead about 3 years the jerk also moving out of Valsetz. It so happened that the jerk moved to the same town as had the cheer leader.

That summer the jerk was driving around town with a friend when the jerk observed a girl walking down the street he knew was from Valsetz. Stopping and asking her if she wanted a ride. After she accepted the jerks friend and the girl hit it off right away. Riding around in his car the jerk found out the girl was staying with a friend that lived in the town and was from Valsetz.

After spending a few more hours riding around town, a plan had been made by the girl and the jerks friend as followed.

His friend and the girl wanted to go to the drive in theater, his friends car was broken down so they needed the jerk to date the friend she was staying with. Great plan the jerk must have thought, a blind date. The girl (no cell phones in that day and age) wanted to go to the home of here friend to make arrangements for the movie date.

When the three arrived they found the girls good looking friend on the front porch reading a book. I swear, no one knows where it came from, but the jerk just hollered out the window to the girl's friend, saying " if you want to go with us, get in the car." The girl walked over and got into the car not saying a word. After the girl got into the car she was introduced to the two guys. The jerk must have thought what a great blind date this will be.
The jerk thinking this good looking girl looked familiar but not able to place her. The girl knew who the jerk was right away but never said anything about their previous meeting. As the four drove around town they all decided to go to the drive in that night.

That evening The guys walked up to the porch to pickup the girls, rang the bell and when the door open only one girl was at the door. She spoke to say " I don't think (blank) is coming with us, wait on the porch I will see for sure." When she came back she was with the cheer leader.
It was latter found the jerk had the cheer leader's mother to thank for saving the jerks date with the cheer leader. The cheer leader was going to stand up the jerk just as he had done her at the Valsetz Valentine's Dance.
That date turned out to be the start of summer dating and the two couples
done and went ever where together. During the summer not one word was said about the Valentine Dance But it was told the jerk had it in the back of his head all summer that she might dump him to avenge his Valentine stunt.

This story could end here but I have a little more story about the jerk and cheer leader. The jerk was doing fine untill he pulled this stunt.

Everybody was ready for the Wagon Train to arrive in Independence, Or after coming from Independence, mo. When the jerk and his friend brought the girls home from the drive in on a Saturday night they promised they would take the girls to see the wagon train arrive in Independence. Come Sunday morning and time for the girls to leave for the train arrival, no jerk and friend. The girls waited and waited then waited some more. Come about 5P.M. the two showed up at the door. The jerk was told the cheer leader was in the kitchen. The jerk did not know what he was walking into. As the jerk got to the kitchen door he saw the cheerleader doing dishes and in her hand that soon came his way was a hand full of knives forks and spoons.
To my knowledge that was the last time the jerk ever stood up that cheer leader. The jerk and cheer leader have now been married forty some years.
It's been told the jerk said "if it had not been for karma and his mother in law he may not have been married to a girl out of his league, and that he has to be very careful around Valentine's Day".
Happy Valentine's Day All.

FOOTBALL AND TELEVISION

Most guys have had four greats months of watching college and pro Football. Some had the privilege to watch sons play in Pee Wee, junior, High school, college and pro. The moms are happy to see it come to the end of the season.

The end of Fantasy Football has came to it's end with winners and losers.
All you Valsetzers should be happy that the team of Valsetz Cougars again won the championship of it's league.

I had a minor disaster at end of college bowl games and first pro playoffs
No I didn't loose my shirt with game bets. But I did loose my 50" big screen
TV when I turned it on to watch College Championship game Thursday night all I got was a loud pop and a black screen. What a hardship it was to watch the game on the little 21" flat screen in the bedroom. If it was not for the wife being home you know I would have headed to the nearest casino to watch the game.

Come Monday morning I was hot on the computer finding a Samsung TV repair shop to get them out and get that big screen up and going for the play off games on the up coming weekend.
My conversation went something like this after I told them about a led light lit on front of set spelling out lamp: The lamp is burned out, will take a week to get, we can install it when it arrives. The cost? Lamp $275.00 Service call and labor $150.00. Thank You I will let you know.
After I made a few statements to myself that might make a sailor blush I regained my composer and went to my old computer friend Google Search to find out about this expensive bulb. I found this little bulb is one of four expensive parts in a LED HD TV that puts the picture on the screen. This bulb last about 3-4 years of TV service. Keep this in mind if you buy a used LED set. ( I bought this set new in 2005 ) I also found it takes about 5 minutes to change the lamp in my set. I found no one in Northern Nevada had the replacement lamp. The good news was this lamp is sold on the Internet from $80.00 to $280.00 also it only took a few moments to remove the lamp from the TV. I'm now waiting for the lamp to arrive so life can get back to normal.
Have you ever wondered why is it so hard to go backwards and so easy to go forward. I have had a few thoughts about this while sitting and starring at a black TV screen. I begin to remember back during the fifties I was happy to have just a radio to hear. must admit I did look forward to summer trips to Hayward, Ca to visit my grandparents, but more so to visit my aunt & uncle, for they had a new type radio called TV. I never got an obsession to the TV so when leaving it to return home never bothered me.






I may be wrong and if so please correct me, the Roses were the first to have a TV in Valsetz. With the coming of TV to Valsetz I don't remember much of a change in my family evenings except the family time was around TV instead of the radio. My brother and I had no more or less time watching TV as we had with the radio.
The fifties TV sets had a screen size of 17 to 21 inch. I don't remember the size screen or even the TV make & model but I do remember Oregon State's Rose Bowl lost to Iowa of 35-19. I watched the game on a small black and white TV with my dad and brother and we very happy to have a TV to watch it on.
That was the last Rose Bowl Game The three of us was able to watch together as My brother Pat died from a Baseball accident while playing Pee Wee Ball that summer.
TV begin as a dream in 1880-1890. Click here to see from dream to today TV: http://www.tvhistory.tv/History%20of%20TV.htm
I got into TV after the color set was out and become popular. Now I'm hooked on large screens and HD TV, I just hate watching this 21" HD TV
I feel like I'm squinting and keep wondering how many pictures in picture I could get if I fitted this 21" TV inside my big screen.
Now the new HD WIDE SCREEN TVs are adding 3D to this years HD TVs, and ESPN will broadcast in 3D.
Mayby I've lost my lust for new TV technology, but I never could get into 3D, I always found the glasses got in the way at the drive in theaters.
It's been said 3D will never make it but after the movie Avitar and the new technology it may be successful, I do remember people saying TV would never make it.
Commercial TV was aired in united states July, 1, 1941 I was born July, 14, 1941 I've gotten old and strange, but TV was said it would never catch on has now gotten new and amazing along with amazing repair cost.

LED Trafic lights can't melt snow and ice

I don't like involving politics or green talk into my Web Sites or Blogs but after reading below article I must speak up. After you read below article you may not get my meaning until after you have read my comments or have read the two articles below my comments. Please read on

Traffic Signal Project ($6 million)
Cities, counties and state entities would be eligible to submit proposals involving the synchronization of traffic signals through the installation, updating and/or maintenance of traffic synchronization technologies and/or the replacement of traffic signal lights with LEDs. Types of projects funded would include signal retiming, replacement of LEDs in old units, purchasing new signals, replacement of existing traffic signal control hardware and accommodating enhanced signal operations, and monitoring new signal timings to ensure the synchronization plan is working correctly.
Implementation for the Traffic Signal Project will be conducted on information or cost estimates to replace old signals with new ones, replacement of old lights with new energy efficient LED lighting, and estimates or invoices showing costs of monitoring.
SECO plans to allocate $4.8 million to traffic synchronization and $1.2 million for LED replacement. SECO has worked with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to determine a procedure to estimate gallons of fuel saved as a measure of energy savings due to traffic signal synchronization. This will be a required piece of any proposal submitted and SECO can update this metric once proposals are approved and under contract.

Request for Application (RFA) - Traffic Signal Project:
Energy efficient traffic light save tax payers money not just protecting the environment we are told.

But after reading above article and below articles I had to speak out. I'm tired of hearing this excuse: Sorry about the damage and or death in saving the blab, blab, blab we didn't know blab, blab, blab would do that. You can't hold us responsible we had good intentions.

Did your city fathers spend x amount of money to replace street lights in your town with the new environment bulbs? and now are going to spend another truck load of cash on maintenance of these traffic lights this winter.


LED lights give off no heat so ice and snow won't melt on traffic lights. Some city's have had these lights for years now, with complaints from the start. We now are hearing this winter about all the city's with these new lights having a larger increase in traffic accidents, and now blamed in causing one woman's death.

Claims are now they are trying to find a economical way to solve the problem. My bet is before it's over we will have more deaths due to the LED lights.

They are telling ever one to drive as if the light is out. Most people will but there is always the ones that won't, how many fools do you see out on the road today? Plus I thing at times at a intersection that light will be obscured to some drivers and others drivers can see the light fine. There goes the err on the side of caution rule.

Again no one thought things Thur. No LED lights should have been installed in any location that have a chance of snow or icing in winter until a economical solution was found to solve the problem.

Knowing the problem from around 2000 they should have no excuse. As usual no solution for the known problem has been found. Now a life was lost because someone put energy saving in of front human life and property. The excuse will be we had good intentions , we were saving taxpayers money and saving the environment.

They started first installing these energy saving lights somewhere around 2000. These lights are very costly, and at the time only came in red.

Written by Ed Morrissey
Thursday, 17 December 2009 05:54
The effort to change the bulbs traffic lights from high-energy incandescents to low-power LEDs does make sense — in those areas of the country where snow is not a factor. Unfortunately, just as with the decision of Seattle to stop using salt for clearing roads of snow, the decision to go green has created fatal traffic conditions for no good reason whatsoever. At least one person has died from the use of LED traffic lights in snowstorms, as the LEDs are not hot enough to melt the snow when it covers them (via Instapundit):
Cities around the country that have installed energy-efficient traffic lights are discovering a hazardous downside: The bulbs don’t burn hot enough to melt snow and can become crusted over in a storm — a problem blamed for dozens of accidents and at least one death.
“I’ve never had to put up with this in the past,” said Duane Kassens, a driver from West Bend who got into a fender-bender recently because he couldn’t see the lights. “The police officer told me the new lights weren’t melting the snow. How is that safe?”
Many communities have switched to LED bulbs in their traffic lights because they use 90 percent less energy than the old incandescent variety, last far longer and save money. Their great advantage is also their drawback: They do not waste energy by producing heat. …
Illinois authorities said that during a storm in April, 34-year-old Lisa Richter could see she had a green light and began making a left turn. A driver coming from the opposite direction did not realize the stoplight was obscured by snow and plowed into Richter’s vehicle, killing her.
“Would the accident have occurred if the lights had been clear? I would be willing to bet not,” Oswego police Detective Rob Sherwood said.
The picture [above] shows the traffic light in Oswego that caused the death of Lisa Richter earlier this year. The snow made the traffic light useless. No driver could possibly have spotted a red light, and even the green would have been difficult to discern at speed, especially during the daytime. Oswego may just have well turned off its traffic lights and set up four-way stops at every intersection for all the good these systems do in snowstorms — when traffic lights are more necessary than ever.
I’m not opposed to the use of LED replacement technology in traffic lights. Not only do they use a lot less energy, they likely will last much longer, leading to fewer replacements and less down time. But clearly, politicians and bureaucrats are making big mistakes when they put environmental concerns ahead of safety, especially in areas where snow and ice are routinely issues. Illinois and St. Paul, MN, two jurisdictions mentioned in this article, should know better than to use low-heat traffic lights, perhaps especially in St. Paul, where snow and ice are constant issues in the wintertime.
Let’s use our heads. LED lights work well in warm-weather areas and should be pursued there. Incandescents have to remain available to cold-weather areas like Illinois, Minnesota, and much of the northern areas of the country. Salt has to go down on roads in order to ensure driver safety when ice and snow cover the asphalt. Common sense would go a long way in applying environmental solutions.


In conclusion I must think out loud, WHAT did the citys do with all the incandecents rough service light bulbs that was replaced with LED Lights.
Would they toss these bulbs that cost us about $3.98 a bulb in the trash?
What will it cost to dispose of the mercury filled LED bulbs when replaced.

Snow! It only gets deeper.

My 30 foot noble fir tree in front yard & ice cycles

Snow is like S h*t it can only get deeper and stinks !
That was my perception when I was worked for a living.

This year is the first time a snow storm hit and I was not working. This year also is the first time since I became a working adult said, After I looking outside to find Snow piled up and Ice Sickles hanging from eves of the house "it's Snowing" without muttered that little four letter word .

As a kid living in Valsetz Oregon I had Always loved the snow covering all out doors and just couldn't wait to get out in the first snow.
The last part was the only difference in this year's first snow and as a boy in Valsetz.
Yesterday I took in the beauty and serenity but had no desire to go out and romp around in it.

The snow and local news telling of snow days for school kids around Northern Nevada did how ever put me to thinking about Snow days in Valsetz. WE NEVER HAD ONE! Not even when snow was up to and above the waist of first graders! Only when there was no heat in the school come noon did we get out of school.

I began to think of the great times we had as teens doing dumb things.
One of the dumbest was when we got in my friends Model A and drove out on the flats looking for large pools of water frozen over and would accommodate cookie cutting and in general screwing around with the Model A.

Most Valsetzer will remember the County Bridge was the starting point of
private property.

When I was a teen this was great for us kids because we could drive any where on Boise propriety without being cited for driving without a driver licensee.

The driver of the A was at so must risk. If any thing would have happened
he would have been in so much trouble.

Let's say the Model A had rolled over and passengers were hurt, what would he have to answer to? In today's society Reckless driving, careless driving, no driver licensee, no insurance, suits for injures and any thing else the suit happy public of today could think of.

But back then more than likely my friend would have at the most a risk of ticket for no driver's lic. and a big ass busting from his dad along with loss of driving privileges. What a different world is today. Lucky for all of us, the only thing that happened was we all had one hell of a good time!

The best thing about snow and Valsetz was the surrounding hills to go sledging on. And sled we did, all ages and parents. If I remember correctly the favorite spot was the hill up behind the school on weekends.

I hope I've stirred up some old memories of your old days in the snow.

The below story I found in an article from January 16,1969 out of the Oregon Statesman by Tom Wright


Valsetz Post Office and First Aid building

Trip Over Snowy Hill To Valsetz
Is Good Tonic For Tired Nerves

VALSETZ - I rode "shotgun" on the mail run to Valsetz Wednesday.
The hazards weren't the badmen from Black Rock, nor the sidewinders from Cold Springs, but the side-slippers from Dallas and knee-deep freeze from the pacific.

But the mail went Thu again, despite the heavy snow. And for Howard Terry, weathered fugitive from an Idaho Panhandle farm, it was just another "uneventful" trip on his six-times a week calender over "the Hill."

terry, the Dallas -Valsetz half of a brother team that hauls the mail from Salem to Dallas and way points, had already put in a half day's work tending his lambing ewes when he pulled hid mail-laden jeep out of the post office parking lot at 7:31 a.m.

"we're in for it today," he said into a frosty windshield.
He was right.

The highway to Falls City, the first stop on his daily-except-Sunday run,
was coated with ice like the rest of the mid-Willamette Valley.

By Falls City there was plenty of packed snow on the road.
then it got worse.

Fortunately, Polk County road crews had continued their fight through the night to keep the Falls City-Valsetz road passable.

Terry talked faster than he drove, which was fine with me.
Ever then at times we were inches away from the wall of snow on my side of the cab.

The 63 -Year Terry has been making the Valsetz mail (and milk run) for ten years. Seldom is the snow problem worse than it was with up to three feet of snow where the road crest the Coast Range at 2,300 feet.

Heavy snow on trees and the banks piled up by the snow-plows added to the visibility problem on the winding, narrow road
"we're safe until we get to the next corner, now," Terry said several times after craning his neck to see if anyone was coming from the other way.

There's a basic philosophy behind Terry's careful driving;His assertion that "I don't want to die on this mountain; I'm not in love with it," sums it up.

As the most regular driver over the 25 miles from Dallas, Terry is the expert on "the Hill." Everybody ask him how the road is and how deep the snow is.

Often his daily routine is broken by an unwary motorist in need of help, chains,or gasoline, or a ride one way or other. "I loaned my spare chains and didn't get them back. I loaned my spare can of gasoline and

didn't get it back. I don't do it any more," he sighed.

We had a passenger on the return trip. Room was made for a slender Valsetz youth on his way to Dallas to see a doctor about a broken finger.

On the way he smilingly told of another young man who rode over "the hill" with him on his way to duty in the South Pacific. The soldier wrote his father later saying he believed it was safer in Vietnam than riding out that hill.

While Terry is willing to leave the Moon and Mars to a younger generation

, he's given some thought to modernizing the Valsetz mail run. When I suggested that a helicopter would be just the ticket, he quickly replied: "I'm studying on it."

It was just 12:30 p.m. when he pulled back into the Dallas Post Office parking lot. Folks at Falls City and Valsetz had their mail again, as usual. And the kids at Valsetz and Falls City had their milk for lunch.

Thanksgiving

Since my mothers passing, November has always been a special month for me. Not just because Thanksgiving is in November but of my mother's birthday falling on the twenty fourth of November. We observed mom's birthday on Thanksgiving as many of her years was in fact on Thanksgiving Day. Ever year around this time I begin thinking about my past birthday Thanksgivings. This year I'm sharing with you a couple of my memories .

I believe ever year in Valsetz my family had this ritual. ( as most American Family's has) Ours started on the night before Thanksgiving. As far back as I can remember it went like this. Just before dad got home mom would start telling me make sure you bring in enough wood for the kitchen stove tonight we are cooking turkey all night. My folks friends would start to show up after dinner. Mom had to work like crazy to get the kitchen table set up for card playing and us kids busy and out of the way for most of the night while the turkey cooked away in the oven of the old wood stove. I remember before television (3 channels in black & white ) we were giving permission by mom to sit in front of the radio as long as we could stay awake on that night.

Now a story I always think about. This happened in my later years I must have been about 13 year of age. Mom had told me repeatedly to bring in extra wood for the stove to cook the turkey. I had not even filled the wood box for the front room let along extra wood for the kitchen. Before I knew it dad was coming in the front door and I was making tracks to get out the back door. I was not fast enough mom was at the back door. Then my S*%$ hit the fan. Before I could say mom I'm getting the wood now my mom informed my dad she said " your son has yet to fill the wood box and bring in extra to cook the turkey" Dad then said "boy you get that wood in here for your mom now!" Then it happened I become the defiant teenager. I said to my parents "I'm not filling that wood box again Pat is old enough to fill the box". Then I went deeper in the dodo I said "I'm leaving home and you can eat that turkey with out me". I'm now thinking now do I get out of this? What in the hell have I done? Every one eats turkey tomorrow and I have to starve or beg for food. Then the tough teenager comes out again. I go on about being homeless and starving but I will make it. Thinking about it and not being a head doctor I believe I became of age of the defiant teen. But what a time to choose to become a defiant teen and leaving home. I think I shocked my folks because both stood there and said nothing. then I seen it in my dad's face you know the one I'm talking about if you are over 40 years of age.For those that have never seen the look it's the look of death the father give before he beats your butt for disrespecting your mother.

Mom then saved the day and my butt. Mom spoke up and said "Jerry it's your choice to leave or stay but we all will Miss you at dinner tomorrow." Then quickly she said' if you decide to leave will you please fill the wood box and bring in extra wood for the turkey before you go."

That was the best thanksgiving ever! By the way I never told my folks I was leaving home again.

I have one more story to tell you about my mom. This one happened years before we moved to

Valsetz,Oregon.

Most of my folks married life togather before Oregon was raising Pinto Beans in Colorado on farm land they leased.

I have to confess I was only about 5 or 6 so I don't know if this story is from hearing it ever year at Thanksgiving or From experience. Near the old farm house was a shed dad keep his farm equipment in with a fenced yard that contained chicken coops and chickens. in those days (late forties) we had chicken and ham on Thanksgiving day.

As the story goes mom went out to choose a chicken for Thanksgiving dinner. Mom spotted this
rooster that was limping around the yard. You got it right if you thought mom would pick that limping rooster for our Thanksgiving dinner.

So fate of that rooster was in mom's hands. After chasing the rooster around the yard for a while she finally caught him and then telling the rooster he was harder to catch than any other chicken she ever caught before mom grabbed the rooster by the head with both hands and began ringing the rooster's neck.

Mom had always killed her chickens in this manor I don't remember her ever useing a axe. After ringing the chicken's neck mom would then put the chicken in boiling water to make it easy to remove the feathers. I believe mom would have won first prize for chicken neck ringer
if there was ever a contest.

As I was saying mom grabbed the rooster by the head and begin swinging the body around in a circle, before mom got the rooster's neck rung the rooster slipped out of her hands and landed on the roof of dad's equipment shed. Mom was pissed and not about to climb up on the shed roof to retrieve the rooster, mom grabbed another bird and begin the task again.

Come Thanksgiving morning The roosters were crowing but one rooster sounded a lot closer to

the house than the others did.

Dad come in the house and was laughing so hard he looked as if crying. After gaining his composure dad told mom I was going to go upon the shed roof after the rooster you threw up there yesterday. Guess what I found ? I found your rooster crowing very loud and walking around with out a limp.

My guess is that is the first rooster with a Thanksgiving pardon and probably be the last.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

OUT HOUSE REVIEW

I want to continue from the last blog I wrote about, The Two Story Out House.

If you remember, I was a bit stumped on how the two story john may have worked.

I don't know why but this thing haunted me for a few days. I had used my imagination over and over and all I could come up with was I would never want to be the one using the bottom level potty.

If this has kept you up at nights and you haven't found out for yourself I will give you the answer I found. The answer was so simple when I found it I was a little red faced the answer was so simple.

Looking at the picture of a two story Out House you could not tell the secret was in side the wall of the structure. This is what I found after a search of Two Story Out Houses.

A double Decker outhouse sounds absurd to a generation weaned on indoor plumbing. (Hah hah, pe-pe on floor I get poop on Head.) But this "sky scrapper" is no joke. Its upper- and lower-floor holes are discreetly placed on opposite sides, and a second, inset wall on the ground floor forms an invisible chute. Droppings from above plummet unobstructed and out of sight, although not out of earshot.
Samuel Gammill built the outhouse at the rear of his general store. There were apartments upstairs, and the second floor of the building connected to the second floor of the outhouse across a short ramp, giving 19th century tenants a private bathroom. The store was torn down in 1984, but the outhouse was carefully spared. Gays, Illinois had been promoting it as a tourist attraction since the 1960s.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2527

So now we all know how a Two Story Out House works. Who knows it might come in handy if the government keeps pushing us back to the stone age with all the environment regulations they are putting on us for our own good.

Here in Reno they say "we are saving water with a new style urinal." They are placing them in the men's restrooms they call them the waterless urinals. In using this system it's like using a port a potty. I found there is always a faint port a potty smell in a rest room using this system. Maybe the Out House is on it's way back.

Have all of you good folks of Valsetz made your way to the Valsetz after midnight and spent time inside looking around. I had fun building it and learned how to improve the one for next year.

Of course all Valsetzer know there was no Grave Yard in Valsetz, it's nice to have a grave yard at least once a year. I hope the ones that found and played around in Valsetz After Midnight enjoyed it. Even if you are not from Valsetz you will enjoy the site.

I plan on leaving Valsetz After Midnight up and make changes Thu out the year or until I need the web space if you have any ideas let me know.

Halloween is now upon us knock on wood no tricks this year. I have had no tricks pulled on me or my property since arriving in Reno, NV in 1978.

My Halloweens in Reno have been years of not much doing. Living in the sticks out side Reno

for 26 of my 31 years here we had not one visit from any Halloween creatures for treats or mischief. The last few years we had average of 50 Goblins asking for a hand out.

The sad things about Halloween is now we have the Halloween Nuts that put items into the kids bags with intent to harm the youngsters. I feel for these kids of today not having the Halloweens I had as a Valsetz Kid. I remember Halloween was fun for ever one in Valsetz there wasn't these worries of you child getting apples with razer blades in it or some one doing harm to your child.

The Halloween nights I went trick and treating in Valsetz my folks only instructions was have fun get lots of candy but don't do any damage. Valsetz parents knew the most the kids would do is soap a window or two and spread a little tp and the worst egg something. There was very Little egging and paper spreading because we knew it cost our folks money to replace them and would get a good ass busting if got caught. One bad thing for kids in the Valsetz community was the ability the parents had in watching ever ones kids. If I done something wrong My folks knew about it before I got home. I swear their system was far better than any thing on the market today as far as security and surveillance.

If I as much as give back talk to the store clerk my folks had me by the butt when I walked in the front door.

Trick and treating was always an adventure. I honestly believe ever child in Valsetz went to ever house in Valsetz. You've heard the old postman saying about wind,rain,snow blah,blah,blah that was kids in Valsetz on Halloween Night no matter what we went Trick & treating for those goodies, eating candy about ever step until you could eat no more.

The kids going trick and treating this Halloween have no idea of how restricted they are.

Halloween has almost become a thing of the past with all the restrictions on kids. I've seen news reports of some schools now are doing away with Halloween in the school, kids can't eat the treats until parents check there treats, and kids arrested for soaping Windows.

I as other Valsetzers give thanks for a Valsetz childhood.

Looks as all the tricks will be on the kids this Halloween.

Happy Halloween!