It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood......

When I was growing up we used to flood irrigate a few acres for hay. By no means could we be called farmers in the sense of othe large acreages of the panhandle but to a 5 or 6 year old 50 acres was a lot to tend to with a shovel and moving dam sheets of heavy canvas around. The ditch ran between our back door and the hay patch and served as the division between work and play. Mother had planted a few fruit trees along the ditch to provide us some jelly and jam. My favorite was apricot. Man she could make some apricot fried pies that would make your mouth water. We'd burn our tongues on the hot filling as we bit into them. I guess that and wild plum jam or jelly on hot biscuits with home churned butter. It made the hot days better and the cold morning something to look forward to.
I remember mother bringing us a hot lunch served on army surplus mess trays. She would have never given us a sandwich. Sweet tea in fruit jars with the lids screwed tight. The kids were in pints but dad got a quart jar wrapped in newspaper that served as insulation.
I wish kids today could experience a few of these things. Cold biscuits with bacon wrapped in waxed paper and stuffed in a jacket pocket served as a great snack when we were horseback gathering angora goats or cattle to work.
THAT truly was the good old days; despite the screw worms and drouth.........
 
Old Bearkat":3hvob9fx said:
51eleven":3hvob9fx said:
There is no downtown Proctor anymore, anyway. Your just supposed to slow down to 55, but you might get run over if you do. The Red Barn drive thru has been closed for years.
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Is the old school there still being used to store junk?
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I never knew there was a school there. texasescapes.com says it consolidated with Comanche after WWII and at one time served up to 400 students. Also, I never knew there was a real town there. From what it says I guess a little south of 377.
Several business in theearly 1900's.
A school that size I'd think the played some sports.
 
51eleven":3nv9xtje said:
Old Bearkat":3nv9xtje said:
51eleven":3nv9xtje said:
There is no downtown Proctor anymore, anyway. Your just supposed to slow down to 55, but you might get run over if you do. The Red Barn drive thru has been closed for years.
Click to expand...

Is the old school there still being used to store junk?
Click to expand...

I never knew there was a school there. texasescapes.com says it consolidated with Comanche after WWII and at one time served up to 400 students. Also, I never knew there was a real town there. From what it says I guess a little south of 377.
Several business in theearly 1900's.
A school that size I'd think the played some sports.
Click to expand...

You can see the school and gym from the highway. I have never found any football games played by Proctor, so they were probably basketball only.
 
I think Proctor's consolidation was in the early 50's. About the same time that Beattie consolidated with Comanche. I'm pretty sure both were basketball only schools. I know Beattie was. In fact the Comanche girls won state in basketball the first year after Beattie consolidated with them. Three of the six starters came from Beattie.
 
Mr.OfB Sometimes you just can't be nice especially talking to someone on the phone taking care of business. Let them have it if nice doesn't work. If they put you on hold for a long time, send you to the automated man, won't listen to what your trying to take care of then by all means rip his head off. I don't like talking to people who won't listen and I hate doing business with the automated man where you have to keep punching numbers. Sorry you had to experience this over the phone today.
 
Mr Smokey, you brought back the happiest memories today. I remember my mom churning butter and all my aunts getting together to can beans fruits, tomatoes anything that could be canned and you could hear the laughter in the kitchen. We kids weren't allowed in the kitchen because they were doing serious business. We had shetland ponies so we didn't help my dad round up goats that well. My horse wouldn't hardly move no matter how hard I kicked him, my sister couldn't stay on her pony because it would buck her off, then she would get back on and he would buck her off again. This went on the entire time we were gathering goats. My brother had the best pony but he was too young to care about rounding up a goat or not. Never never buy a Spanish Goat. Those suckers can jump a mountain. I didn't like that goat at all. I remember my parents inviting my relatives over and everyone took turns turning the handle to make homemade Ice Cream. What a treat, so good. Life was so good back in the good ole days. Sometimes I find myself wanting to go back to those days. Sweet story Mr Smokey. I enjoyed reliving my younger days.
 
Mr Hornkeeper I never got the chance to try elderberry jelly. I bet it was good. Our parents really went through busy times to feed us. Parents are our gifts from God being we have grown up. They're the best. I love them.
 
Dear Mr Bluebird, Mr Olebearkat, and Mr 5111 I'm glad that all of you good fellows found out about the school in Proctor. I wouldn't have a clue where the school use to be. Proctor to me was like riding a roller coaster, it's like run run run.
 
I recamember that we was so poor growin' up that one time some thieves came through the country a robbin' houses. They " broke" into ours, all we had was a screen door, they looked around for something to steal, couldn't find nothing so they went on down the road somewheres or another robbed a place of all it's furniture and brung it back and put it in our house..them was some respectiful burglars. Thats my feel good story and i'm stickin' to it.
 
Oh my gosh Mr Westexas I am laughing so hard my gut hurts. This is the best story ever. We were poor too but we kids didn't know it. We planted our own gardens, moms canned. Mom tore up her clothes to make us clothes but that was the happiest times of our lives. Mr Westexas you made my day. I can't quit laughing. I hope ya'll enjoyed the new furniture. Hey I'm wondering, did those thieves leave town? or was there more occurrences?
 
westexasflats":2wahuz6a said:
I recamember that we was so poor growin' up that one time some thieves came through the country a robbin' houses. They " broke" into ours, all we had was a screen door, they looked around for something to steal, couldn't find nothing so they went on down the road somewheres or another robbed a place of all it's furniture and brung it back and put it in our house..them was some respectiful burglars. Thats my feel good story and i'm stickin' to it.
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I remember some times like that. Back then every body planted black eyed peas. When I was about 9 I swore I'd never shell them dang things again when I grew up. I kinda wish everyone still had black eyed peas now.
 
Old Bearkat":2dr6wdjf said:
51eleven":2dr6wdjf said:
Old Bearkat":2dr6wdjf said:
51eleven":2dr6wdjf said:
There is no downtown Proctor anymore, anyway. Your just supposed to slow down to 55, but you might get run over if you do. The Red Barn drive thru has been closed for years.
Click to expand...

Is the old school there still being used to store junk?
Click to expand...

I never knew there was a school there. texasescapes.com says it consolidated with Comanche after WWII and at one time served up to 400 students. Also, I never knew there was a real town there. From what it says I guess a little south of 377.
Several business in theearly 1900's.
A school that size I'd think the played some sports.
Click to expand...

You can see the school and gym from the highway. I have never found any football games played by Proctor, so they were probably basketball only.
Click to expand...

I wonder if their mascot was the Ologist?
 
My word I remember snapping peas also tons of them. They grew and grew. Wished when I was little that they would die and like you Mr OFB I wish I had some good home grown ones now. Ewweee I'm having a flashback, not so good. I had to clean doves. We plucked them dry but now learned theres a better way to do it. I hated pulling off their cute little heads. We didn't have much to do with the cleaning of fish but now it seems it's only my job now. I remember looking at a sweet buck or does eyes and thought my dad is a mean. They are so beautiful. Now it's like shoot it so I can get some venison going on the stove. And about those pea's I hated picking them. In our garden every snake in McCamey loved it. The rattlesnakes and transula's (sp) Giant Spiders loved our screens. Going out to play we would count how many were on the screen then run out hollering. Then we got brave enough to poor water in the holes. Back in those days I could run fast.
 
Thank you Mr Smokey, Proctologist. You guys are too smart for me. Every time I go through Proctor I will remember I'm going thru Proctologist.
 
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