4 years ago today 4-5

4 years ago today 4-5 2010 my father passed away right here in my living room. He was 91. He also was an an abusive man. But he was my dad and I loved him.

one of the many things he taught me was my love for fishing. Every weekend in the summer we would drive over and would barely get there and I would be racing to grab my cane pole and say lets go fishing. Uncle Harold would tell me to go find some worms and off I would go pitch fork in one hand and pail in other. and I could sit for hours fishing. Oh yes I could bait my own hook it was taking the fish off that stopped me. A fish bit me once when I tried to take a hook outta his mouth and that was last time I ever tried to take a fish off a hook.
That was another thing dad taught me to sit still and just watch....................nothing.
Well ok maybe not nothing, I could watch the wind blow.......the grass waving.......the trees (the ones I could see) dancing.....and the cloud rolling by. I also could picture the people from way back who walked the land before who worked their fingers to the bone yet could get together that night for a barn dance because they helped a neighbor or a neighbor helped them.
Another love is rocks.........Agates, quarts, opals I have loads I collected as a child some my dad already put into a coffee table for me. others Im waiting for Mr Gab to make into matching end tables.
and collecting old stuff. OMG do I love collecting old stuff. Gas engines. is one of my favorites. I still want to own a Rumbley Oil pull that would be my dream come true! It would also be in honor of my dad! He always wanted to get a steam engine as well.
Dad taught me to drive, yeah not a stick though that was Mr Gab. Dad tried to teach me a stick and I got so upset at what he was trying to say he yelled at me to never drive a stick and get the hell outta the car so we could go home. Mind you he was trying to teach me at the end of a long work day.
But he taught me to drive and then Mr Gab had enough patience to teach me stick. and whoo hoo when I learned stick I thought I was all it!!!
Back to dad though we would go to South Dakota and he would let me drive over there. And he would stop and buy chicken and we would eat and drive and keep on going because you must understand we would leave at about 4:30 am to arrive at my grandma's house around 1pm if we were lucky enough! So to be hungry we didn't stop in a restaurant and eat we keep going. And boy do I remember the first time my mom rode with us. I was driving dad gave me some chicken and mom yelled she can't eat and drive and I told dad to tell mother to shut up I know what Im doing you taught me to eat and drive. And dad said ma just watch her. well mom watched and after about 20 miles and the who piece of chicken she was ok with me driving and eating. Sandwiches were easier of course and we ate many of those too but oh the day we ate chicken and I told dad to tell mom to shut up!!! LOL
And when I wasn't driving I was looking out the window for fly wheels and when I seen them I would shout dad fly wheels. and dad would hit the breaks say where and I would tell him and we would back up to where I seen them then we would get out look at them and if dad was interested he would go find the owner and see if he was willing to sell. Now this some times made for a very long trip home. what usually is an 8 hour trip could now stretch into 10 or more. I usually didn't mind because finding fly wheels for dad made him happy. and Fly wheel were usually on some kind of gas engine. it didn't have to be running, it could be rusty as hell but dad didn't care if he wanted it we usually brought it home.
Another thing I remember when I was a kid was when I was really little mom raised labs. Not any labs Yellow labs and Chocolate labs. Then we had a Black lab for a pet. Now King was a super cool dog. He would get out and be gone and we could whistle and call but no dog. But you open that garage door and he would come from outta no where. Why? because when we opened the garage door it usually meant we were going to SD. and King always went to SD with us. That dog was a great traveller.....till he farted!!! then it was OMG please open the windows! The day we lost him over The Rainbow Bridge was the day I said I would never get another dog. Till I met Pepe. Now Pepe (my name for him) was a BIG white German Shepard and I mean all white!! And I have no idea where the name Pepe came from but that was his name. And the day the lady ran him over on purpose I swore then never to have another dog! Then I found Rex. Now Rex was German Shepard and Lab mixed and I got him when I was still single....and in an apartment! When Jack and I got married he said the dog has to go. It wasn't he didn't like Rex he did just not in apartment. So I took him to dad's. And dad of course said only till you get a house. One year later we got that house and we bought our Rexy home! and he was the best dog ever! and Ive never had another! But Rex wasn't a traveler. He was how ever a great watch dog and watched over our children.
We had Lady. She was our traveler. and what a traveler she turned out to be. Dad got a little upset that we brought our dog with us on trips but I reminded him of King and he stopped complaining.
Dad Liked to pheasant hunt as well. and one time I asked if I could shoot the gun? so they set up a target and showed me how to shoot and then gave me the gun! DARN STINKERS DIDN'T TELL ME THERE WAS A KICK BACK!!!! I was on my ass so fast and my shoulder hurt so bad I never wanted to try that again. Course dad and my bother both laughed at me.
One thing dad didn't teach me that Uncle Harold did and that was to drive a tractor. I was 5. I watched my older sister drive it into the corner of the barn, my older brother drive it into the coal bin attached to the chicken coop and I wanted to try. Well of course they laughed at me I'm only 5. But Harold thought it would be ok as long as he rode along side of me. Well he got it started showed me how to put it in gear showed me the breaks and off we went. I drove it all the way down the hill to the water tank next to the pump and didnt hit a thing. Ya know it still gets into my siblings gull that I could drive with out hitting a thing at 5! and my brother was about 13 at the time and my sister was 15! LOL showed them I did I did!
Yup dad taught me a lot. Hurt me a lot too. but I got over it. (mostly) I'm still here. I can mostly remember the good things with dad with out getting angry. I do love him. and Miss him.