Hampden, Hicks in the Sticks

[xoxoxoBruce]

This showed up in my mail today, Jr High boys doing a gymnastics show.
This was posed for the paper not part of the show, that consisted of various tumbling and balance routines plus some tableaus.
I wasn't asked to be in the show, I figure the coach worried my great athletic prowess would discourage the others.
I was over at the side of the stage with butch wax and a tie, describing the action to the enthralled masses.
We took the show on the road to the Soldiers Home over on rte 5.
The vets were so excited about my presentation they were chain smoking.
Eight men to a table and an ashtray the size of a toilet in the middle of the table with half the discarded butts still smoldering.
Missed a great chance to do a Hawaiian theme with smoking volcano and shit.
I heard today that Home hospital is being investigated because of a number of Kung Flu deaths.

[xoxoxoBruce]

An article in the Springfield Republican about how the town transitioned from complete village
to bedroom suburb after the automobile gave the common folks mobility.
However with the increase in automobiles the air got cleaner.



space

[xoxoxoBruce]

The Palmers were before my time but I don't even remember anyone mentioning them, usually bullshit
sessions bring up all the past local legends.



Runaway from a state run orphanage means underage, plus a phony name. I don't think that's a legal marriage.
They only knew each other for a day when they had somebody perform the ceremony, I wonder who that was?



I didn't know the Palmers but I did know Howard Wilkes pretty well, only black man in town except for a chauffeur
some rich folks had. I guarantee where it says "party" you should substitute "card game".
He had the first "Dogs Playing Poker" I ever saw. He lived almost a mile past the end of the paved road where
the mail boxes were for those folks. I'd take him his mail if I was going that way.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Load of wood headed for the kilns...



The hotel did a good business because it was on one of the main routes from Philly to Boston via NYC.
Then at the behest of the King, Ben Franklin established three "post roads" that were marked off with mile posts to charge for
mail transport. The northernmost route was through town but Ben moved it 20 miles further north which killed much of the traffic.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Someone sent me a further explanation of the cattle drives through town.
Plus a story I hadn't heard about Badass Aunt Dot, her sister, a friend Polly, and my Uncle Chet, riding 4 horses down from Vermont.

Google says 80.2 miles but that's on roads that didn't exist then.

[xoxoxoBruce]

1965 Memorial Day parade, and there's Badass Aunt Dot driving a couple of her ponies.
Raising and breeding ponies were a hobby of hers for as long as I can remember.

[Griff]

The Mrs of one of my bike riding buddies drives ponies. It's been very good for my garden.