Here are my across the street neighbors from summers in mid 50's-early 60's
Farmer Bill. Lived with his brother, Joe, who bayed at a full moon. No electricity or running water. Bill commenced to singing "In the little red school house" to us beginning the first day of summer vacation. My first point came from one of Bill's cornfields.
Bill the Riverman. He and Bill the farmer were the last of the river men, smoking herring and selling bait. Hermit. Didn't have much, but somebody still robbed and murdered him and dumped his body in the river one night. Got away with it too. I honestly don't think the town police gave a damn who killed "the hermit". Angers me to this day! His shack was poised to slide down a steep hill at any second, pretty much just like his porch here. Look close at the bottom of the wall on left and you can see the bottom bowing out to become part of the slide!! Wish I had a photo of the house from the street. Nobody could understand why his shack didn't just slide down the steep embankment right into the street! Always nerve wracking walking into Bill's shack :rolf: He entertained all the kids at the bridge every summer night.
Hands down, no contest, best days of my life. Childhood does have that advantage for some. Heaven to me when I pass on would be right back there to that River and those summers. I require nothing else....
Farmer Bill. Lived with his brother, Joe, who bayed at a full moon. No electricity or running water. Bill commenced to singing "In the little red school house" to us beginning the first day of summer vacation. My first point came from one of Bill's cornfields.
Bill the Riverman. He and Bill the farmer were the last of the river men, smoking herring and selling bait. Hermit. Didn't have much, but somebody still robbed and murdered him and dumped his body in the river one night. Got away with it too. I honestly don't think the town police gave a damn who killed "the hermit". Angers me to this day! His shack was poised to slide down a steep hill at any second, pretty much just like his porch here. Look close at the bottom of the wall on left and you can see the bottom bowing out to become part of the slide!! Wish I had a photo of the house from the street. Nobody could understand why his shack didn't just slide down the steep embankment right into the street! Always nerve wracking walking into Bill's shack :rolf: He entertained all the kids at the bridge every summer night.
Hands down, no contest, best days of my life. Childhood does have that advantage for some. Heaven to me when I pass on would be right back there to that River and those summers. I require nothing else....
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