Chicken Ranch by Daniel Haymore

Dear Family,

I would like to take a moment to compliment Valerie on her great idea for a Goggle Blog site on our mother Alsina Elaine Holbrook Haymore. No matter what I do in life, sister Valerie remains one step ahead. The material found in this Elaine blog is first rate and I feel some pressure to measure up. I hope my children will contribute to this blog as others have.

I would like to write concerning what I remember about the early years and in particular the "chicken ranch" on 6400 South in Salt Lake City. I hope that upon reading my blog both Valerie and Gloria will feel free to clarify and enhance what I have written because it was a long time ago. The picture above is from that era 1944 through about 1946. It was clear to me from an early age that Mom was and is a very pretty lady. I remember many references to that fact and can still hear people in my mind saying, "Oh, are these children all yours? You don't look old enough to have all these children." Such comments would embarrass Mom and she would show a little color while answering.

The chicken ranch on 6400 South was a kid's paradise. I thought it was a huge place but it turns out to be only about three or four acres. I don't remember the picture on the right when it was taken by Dad but Mom says we were awakened early and plunked down in the hay. The chicken ranch was one happy place and we three children were totally unaware that the egg business was not paying the bills. In my mind it was always summer. I think I was allowed to freely roam the place including the neighbors places. The pigs were my favorite and I spent a lot of time observing them through the fence. I remember the chickens were all white and not nearly as fun as the other animals. We had a cow but I do not remember that animal at all. There were other creatures. I learned you could turn over a scrap piece of lumber and find a toad nesting underneath. I had no problem picking up toads and scaring sisters.

We had our own "trikes" and I used mine to haul Gloria in a cart and visit the neighbors.Mom tells the story that the neighbor had a big dog that would chase me and Gloria home from our visits and I would peddle like crazy to save us. I would arrive home in a state of great agitation. Our travel about town was by jeep. Dad had overhauled the engine in a war surplus army jeep (which engine I remember being out of the jeep and hanging from our tree with a block and tackle) and we went everywhere in that outfit. I thought the back of the jeep where we resided was a big area but it turns out we were cramped. One time while we were in the back of the jeep waiting for Dad to emerge from a feed store some mean neighbor kids came up and proceeded to terrorize us. I remember taking cover on the floor of the jeep trying to get distance from them. Dad took forever coming out of the store and by then the little gang had broken the jeep side window. Instead of comfort, Dad left us to go find the offending kids.

Dad did not have a tractor but the neighbors did. I recall riding on the step of that tractor when we borrowed it. You could look down and see the road go by. I mention this as a humorous contrast to our present day and age where seat belts, airbags, and other safety measures abound and a ticket or worse awaits those who don't comply.

In those days both parents sang songs both at home and on the road. Dad would sing a popular radio song of which I know not the title but the words were "does your Spearmint loose it's flavor on the bedpost overnight....yadda, yadda." They would both sing You Are My Sunshine. I think I remember Mom and her sisters singing Clementine at a Holbrook Reunion. I know I heard them sing Utah We Love Thee. I liked the cowboy song Big Rock Candy Mountain and later in another home my parents bought me that record. Whenever a Meadow Lark would sing it's song Mom would tell me it's singing "Danny's a good little boy." I love that idea and so do our children who pass that on to their children. Keep it going!

We were a church going family and I liked wearing my sailor suit to church. I remember long arms pulling me out from under the bench as I made my escapes. Dad played for and coached the Ward M-Men basketball team where he was one of the stars. I would go to practices and sit on a chair for what seemed like a week. I was interrupted one time when a loose ball took me off the chair. I got a lot of attention from the players until I stopped spouting tears.

You have seen the movie To Kill A Mockingbird?

We dressed like that.