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By: Jim Fitzpatrick |
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Email: jim@nunica.com |
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Local Farmer in Polkton Township writes for the Coopersville Observer. |
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Along Brandy Creek By Jim Fitzpatrick
The Coopersville Observer July 26, 2004- - No. 33 |
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It was one of those years when every wild blackberry bush was loaded down heavily with fruit. The Dad had been cutting hay one morning in early July back along the "North woods". He couldn't keep his eyes off those lush blackberries that dotted the fence line each time that he came around to that end of the field. Soon his work mowing the hay was finished. The family was rounded up along with picking buckets and straw hats for a drive down the lane and back to the wood lot. The picking was easy and the buckets were filled and refilled quickly.
It wasn't long, however, that the oldest of the three young boys found more interesting things to occupy his time. Following the rabbit trails and tunnel-like paths deep within the berry patches was more to his liking. Certainly it was a better adventure for him than berry picking, especially now that he had his belly full of the sweet black morsels. Soon his fun, unfortunately, turned into real trouble! It wasn't long before he discovered that he was sharing his space among the undergrowth with a nest of not-to-happy hornets. Several of the little buzzing insects immediately buried their stingers into his exposed face, arms and legs. As you can guess, that small boy came out of the berry patch much more quickly than he had gone in. His cries of terror and the yells and screams of his two younger brothers brought the Mom and Dad on the run to save the poor boy from they knew not what.
Just across the road was the Lothschutz farm, somewhat closer than taking the whimpering kid all the way home to deal with a good hornet-sting remedy. Mrs. L. soon had the boy, now as quiet as a mouse, into her kitchen and sitting on a small stool by the sink. Her children stood around wide eyed in amazement as they looked on at the neighbor boy sitting in their kitchen. Quick as you can believe, she mixed up a paste of warm water and salt. Then she covered the many hornet stings with her hand-me-down remedy. This felt to be quite a relief to the little boy. He went on home that day feeling much better and quite amazed at the whole situation himself. Steaming blackberry pies came out of the oven at his house later that afternoon - one made it's way over to the Lothschutz farm. |
