I am prone to complain about the cold weather which is a silly and useless thing to do. My house is warm; I don’t have to get up early to milk cows or take care of the outdoor stock and I don’t have to build a fire in the fireplace to get the house warm. In other words, I have no reason to complain. In my mother’s day at Etta Bend, weather had a more direct effect on the lives of the Latty family. Instead of complaining, though, I have a feeling they made the best of it and even had fun in the midst of winter.
The Etta school house sat on a parcel of land Pappy Latty donated, north of the farmhouse. A wood-burning stove heated that small building and the children or teachers often found ice in the water bucket inside. However, that was life. They accepted it and thrived.
One particular winter day (Mom must have been nine or ten years old) a cold mist fell on the hills and hollows of Etta Bend. Teacher and students huddled around the stove and carried on with lessons.
Mom could lose herself in a book. She was engrossed in a story with the warmth from the stove making her sleepy when, without warning, an unearthly squeal jerked her back to reality. What was that awful sound? More squeals and grunts brought pupils and teacher to their feet. The noise seemed to come from beneath them.
The teacher and some of the boys ran to the door and flung it open. There in the yard, a herd of free-ranging hogs shoved and snuffled, trying to get under the high front porch of the school. The sounds were not other-worldly at all but came from a group of cold animals who needed a place to stay and the school house seemed to fit the bill.
What a story Susie had to tell Ma and Pappy Latty when she got home. It was a tale that has lasted more than a century, the time when the weather got so cold that even a herd of pigs went to school!
What a surprise they had when they opened the door! I hope you are keeping warm. It isn’t a cold here as last year, but cold enough! I am from the desert and even though I have lived in Indiana for 16 years, I still am not use to this bitter cold. Some days I wear a hooded sweatershirt and fingerless gloves in the house! have a wonderful day!
Hugs,
Deb
Thanks for your interesting comment, Deb. I understand wearing sweatshirts and gloves! I wear two shirts inside the house and sometimes a huggy-type shawl too. And, I’ve got to have socks on with my shoes in the house because my feet are the first to get cold. I see you all are getting snow. So far, we haven’t had much but there’s a possibility Wednesday. Stay safe! And warm.