Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

I am not precise on the date but know it was before I started to school in 1941. We were now living on one of the Dennis farms and a lot closer to the school. Also, I was now a short walk from one of my classmates, Rosa Lee Dennis who would be in the first grade also.

This particular morning, dad had already gone to work and since I a just a kid, I don’t pay any attention to the time. I am pretty sure it wasn’t breakfast, so it was either close to noon, or more likely around 4:30 or 5:00 P.M. Mom was beginning to cook a meal, and this stove was something new for us, it wasn’t burning wood but was burning kerosene. There were several burners and all were fed by a bucket of kerosene. This bucket had a spring-loaded cap, that when you turned it upside down, the fuel would pour out and then trickle down to all the burners. Or that was the plan.

Mom had gone through all the steps and when she tried to light it with a match, all the burners and the stream between them went up in a loud ‘whish’ and a flame that reached the ceiling! Not wanting to burn the house down and not knowing what else to do, she grabbed can holding all the remaining fuel and threw it outside the house! Cutting off the supply did what was needed in quelling the immense fire in and around the stove. When dad came home it didn’t take mom long to convince him of this monster stove. I do not remember just what the monster was replaced with, probably a wood stove, but in any case the kerosene monster was gone.

Now that we have you here, I will also relate an almost Christmas story. Rosa Lee lived only a short distance away. Her parents took care of Mr. Joe Dennis, one of the earliest pioneers to settle in Bulcher, where we now live. Often, she had a cousin, Justin Dennis, also our age who would come and visit.

We often played together since it was getting close to Christmas our conversations were all about what we wanted for Christmas, or what Santa was expected to bring. I do not remember what either Rosa Lee or I wanted, but Justin was sure he was going to get a ‘cowboy outfit’, meaning chaps, pistol and holster, vest, and hat for Christmas. He repeated more than once, when he got this gear, and came to visit Rosa Lee, ‘he might NOT even know us!’ We thought it was funny but never did point out the mistake he was making.

Since Justin was getting a cowboy outfit, I decided I had to have one as well. So, On Christmas, I did get a toy cap pistol and belt and holster, a scarf, and a vest. I don’t think Justin ever got what he was expecting.

One last memory of that time. Rosa Lee and I played together almost every day. The oil company had drilled a well about 100 yards out in a field near their home. After they finished, there remained a pit of mud, water, and a thick layer of almost tar-like petroleum all around the edges of this pool Across the top were some planks crisscrossing the pool. I don’t know why I felt so challenged to walk over this pool on those boards. But I did. In fact, several times, and then I fell in, getting that tar gunk all over me and my shoes.

In addition to all this, Dad would leave his wallet a home when he was working at plowing or anything with his team of horses. Well, this wallet on the dresser was too great a temptation for me. I would put it in my hip pocket and carry it around as if it were mine. I had it in my pocket the day I fell into the pit.

I just knew I would be severely punished for this and was scared even to go home, but much more for dad to learn what I had done. Mom cleaned me up, got me into some clean clothes, and tried to dry out dad’s wallet before he came home. I got by and believed it was because my mother covered for me. Just Sayin…RJS
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MuskyJohn Loc: Benton Harbor, MI

Good Stuff, RJS!!!!
The little snippets of what we remember are always good to share.
I have about 4 or 5 epic stories that I will share, hopefully, after the holidays.
Cool stories and most of them have some interesting bit of a moral lesson behind them.
One memorializes my Grandfather, one of the toughest men ever.
His plane crash, which he thankfully survived.
But the childhood stories are priceless.
Your story reminded me of the photo here. This is the early 70's.
I wanted to dress up like a cowboy, but didn't have enough garb to pull it off.
The I wanted to be an "Indian", but again, did not have enough to pull that off either.
So, I combined the two to become the first Cowboy/ Indian.
I think I nailed it!

Have a good day.
Thank you for sharing!

kandydisbar Loc: West Orange, NJ

Cute! I always wanted to be the Indian!

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

MuskyJohn: You are a real dude in the photo. I don't see any reason why you could not have been both.

But looking closely, it sure looks like you have your boots on the wrong feet! Is that how a cowboy/Indian is supposed to wear them? Just Wondering, Just Sayin...RJS

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

Oh the ventures we had as kids!

HenryG Loc: Falmouth Cape Cod Massachusetts

Nice story Mr Samples thanks🇺🇸🙂👍

Rayjay425 Loc: Mill Creek, Washington

i remember getting cap guns and holster for Christmas. had a lot of fun playing with them. good old days. kids can't play like that anymore. bacause of all the crazy gun shootings, the idea of playing with toy guns, etc is not what people want to see you doing. a couple of years ago, i drove by some young kids with toy guns. my first thought was i hope they aren't real. wouldn't of even worried about that in tge 50's and 60's.