8/21/2003: Huge pig sacrificed

[xoxoxoBruce]

The Doodlebugs couldn't be driven on the road legally so they never went more than a couple miles from home. The horses were still used to haul wood into the city for sale.

Later when trucks became affordable, the horses were still used to haul small loads out of tree groves where the bugs couldn't go or caused too much damage. Once the wood was out to the "woodlot" roads, which were just treeless paths, the bugs took over.

One problem was the brush that had to be cut between the trees. It was small stuff, less than an inch in diameter and cut with a brush hook which is a stylized axe. This cut on an angle which left sharp points like pungi (sp) sticks. When these things punctured a tire it was a pain in the ass but when they punctured a horses ankle it could bleed to death pretty quickly without immediate action.

Later my folks bought a saddle horse as did my uncle. Guess who got to take care of them?

Yeah, a school bus. A LONG bus, thank you. It was 17 miles to school, and uphill both ways.