Gooby Bros. and TBT

When we moved from our home of 30 years on Great Northern Road almost 13 years ago, I figured we had left the Gooby's behind.  

At the time, that was one of few sad aspects of making the move. 

The Gooby's had played an integral role in our lives as long-established neighbors and true friends. 

We all loved the Gooby's and their meat plant, which closed several years before our move. 

It may have closed but the special memories tucked away in our heads and those of our kids will almost always come up in conversation, as they did yesterday. 

As little kids, Willie and Annie experienced some of their initial lessons about making transactions when they would walk down the road to the plant about a quarter mile away. 

In their pockets or their hands were coins to be used to purchase beef sticks or jerky or whatever meat treat they wanted at the time. 

They'd fork over whatever coins were necessary and then walk home with their goodies. 

Precious memories for us all and definitely sad when the meat plant closed. 

It was also getting kind of sad toward the end of our tenure on Great Northern Road as we watched the farm fields, once belonging to Gooby's or Harneys or Hudons slowly succumb to industrial and real estate development. 

One day I saw Pat along the road.  We both commiserated about how the rural Heaven of our childhood was slowly disappearing.  

At the time Pat reminded me of how lucky we had been to live in this relatively unspoiled place as kids and young adults AND how so many people in the world did not have that same opportunity. 

I've never forgotten those words, and they came up again yesterday when Pat and his older brother Bob came out for a visit with Bill and me. 

I also found out during our fascinating and nostalgic conversation that we did not really leave the Gooby's behind when we came to Selle. 

First reason, somewhat intangible but still visual.

"I've been meaning to tell you," Pat said, "that when our mom died, we secured a grave site up at Pinecrest." He continued on telling us that the family moved their dad's (Basil Gooby) ashes from Lakeview Cemetery to remain at the Pinecrest grave with their mother. 

"We used one of your mother's cards, a sketch of the barn with the wooden silo (known to us as the Upper Tibbs Place), and had the image put on the grave stone," Pat said.

"Be sure to tell your mother next time you visit her grave that the family likes it," he added. 

The grave stone story was one of many exchanged during our mid-morning visit.  As the Gooby brothers made their way toward the car, Pat noticed the manure spreader with its posies in the north lawn and commented that it was being put to good use. 

Bob is now using a walker, so he took a little more time making his way to the car and talking to Bill.  When HE saw the manure spreader, he didn't say anything about the flowers. 

"That used to be at our place," he announced.  Apparently the Crapes who owned our farm before us bought the manure spreader from the Gooby's. 

It was left in the field when we moved to the farm in early 1977.  And, when we moved to Selle in 2006, the manure spreader came with us. 

Yesterday, we learned, in very tangible terms that we did NOT leave the Gooby's behind.

And, that made us happy, as did their very special visit.

Nothing better than old and true friends. 

Thanks for all the memories, Pat and Bob. 

Your visit was truly a gift in many meaningful and wonderful ways. 

And to think, we didn't even discuss DANDYLIONS!  

     

Thursday Throwback:  My Older Brother Mike . . . . 

As we sat in our yard yesterday visiting with Bob and Pat Gooby, my brother Mike came up in conversation.

Twas the second time in yesterday's visit. 

The first came when I handed over the Lily's lead rope to Pat and then asked, "Have you ever ridden much?"

"Oh yeah," Pat said, suddenly remembering one mount from his childhood which apparently was not among his favorites.

That was Tony Pony. 

Pat said that pony could take folks for some interesting rides.  

Could be why the little plump guy eventually made a move over to the North Boyer farm from Gooby's.

Mother purchased, or maybe Pat even paid her to take Tony. 

He came adorned in a big ribbon around his girth with a bow at his withers.  Tony was our older brother Mike's birthday present. 

Mike was about 8 or 9.  Whatever his age, it was a time when Mother would hire the Best girls to watch her three "mildly" precocious kids. 

Well, if I recall correctly, Janice Best decided pony rides could keep us occupied, so Mike climbed aboard.  I can't remember if there was even a halter and lead or maybe nothing at all. 

Long story short, Mike's ride on Tony around the hay field literally fell short, and he broke his arm.

Let's just say that among family members it would fairly easy to rank Mike at the bottom when it comes to passion toward horses. 

That's why I chuckled this morning when I saw the Facebook posting below where Mike explains the patch with the horse head on his jacket.  

After all that fun with Tony, he served in the Cavalry. I think by the time Mike served, there wasn't a requirement to ride horses. 

It was also kinda neat yesterday when Pat Gooby's other story regarding Mike dealt with when our brother received an appointment to West Point back in 1961-'62. 

"That was a really big deal at that time," Pat said, "and your family has every reason to be proud."

Well, we were then and still are.  

Mike has a big event this Saturday at the Seattle Museum of Flight.  He and other Vietnam veterans, families, etc. will gather to officially dedicate the Vietnam Veterans park at the Museum.  

A restored B52 bomber will serve as centerpiece for the celebration, and General James N. Mattis, former Secretary of Defense will give the keynote address. 

Mike has served on the organizing committee for this event. 

Once again, Mike, we're proud of our big brother.  Pat and Bob Gooby were pretty proud of you yesterday when we told them about this weekend's event.  

For more information about Saturday's program, visit this link:

https://www.museumofflight.org/Plan-Your-Visit/Calendar-of-Events/4907/vietnam-veterans-memorial-park?utm_campaign=Vietnam%20Veterans%20Memorial%20Park&utm_content=91638197&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-8855517223&fbclid=IwAR1l4dtwfHeWXF1VV_Asag7GSf7WaRm8U6HJA7PMuOBIdvl1Atfods4otO8

from Mike Brown in a Facebook post. . . 

Here's the dope on all of the patches....yellow patch with horse's head is the patch of the 1st Cavalry Division; I served in the 3rd Brigade (separate) of the 1st Cav from October 1971 to September 1972. 

 Below the 1st Cav patch is the red and blue "Blue Max" patch. The unit was F Battery, 79th Artillery (AFA--Aerial Field Artillery). The red 1 on the green background is the patch of the 1st Infantry Division, known as the "Big Red One. I served with the Big Red One from August 1967 to August 1968. 

The white patch with the blue arrow is the patch of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry. The battalion was nicknamed the "Blue Spaders." I spent most of my 1st Infantry Division tour as an artillery forward observer with C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry. 

Blue Spaders were also poets. 

We had an initiation rite in which the new guy was presented with a small glass of Drambuie, the fumes of which had been lit to produce a blue flame covering the entire surface of the liquor. 

The initiate was required to lift the glass of flaming drambuie as in a toast and recite the following:
"Once a Blue Spader, Always a Blue Spader;
Once a Blue Blaxer, Always a Blue Blazer!"

The initiate would then rapidly bring the glass and its flaming contents to his mouth and "chug" the contents. I suspect that ritual isn't followed any more....