The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
When Jonathon was in second grade, his teacher told me that he should have a career in promoting agriculture. He always felt so sorry for the town kids.
He couldn’t fathom what there was to do in town. There were no tractors to drive or chores to do. It seemed like a boring life….that was until he discovered sports.
When Jonathon graduated from the elementary school we were in for a shock.
He realized there was more to do than just farm work and was not going to be left behind. This created a dilemma for us as parents.
Mark and I both grew up on working farms and attended small schools 500 miles apart. Sometimes it might as well have been 5,000 miles.
There are chores to do on a beef farm but not the same degree as a dairy farm. For that reason, I was in all extra-curricular activities. Mark was only allowed to be in one sport a year – in the opposite season that Al played.
Somebody needed to be home to help with chores and milking every night, regardless of the fact that they always did the morning milkings before school.
Jonathon went out for 7th grade football and I started running. Thank goodness the school is only four miles away.
Once football was over, basketball started. Two sports were putting a strain on family harmony. What were we going to do in the spring?
My great-grandfather always said….”the first child trains the parents and the parents train the rest.” Jonathon set the standard for our family’s involvement in sports.
When spring season came around, he knew he was needed at home to help with the spring work.
Besides, he didn’t want to give up driving tractors to his younger brother. He opted out of baseball. Whew! But what is summer without baseball? Boring!!
Mark would tell the kids stories of when he would ride his bike over to Paradeis’s to practice for 4-H softball on Sunday afternoons.
4-H softball league was the only thing to do all summer with your buddies. I don’t think Mark realized what seeds he was planting at the time.
One day we looked out the east window of our barn and figured the yard would be a great place for the kids to play ball. They called the neighborhood kids over and set up the bases.
It was great, until they got big enough to start hitting the balls OVER the barn and into the barn cleaner! At least they didn’t break any barn windows. We needed a bigger field.
The boys took the matter in their own hands. They grabbed the measuring wheel and headed to the north pasture. They measured out the baselines and pitching mound.
They marked center field at 325 feet for a homerun and right field at 400 feet. They lined the fence with straw bales for the dugout. They borrowed the lawn mower to cut down the infield. They even proceeded to mow it in diagonals.
I think they would have even used the lime cart to lay down the baselines if we let them. Fenway Park never looked so good, nor had as much charm. Where else could you find a swamp in left center field, a pitcher’s mound below home plate and cow pies scattered throughout the field?
Throughout the summer when there is a break in the work and the weather looks great, you know someone will ask…”can we play ball?”
By the next day we’ll have 25 to 40 kids out in the pasture playing softball. They come from three counties, five school districts and 7 different 4-H clubs.
Not everyone knows everybody yet, but give them a couple of innings and they’re friends for life.
We haul everyone up to the field in the back of the pickup truck with a parade of 4-wheelers bringing up the rear. I have a 10 gallon water jug that sits on the back of the tailgate waiting for someone to just hang their head back and open wide. You can’t beat fresh cold well water on a hot summer day!
The best part about Pasture Ball is the age limit. There is none! Everyone bats and everyone runs the bases.
We don’t officially keep score, but some boys are just a tad too competitive to let it slip by. Amazingly enough, the score is always very close to a perfect tie.
This is our third season of Pasture Ball. Opening day was just this past Sunday when 25 neighborhood kids showed up with gloves, bats and 4-wheelers. What a sight. What memories. The field is located right next to the county road and you can almost see the drivers smiling at the sight of summer fun down on the farm. I wonder what they’re doing in town?