An Official Family Reunion!

When I was growing up there were family reunions on both sides of my family every year.  On my Dad's side of the family it was my grandparent's family.  My Dad came from a family of ten children so it didn't take long before reunions were bringing in 60, 70 and more people.  The big reunion was always held at the family home.  Since my grandparents were ranchers there was plenty of room for everyone. Some camped in tents, some came in camping trailers, and some came in RVs.  Everyone made an effort to attend.  There were always lots of pictures of everyone sitting around eating since that was usually the only time anyone held still long enough to be photographed.  In my Mom's family there were only two children and they lived within 20 miles of my grandparents so they saw each other all the time.  As a result reunions were back a generation but still nearly every year.  So, yeah, I grew up doing family reunions all the time.  And I loved it. I knew all my cousins pretty well and they were always lots of fun.

Thirty years ago Brombeere and I moved across the country so from that point on all our vacation time each year has been spent traveling back to see all that family we moved away from.  Then, as our kids have grown up, married, and settled into their own lives they have scattered all across the country.  Some are near, some are far.  With 3/4 of them married now, getting everyone together gets harder and harder each year.  The last picture we have of all our kids in the same picture was taken nearly ten years ago.  As the years have stretched out we talked off and on about having a reunion where we would all get together and all be there.  A couple of times we made an effort but always something would come up and it would fall through while still in the planning stages.  Finally, a couple of years ago when we had a bunch of us together we decided to pick a date far enough out that everyone would have time to save up a bunch of money and keep their schedules open so that we could all get together for an official family reunion. And this time we were determined to make it happen!

The destination we had talked about meeting at for years was Mt Rushmore in South Dakota.  Back then it was fairly central for everyone and there is lots of stuff to do there so everyone wanted to go. However, while still in the planning stages, things happened and for a while we had moved the venue to Kansas City, Missouri, in an effort to keep it centrally located.  That wasn't as appealing as Mt Rushmore but there is still lots of interesting stuff there.  But then things changed again and suddenly Mt Rushmore was back on the table.  Happy day!

Back when we first started planning, we had figured that if everyone made it we would have 24 people.  By time to actually go that number had grown to 28!  Amazing!  Unfortunately, life does not always cooperate. When it was still almost a year out we had picked the place, a campground near Mt Rushmore, and made reservations for enough space to accommodate all of us. But as the time got closer job changes began to make it so that some people were unable to go; one family at a time, we began to lose people. In the end, only Erdbeere and Heidlebeere and their families were able to go. Nevertheless, we decided that those that could make it would still go.  And so we continued to plan and prepare.

Finally the big day arrived and it was time to pack up and go!  The first step is always to clean out the car.  Lots of help with that!

Because Heidlebeere and her kids are staying with us right now we had a lot of stuff to pack.  That, plus we were taking a few things that others would be using at the reunion.  So we decided to take our small trailer.  We've made the trip out west with this trailer before and its always done just fine.  So we laid out all our stuff in the garage.

The plan was to load the trailer and have it ready to go in the garage the night before.  We also packed the car with everything we could, everything we didn't need for over night.

Then in the morning we threw the last of the stuff in the car and hooked up the trailer and we were all set!  We actually made it out only half an hour after our target departure time!

The trip from our house to Mt Rushmore is just a little bit farther than we wanted to do in a single day, especially with small children.  Since Heidlebeere's oldest is a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan we had been looking around earlier to see where the books were set.  We found that there are actually four locations where the Ingalls family lived, one of which was conveniently located in De Smet, SD, which was right on the way to Mt Rushmore and at a good place to stop on the way.  So that's what we did!

Just outside of town is the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead, built to illustrate how the Wilder family lived when they were in the area.  Heidlebeere's oldest was in seventh heaven and it was actually quite interesting to see all the exhibits.

There was a dug-out set into the side of a hill - a tiny space for a family to live.  It was just one room with a stove in the center.  Cramped quarters but it did them for their first season.

Nearby they had a replica of the first cabin the family lived in after they were able to move out of the dug-out.  In it they had some period clothes so the ladies in our party had to try them on for fun!

The next stop was a barn with a straw roof.  The fun parts was they had some animals!  The kids got to see some chickens before going inside the barn.. Inside there were kittens.

The kids loved the kittens!  They also loved climbing on the bales of hay stacked in the barn.

There was also a calf in the barn.  The bravest of the brave actually pet the cow!

Next stop was a water pump.  A nice place to wash and clean up since some among us are allergic to cats and wanted to wash.

One young lady, when she heard that had she lived there in Laura's time, it would have been her chore to pump and carry water.  She gave that pump a good workout but when she was done admitted it wasn't something she wanted to do on a regular basis.

The other two were quite happy to just play in the water.

A stop or two later were some carriage rides, horse drawn carriages.  That was a hit!

On the pony ride, they rode across the field and then got to feed the pony some treats before coming back.  They liked that!  Only the kids rode the pony carriage.

The next ride was a much bigger carriage and much bigger horses.  The driver got the team out and started but then let the people riding hold the reins.  Fun!  The ride was pretty long, they went quite a ways so everyone that wanted a turn was able to.

Beautiful animals pulling that wagon.  Two of them. Very well behaved, very gentle.

There was another horse there that was available for rides but no one in our party got on that one.  Alas, we were running short on time and needed to get on the road for Mt Rushmore.

Our next stop was not so pleasant.  We had come down the back roads and made it back to the interstate but hadn't gotten very far when we had an equipment failure.  One of the tires on the trailer blew out in a major way.  While this was still 30 miles from the nearest town of any size, the blessing was that we were on the interstate and not literally out in the middle of nowhere, like we had been before reaching the interstate.  The nearest town was Murdo, SD, 30 miles away.  Drama, drama - our tire iron did not fit the lug nuts on the trailer so we were not able to take it into town with us.  Anyway, we ran around town trying to figure out what to do and finally bought a tire iron before heading back to where we'd left the traler.  Since all this was only ten minutes before the only tire store in town closed we figured we'd have to take the tire off and somehow secure the trailer so we could unload it to be able to leave it over night.  But when we got back, just as we were starting to take the tire off, some very helpful young men working on the road construction crew stopped (all this was happening just at the beginning of some road construction) and offered to help.  After talking with them and amongst ourselves about our options, we decided that they would take the trailer and dispose of it.  We, then, would repack so that the stuff that had been in the trailer would be either inside the car or tied up on top.  This enabled us to continue on to Mt Rushmore without having to stop overnight.  Being that close to closing time so that we were unable to get the tire fixed turned out to be a blessing!

When all the tire drama was over and done and we were back on the road we went back into Murdo to the ice cream place we'd discovered while we'd been in town the first time.  All this had happened at the side of the road on a hot day and we were all tired, hot, and hungry.  We all bought some yummy ice cream and were back on the road; we wouldn't have to stop over night after all!  Hallelujah!

We're getting to the point where our idea of camping is pretty much with all the comforts of home so we were in a cabin, along with Erdbeere and her family.  Heidlebeere was in a tent in a spot right next to the cabin.  Turned out to be a very nice arrangement because the cabin had water and a bathroom (with a shower!) that were a lot closer than where Heidlebeere would have had to go otherwise.  Very nice.

Tents are novel and fun and have to be thoroughly explored and played in!

There was also a big rock right behind the cabin that the kids had checked out and climbed upon!

Lots of stuff to discover!

The kids were all over the rock, which was pretty high but not so challenging that it was a serious problem.

The cabin made it so we had both ends of the spectrum as far as camping goes.  Heidlebeere brought her hamock ...

and inside the cabin there was a fairly comfortable couch for those that wanted to stretch out.

We did make it to Mt Rushmore.  We made the trek up the Avenue of the Flags,

Found our state near the end

and saw the carvings.  This was the third time now that Brombeere and I have been there.  I still find this monument amazing.  The scale is incredible.  This time we went into museum and learned more about how they did it and how they picked the four presidents that are on the mountain.  We also learned about some of the challenges they overcame to do this carving. Amazing.

From the viewing balcony there is a hiking trail that goes down closer to the base of the mountain.  I didn't go but from where I waited there were a few spots where I could see those that took the hike.

The hike was a little more challenging that anticipated, mostly because there were a lot of stairs.

But Brombeere and Heidlebeere and family made the trek, along with all the kids.  Impressive.

Later, back at the cabin, we had a birthday to celebrate!

Lots of help opening presents!  Help from an expert!

A little while after dinner we went outside and started a campfire.  What is camping if you don't have a fire?

Heidlebeere was the resident pyromaniac.  The goal was to get the fire started with just one match. Unfortunately, the fire did not cooperate. But she did get it going and it was very nice.  There is something very soothing about watching a campfire.

Of course, others preferred more modern technology.  Camp lanterns are great toys, right?

The nice thing about camping is that mornings are slow and easy.  No rushing.  Get up when you wake up. Mornings camping are nice, you get to hear the birds singing and see the morning sunshine. Very nice.

I like being out camping, even if it is "wuss camping."

Brombeere, on the deck outside the cabin.

Me, in front of the climbing rock behind the cabin.

The deck was nice, a very comfortable space.

Townsend enjoyed being out on the deck as well.

We did get a picture of everyone that was able to make it.  The rock made a good backdrop.

On our second day we made the trip down to the Wind Cave, some 30 miles south of Mt Rushmore.  A very interesting place.  Unfortunately, we miscalculated the popularity of the cave.

The Wind cave is one of the larger, more extensively explored caves in the world and a popular place for tourists.  There are only a limited number of tours each day and they fill up fast.  By the time we got there, for the tour we wanted to do, only the last tour of the day had any openings left and the line to get tickets was half an hour or more long.  We decided not to do the tour.  So we looked around the visitors center instead.

That, by itself, was pretty interesting.  This cave has features that are unique in the world.  We may have to make a return trip some day and plan our visit so that we can get on the tour.

We also walked outside toward one of the entrances to the cave a bit.

That was a nice walk.  And it was enough to wear out one certain young lady.

Not too far from where this was taken there was a vent from the cave.  You could feel the cool air coming out.

On our way back to the campground we decided to go through Custer State Park.  They keep a herd of about 1,300 free roaming bison in the park.  As we entered park we were hoping to get a glimpse of the herd.

As it was, we came around a bend in the road and there was a good sized group of bison walking along the road, heading the opposite direction as we were going.

Actually, it was a good thing they were going the opposite direction as we were going.  Even as it was it took quite a while for them to walk passed us.  It would have taken forever if they had been going to same direction.

Going farther into the park we saw more bison but they weren't right on the road.

We also saw antelope. They were pretty used to having people around.  They didn't spook at all.  They just stayed there, undisturbed and at ease.  They are pretty animals.

On our way to the cave we had passed through Custer, SD and seen a very attractive pie and ice cream shop so we decided we had to stop on our way back to camp.

The Purple Pie Place.  And they have pie as good as their decor!  It was yummy!

Back at camp we got another fire going after dinner.  This time the goodies came out; marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers: s'mores!

Everyone at least tried their hand at roasting marshmallows.  And everyone has their own opinion as to what constitutes the perfectly roasted marshmallow.

This young lady did pretty good.  She was patient enough to keep it in there a while and it didn't catch fire.

Lots of help for the younger ones.

Some didn't have the patience to wait for them to get roasted.  Straight out of the bad was good enough.

Heidlebeere went all out and layered mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips in a waffle code.  Then she wrapped it in tinfoil and set it in the coals long enough for all that goodness to melt and mix together.

Others went for the quick roast method.

I believe the comment was something to the effect that "if it isn't done enough to contain carcinogens it isn't done."

There was also some entertainment.  Erdbeere brought some soda and Mentos candy.  A fun combination.

She even had a gizmo to be able to stage the mixture so she could get it all ready and then "pull the plug" to mix them.

Fun chemistry!

The campground has a Fun Zone where the kids could play.  Lots of stuff, including swimming, if you want. We took the kids there near the end of the second day.

Townsend was in heaven - construction equipment!

All too soon it was time to break camp, pack up, and head for home.  That always happens; the good times take forever to get here but then go by too fast.  But it had been nearly perfect; hardly any bugs, hardly any rain, good, fun food, lots of fun stuff to see and do.

We stopped on our way out for once last look and then headed for home.

Once again we broke the trip into two days.  The kids loved the swimming pool at the motel.

Pools and kids naturally go together.

Playing with the kids was a lot of fun.

Even though she couldn't swim even the littlest one wanted to be in the water.  There was no fear at all - she loved it!

One of our last stops was a rest stop on the way.  All those days of travel, adventure, and time in the car always make the trip home seem to take a little longer.

Or maybe its just the result of knowing the fun is over and its time to go back.

Lots of time with grandbabies - the perfect trip.

It was a real good time.  And while we were there we made the beginnings of the plans for the next one.  Door County 2018!  Mark your calendars and start saving your pennies!

Bikey Fun

A couple of weeks ago some friends at church gave Heidlebeere a child's bike they no longer wanted.  It had a flat and needed a little bit of attention but was otherwise in pretty good shape.  Today I was installing a new seat on my bike and when I finished Heidlebeere's oldest had come out and was talking to me as I finished up so I invited her to bring the little bike over so we could take a look at it to see what it needed. Turned out all it needed was a new inner-tube on the back tire, the stem had broken completely off.  That, and a little air in the front tire and adjust the seat height a little.  Heidlebeere ran to the store and got a new tube, along with some knee and elbow pads and a jingley bell.  The handle-bar streamers were a bonus.  We pressed a helmet we already had into service and pretty soon everything was ready to go!

She put the pads on - needed a little help because it was a little hard to tell which ones went on the elbows and which went on the knees.  But pretty quick we had it all figured out and were ready to go!

She has ridden before but always with training wheels.  We had looked around here for an old set of training wheels but didn't find any.  I'm pretty sure the last set we had was so worn it got tossed.

It took a little bit of convincing but finally she consented and pretty soon, with some help to steady her, she was making trips up and down the driveway!  We're hoping we can convince her to keep working without any training wheels so she can finally make the leap to riding on her own.

And, of course, anything the older kids can do the youngest has to try!  Lots of help.  She is, after all, only one year old, but she had lots of fun!

The Traditions of Our Fathers

My Dad was raised on a farm in Wyoming.  He graduated from High School in May 1943. His education summary, provided to the US Army at the time of his enlistment, gave his hobby as model airplane building and listed his vocational plans as agriculture and mechanics. A little over a year after graduating, in September 1944, he enlisted in the US Army, entering the service on Sept 26, 1944. This was about two months after the Allied invasion of Normandy, which began the liberation of Europe, and what was considered the turning point of the war in the European theater, also when German Army was defeated by the Soviets at Stalingrad. The war in the Pacific was already on the offensive after the hard won Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.

1943

He served in the Pacific Theater, taking part in the Philippine Liberation and being part of the Japanese Occupation army. His service was as a surgical technician with the Second Battalion.  As a result of that service, he was awarded the Victory Medal (1945), which is awarded for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946, and the Good Conduct medal (1946) which is awarded to any active-duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes one year of "honorable and faithful service" if during times of active war.

The Japanese surrendered on August 14, 1945 and Dad was honorably discharged on Nov 24, 1946 after which he returned home and began preparations to go on a mission.

1946

Dad was called and served a mission in the Eastern States Mission from January 1947 through January 1949, serving in Uniontown and Allentown in Pennsylvania, and in Crown Point, Plattsburg, and Middleton in New York.  His mission presidents were Roy M Doxey, who later worked as Dean of Religious Instruction at BYU and served as Director of the Church Correlation Committee, and George Q Morris, who went on to be called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

1948

Towards the end of his mission his mission president decided to get the Hill Cumorrah Pageant up and running again and used his missionaries to get this done. The pageant had first been performed in 1939 but because of the war production had stopped after only three seasons. So my dad was a cast member in the Cumorrah Pageant.

Dad in costume, stage center

After completing his mission he returned home by train, again traveling home to the family farm in Wyoming. He enrolled in school right away and began his studies in March 1949 and while in school  joined the US Army Reserves in Dec 1950,  However, his studies were interrupted by the Korean War.  

1954

Because of his service in the reserves, he was called to active duty again in February 1953 being stationed in Virginia to begin his active duty as a Second Lieutenant, where he was attached to the 647th Quartermaster’s Refrigeration Company.   However, while there the armistice was signed, ending the Korean conflict and he was released from active duty in August 1953.  At that point he returned to school.  My grandfather had torn down an old house that had stood on the property next to the family home and hauled the material 150 miles where he built a small house that several of his children lived in while they went to school, including my Dad until he got married.  My parents lived in campus housing for the first year or so of their marriage.  At that point Dad’s brothers and sisters had finished school so my parents moved into the house my grandpa built.  They lived in that little house until Dad graduated in 1954.  Dad graduated with a bachelor’s of science - his major was Agricultural Education and his minor was Farm Mechanics, the same subjects he had listed as his interests in high school.  His degree included a teaching certificate.

1968

After graduating in August 1954 he worked a year teaching public school (Weber School District) before applying to work for the Inter-mountain Indian School (IIS) in Brigham City, Utah in Sept 1955.  While working for the IIS he went back to school and earned his master’s degree in Education Administration, finishing in Sept 1959.  A year later, in Nov 1959 he got on with the Air Force, working at Hill Air Force Base where he worked until he retired.  He remained in the reserves until he reached retirement in 1978.  While in the reserves he was decorated with the Reserves Commendation Medal (1964).

Taken in 1980

Dad contracted diabetes and eventually died of complications in 1988.

I remember only once being ”spanked” by my Dad - I totally earned it. I remember hearing him swear only once - it was not in anger but instead he, my brother, and I were playing with firecrackers and it was a pretty funny moment. We recently had a new Elders Quorum president called in our ward. Each week he's been starting or meetings by having everyone state their name and the tell something about themselves. This morning we were to state something we enjoyed doing with our dads when we were kids. As I thought about it, since I was near the end, the thing I enjoyed most with my Dad was working with him. We used to go up to his family's farm before my grandpa retired and help with the farm work; working with the livestock, putting up hay, irrigating the fields, making repairs around the ranch. I also remember working on our stake’s welfare farm, which was a vegetable farm. We'd thin onions, hoe beans or beets rows that seemed miles long. In the fall we'd harvest those vegetable, sacking onions or potatoes, loading the sacks, stitching those sacks closed, and the loading them on wagons. I enjoyed working those welfare assignments with him. It was where he taught me to work until the job was done, not just until you got tired or tired of the work. After I came home from my mission I lived at home when I wasn't away at school until I got married. It was during that time that was the last time we did a welfare assignment together. As we walked back in from the field together we passed a plot that was being irrigated with siphons and I noticed several had stopped so as we walked by the plot I stepped over and started each one that wasn't going. It was a skill I had recently learned and was pretty good at - he was impressed, it was something he'd never learned. He complimented me. It felt great.

There was a song written by David Gates that was released in 1972 that expresses some of my feelings about my Dad. Gates wrote it about his Dad who had died by then:

“You sheltered me from harm
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew
Were all the years I had with you
...
“You taught me how to love
What it's of, what it's of.
You never said too much
But still you showed the way
And I knew from watching you”

That was my Dad - quiet and soft spoken. I remember him only once ever saying anything about his time in the military. But there was never any doubt of his feelings for my Mom, us kids, or me. I never had any doubt about the love and respect my Dad felt for his parents. There was never any doubt about his dedication to the Lord.

Taken about three years before his death

My Dad passed away quite a while ago - most of my kids never knew him or don't remember him. I'm not big on funerals, I don't really like going to them regardless of who they're for. Funerals are usually the actual funeral service preceded by a ”viewing” or a time for “visitation”. I prefer to skip visitations, the only reason I went when my Dad died was at the specific request of my Mom. But in the end I was glad I did; person after person, for the whole time, told of their admiration for my Dad, and particularly at the end of his life after the diabetes had ravaged his body - left him blind and barely able to walk only with great difficulty. But still he did what he could, working to the end of the job and not just until he got tired and worn out. I got an expanded glimpse of the lives he touched during his life. I was very blessed to have had the father I had and even though I made a conscious decision to do some things in my relationship with my children different than what had been my relationship with my Dad, I am still very, very grateful he was my Dad. The more I learn about him, and thereby come to understand him better, the more I come to love and appreciate him and what he has done for me. I still think of him often. I will be eternally grateful that he was in my life as long as I was blessed to have him in my life.

Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord

 There has been a lot of stuff going on at our house recently.  A lot of stuff.  We needed a break.  It worked out very well that we have been planning on going to the temple this weekend as part of a joint Relief Society and Young Womens' activity.

Today at Ward Council they were talking about how well attended the activity was.  They figured we had about 25% of the active ward members there, including us.  However, we did not caravan up with the main group.  They met at the church and all rode up more or less together.  We just left from our house, a little earlier than they were planning, and went straight on up on our own.

It was good "us" time.  We were able to be just the two of us.  That is not to say that we talked about deep and significant stuff on the trip.  Sometimes just the comfortable quiet is just as beneficial, if not more so, than the deep conversations.

In fact, some times the necessary conversations seem to fill the time, you end up "conducting business" so much of the time that there is little time left to simply enjoy one another's company.

It was President Howard W Hunter who said, "We develop our ability to receive spiritual knowledge as we take time to meditate, ponder, and pray." (Oct Conference, 1981).  In our relationships in marriages and families, spending quiet time together is essentially the same thing, in my opinion.  We develop our strength and closeness as we spend time together, not "conducting business" but just quietly enjoying one another's company.

So after the work at the temple was done we did not go with the group to lunch and then caravan back.  We went over to a small, near by community to see their swinging bridge.  This bridge was over one hundred years old and spans a small ravine running through town.

There used to be several of these bridges in this town but now there is only the one left.  It was unusual being on it.  It would sway and swing as you moved around on it.  I put the camera on my tripod and started the timer.  As I ran over to get in the picture it set the bridge to bouncing and swinging quiet a bit.  Same thing when some other people crossed the bridge as we were looking around, getting ready to take some pictures. Very unusual. Kind of fun.

A small river ran under the bridge, down in the bottom of the ravine.  Very green, very pretty.

 It was a good day.  It was good to slow the trip down, to not just hustle over to the temple, do some quick work and hustle back, but take some time to recharge, to quietly relax and enjoy the company. The company - I did so enjoy the "us" time with my favorite person.

When I Ring the Bell

You know how in the church we are called to various positions where we serve for a while, sometimes short sometimes long, and then we are asked to do something else.  Well, I recently was called to work in the Sunday School organization.  And in receiving that call I got one of the best duties you can have in the church - I am the official Ringer of the Bells at the end of the second hour, the Sunday School hour.  Sweeeeeet.

As the Ringer of the Bell, I have to know when Sunday School is suppose to end.  That's so I can ring the bell at the right time.  And I have to be able to do a little bit of math.  I have to be able to ring the bell five minutes before the official ending time of Sunday School. All the teachers during the second hour depend on the bell to know when its time to end class.  Class members also depend on the bell to help prevent the teacher from going too long, cutting into the third hour time.  As one who has been a teacher during third hour I understand how disappointing it can be to have to start late because second hour went too long.  That's particularly an issue during third hour because there are so many things that are part of third hour that instruction time gets pretty short.  A lot.

So each Sunday I actually get to ring the bell twice, the five minute warning and the final bell.  The five minute warning is two rings, the final bell is one, long ring.  Classes are supposed to have been ended and dismissed by the time the final bell rings.

So, as the official Ringer of the Bell, it is my job to be out in the hall ringing the bell at the end of the second hour. This has provided some interesting experiences.  For example, I have noticed that a lot of people are usually hanging out in the chapel, halls, and foyers talking.  This may be parents of small children who have kids too rowdy too be in class, it would be disruptive to try to keep the kids in class.  This is primarily children under the age of eighteen months, at which age they are old enough to go to nursery - a major milestone in the life of every parent of small children in the church.  Another group seen frequently in the halls are people in leadership positions.  They are usually in the halls "conducting business" for their organization.  Frequent impromptu presidency meetings are held in the halls during second hour.  Or inter-organization coordination meetings - leaders of different quorums or auxiliaries talking about things that affect both organizations.  Official stuff like that. Another group of people seen frequently in the halls are third hour teachers preparing their lessons.  Actually, this group is usually not in the hall.  They are usually in quiet places, like this or that corner of the chapel, alone, studiously pouring over their lesson material.

Anyway, I have learned to try to be careful when ringing the bell.  In our building the bell is also in hall and frequently people are standing under or near it when its time to ring it.  I try to avoid ringing it when someone is standing near it because its pretty loud.  If there is someone under or near the bell I try to give them some warning. One time the librarian was standing there.  The bell is on the wall just outside the library.  One time I rang the bell, one of the first times after getting this job, and I thought she was going to jump right out of her skin.  That's what made me decide I better pay a little more attention to who is near the bell when I ring it.  Another time one of the young ladies, Mutual age, was walking down the hall.  She was several yards from the bell so I thought it would be okay but when I rang it she went wild, jumping and flailing all over from the surprise.  If anyone had been walking next to her they could have gotten hurt from all the arms and legs flying around through the air.  It was hard to not to laugh but she would have seen that.

One of the funniest things to happen, though, I didn't even see.  I heard about it later.  My own little three year old grandson was in the bathroom with his mother, Heidlebeere.  The bathroom door is also right by where the bell is.  He was sitting on the commode and looked at the toilet paper dispenser, which was fastened to the wall with a screw.  He looked at the screw and then looked at his Mom and asked what would happen if he pushed that "button".  She said, "I don't know.  Why don't you try it?"  So he put his little finger on the screw and pushed just as I hit the bell.  Now this was the first bell so I held it a bit.  He, of course, was startled and promptly took his finger off the screw, just as I let go of the bell.  The timing was perfect.  It was all his mother could do to not break out laughing.  His eyes got big and he gave his Mom such a look (think of the little kid in the movie Home Alone).  It would have been hilarious to see - it was funny enough just hearing about it afterward.  And he was so disappointed when he pushed it again and nothing happened.

I frequently can get the first bell rung without anyone being right under the bell.  Not so with the second bell.  And sometimes I have to disappoint people and tell them they can not ring the bell.  Its mostly the youth that want to ring the bell. Yes, being the official Ringer of the Bell has provided some interesting and entertaining experiences. One of the best parts of the job.