FIRST SIGN?: To heck with Punxsutawney Phil. Get a load of this
note from Jack Rosenswie of Smethport:
“On Wednesday morning, Feb. 4, 2009, at 7:30 a.m., I went
outside to start the Jeep. It was – 2 degrees, a very cold morning!
I slammed the rear door of our Jeep and up on town hill, several
gobblers started to gobble. I was so surprised, I slammed it again
and, sure enough, they all gobbled again. Spring is indeed in the
air! Turkey hunters … get ready for an early season!”
The gobbling must have been music to Jack’s ears!
ANOTHER BIRD: Darlene Lyons of Duke Center can relate to the
chicken story we published last week.
She writes, “I grew up in Derrick City and years back – oh my,
now I realize it was like in the ’60s – we had a rooster ‘adopt’
our yard and tree to spend his nights in. Never knew where he came
from but he roosted in the tree below my parents bedroom
window.”
“That was good for three or four nights and then my dad Donald
Willard, who worked at Dresser’s 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., got tired of
the rooster going off before his alarm so each night he would wait
until around 10 when the rooster had settled for the night and go
out with a pillowcase in which he would trap the sleeping rooster
and take him to the garage for the rest of the evening.
“Then in the morning before going to work, he would go out and
remove the pillowcase so the bird could crow to the rising sun as
if everything was normal. That plan was working and yet people
would comment that he should be some place more appropriate for a
chicken.
“A dear friend, Louie Jackson from Bells Camp, offered to take
him so one night at 10, instead of my dad getting him, Louie came
down and the two men got the rooster and Louie took him home.
“The rooster loved it there! Louie had a donkey and the two
became great friends with the rooster actually roosting on his
back! Quite a sight but all seemed happy in the end.”
Darlene’s parents, Donald and Florence Willard, still reside in
Derrick City in their original home which is attached to the
Derrick City Post Office.
