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I grew up in Logan, West Virginia. Most of my stories are about my childhood but I write about anything that I feel like writing about. I have been posting some great pictures that I found at my Granny Brennan's house - some of them from the turn of the century
One summer I worked in a boarding kennel. Here are some of the things they used to do to deceive the public. (yes, it was a reputable kennel. I was quite surprised by some of this stuff!)
1. They offered food that was not available. they would offer Iams, Purina and Pedigree. No matter what food the dog owner requested they fed Pedigree. (the cheapest brand)
2. Some dog owners supply their pets with food from home. Instead of feeding it to the dogs the workers would take it home to their own pets and feed the kennel dogs Pedigree.
3. They would feed too little food. They would feed big dogs in cat food bowls. Little dogs would get about 10 to 20 morsels of food a day. this was done to cut down on "waste" (pooper scooping). when dogs would lose a lot of weight the owners would be told the dog grieved for them and refused to eat!
4. Overcrowding was a common problem, even when owners called for a reservation. After the owner would leave the door would be closed to the runs and dogs would be housed on both sides of the gate. Even when dog owners would pay for multiple runs, their dogs would be housed together and each side of both kennels would be filled with dogs.
5. Dog owners would pay extra for special walks for their pets. The dogs were not walked.
6. There were special runs so dogs could go out and play in pens. The dogs were not put in the pens, instead the big dogs would be kept outside at all times.
7. Some kennels were air conditioned and others weren't. More would be charged for the air conditioned kennels. As soon as the owners left the dogs would be moved to the nonairconditioned kennels.
8. I never saw a dog hit or mistreated.
9. They always had plenty of water
10. It was common for medications not to be given
11. Bedding would be promised for all dogs. It would not be given because they didn't want to clean the bed up when it was messed. Even when the owner brought the dogs beds with them.
If you want to know what is actually going on with your dog when it is boarded go to pick it up early. Do not call first. Insist on accompanying the kennel worker to your dogs pen.
When I was a senior in high school, my friend Jessica and I decided to go hiking at our local park after school one day. The trails are clearly marked so we didn't see a problem. We met after school and started up the "backbone trail", which just happens to be the longest and most backbreaking trail in the park.
We were actually doing fine. It was hard, but we climbed up the mountain and over logs and whatever obstacles were in our way. We even saw a whole herd of deer running through the valley. Unfortunately it got dark - something we didn't factor in.
When dusk fell we realized we should get back. The problem was we didn't know which way was shorter - to finish the trail or to go back. We knew to go back that it would take at least an hour, so we decided to finish the trail. WRONG!
It finally got so dark that we couldn't see the path in front of us - or behind us for that matter.
To make matters worse Jessica started whining and crying. So I had to take charge and lead the way out. We had to turn around and she kept saying she couldn't see the trail and we were going to die.
I couldn't see it either but I wasn't about to let her know that. I kept telling her that I had really good eyesight and I could see just fine! She was panicked enough to believe me but that didn't shut her up.
The whole way back down the path (and I really had no idea if we were on the path or not until we came to a massive tree that we had climbed over earlier) she was squalling like a two year old.
I just kept walking and talking the whole way because I knew if I let her know that I didn't know what to do then she would be uncontrollable.
Finally we came out next to the ranger's cabin. We had to walk about 1/2 mile back to the car. It was dark but the road was paved, so it was alright. When we got back to the car the ranger had locked the gate right next to it - so we had to walk the 1/2 mile BACK to the ranger's house. We got him to go unlock the gate, but he made us walk back to it again. We finally made it back home and collapsed in our beds.
What sucks is that we were lost in the woods and the ranger locked our car in the park without making any effort to find us. We could have died. Oh well, we didn't.
Since it is Hatfield & McCoy Mania recently in the southern part of WV & all over the country. I thought I'd jump on the band wagon & share my thoughts. Well it's really my Hatfield story. I have several McCoy friends, but I feel I have a bond with the Hatfields. Here's my story, enjoy.
As you know my BFF is Pixie, since the age of 12 when we 1st met. As you already know I was raised on a farm up on Main Island Creek from the age of 10. Margaret Jane Browning, better known as Pixie, moved from Logan up to the farm across the road from me. She was the youngest child of a family of 8 & I was the oldest child of a family of 4. Her Dad was a Trailways Bus Driver. They used to have hourly routes from Logan, (the bus terminal was where Wendy's is in Logan now). to the top of Mt. View Inn. My Dad was a Police Officer & also worked part-time as a Electrician @ # 15 shop @ Stirrat for Omar Mining. Our Mother's were both housewives. Our Mother's were both short, but Pixie's was shorter then mine. Her Mom "Ocie" sat on a cushion to drive. My Mom Ann was 5'2" but didn't drive. Mom did get her operators when I got mine, @ the age of 16, just to prove she could, but very seldom drove. Pixie got hers before I got mine. She is 26 days older then me. Pixie comes by her nick-name honestly. She is tiny & petite, I'm not sure, but I'd say she's near 5ft tall. Mom always said, "She looks like a Cupie Doll." I was tall 5ft 7&1/2in & of average wt, (but I always thought I was fat). Pixie & I had a agreement when we went out, the tall guys were mine, & the shorter guys were hers. Guess what? She married a tall guy. Don was taller than me by abt 3in.
Pixie's Grandmother lived with her. She was her maternal Grandmother, & just so happened to be Anderson (Devil Anse) Hatfield's Daughter. Her name is Elizabeth (Betty) Hatfield Caldwell. She was the "only" Grandma I have ever known. Both my Grandmothers died before I was born. Pixie & I spent most of our teenage life together @ each others homes. I went to church with her, her Mother, & Grandma. The best I remember Pixie called her Grandmother, & her Mom Mother. My family called them, "Mrs Browning & Grandma." Pixie always called my Mom Mrs Farley.
I never thought of it @ the time, but it was nice of Pixie & her family to share Grandma with me & my family. My whole family called her Grandma.
Grandma shared a bedroom with Pixie right off from the living room. There wasn't a door to the room, but there was plastic curtains up @ the doorway to allow for visual privacy. There was 2 beds in the room side by side. At the foot of the bed, Grandma had her homemade trunk with a lock & key. She had a wardrobe to hang her clothes in @ the foot of her bed along the side of the wall. There was a corner fireplace, & I mean a real fire place that burned wood & coal, with a hearth that you had to shovel out the ashes daily. We used to stand in front of the fireplace & it would burn our legs, then turn & burn the other side. Back then we wore dresses & skirts to school. The girls never ever got to wear dungaree's to school when I was in school. We very seldom wore dungaree's as they were called back then, & now of course it's jeans.. They came in style later. Eddie Fisher became popular with a song called, "Dungaree Doll." He became a heart-throb & ended up marrying Debbie Reynolds. In later years Elizabeth Taylor split them up & married Eddie. Back to my story. When I would spend the night @ Pixie's, we would sleep in the bed with Grandma. We'd cuddle up on each side of her on her feather bed. She had one of those feather pillows that went across the whole head of the bed called a boaster pillow. She would tell us stories we believed to be true, in a low voice that made us get closer to her. I remember her saying, "loong looong time ago, you could hear the churn tops rattling in the kitchen.......".
Grandma would always tell us, "Girls don't ever let anybody say bad things abt my Daddy, he was a good business man."
She was a very intelligent Lady. She out-smarted Pixie & I several times. You know how girls are giggling & talking especially @ bedtime? Well we did our share of it too. Grandma wanted to go to sleep. She once ask us, "Girls do you want to know who you are going to marry? Of course we did. Up outta bed we got, & off to the kitchen we go. Grandma boiled 1 egg. We could not figure out what she was gonna do with that egg. She peeled it, then cut it in half. She removed the yolk out of each half, & handed 1 yolk to each of us. Then she filled the empty space where the yolk was with salt. She then said, "eat the egg white with the salt in it, & then the yolk. You can not speak a word. Go to sleep, & who ever brings you a drink of water in your sleep, will be the person you will marry." Let me tell you, that is a lot of salt for 1/2 a egg white. We tried hand signaling, but we couldn't hardly see each other in the dim fire light from the fire place. The fires got banked @ night so they wouldn't go out, with what we called slack. That was the little fine pieces of coal, sorta like the crumbs of the lumps of coal. In the mornings you would take the poker & punch around the fireplace, & the grate, then put your lumps of coal on the fire to throw out more heat. We would sleep under quilts @ night. Well I guess you want to know the results of Grandma's plot. Pixie & I both awakened anxious to find out if the other was given a drink of water. I tried my best to remember & I couldn't remember anything, nor could Pixie. Grandma was standing there, as we gave it everything we had, with no success, trying to remember. Grandma said, " Well we'll just have to try again girls, & the next time you got to remember." I don't remember how many times she pulled that on us, before we got wise.
I went to church with them every Sunday morning & other times, when ever Pixie went. We would go to the Nazerene Church up on High St back then. Mrs Browning & Grandma wore hats to church. Pixie & I only wore them on Easter Sunday with our gloves. We would stop, & pick-up Pete Hatfield & take him to church with us. Pete was Pixie's cousin. Once as he was sitting in church, his stomach was doing some big time growling. Pete would shuffle himself around, while squirming around in the pew, & clear his throat loudly, trying to cover up the sound of his stomach. Can you just picture Pixie & I trying to squelch our giggles. That is the hardest thing for me to ever do, is to stiffle a laugh @ an inappropriate times. It really hurts me. I do suffer. I feel like I am going to erupt.
I was Pixie's Maid-Of-Honor @ her wedding. She had a big church wedding. They looked like the dolls a top a wedding cake.She married Boyd James Trump known by many as "Pig." The wedding party was lined up @ the entrace of the church. There was several steps leading up to the entrance. The photographer was taking pictures. Pixie's brother Grant Browning officiated the wedding ceremony. Grant extended his hand, to shake hands with Pete Hatfield coming up the steps. Pete stumbled & fell as the photographer snapped the picture, & caught me, Pixie, & Pig cracking up. Grandma was @ the wedding with her corsage & her hat on, looking pretty.
Grandma was a beautiful Lady, with a stately stature. Grandma was a kind soft spoken woman. I loved her. She had the love & respect of all her family & many friends. Grandma lived with Pixie's parents till she died in 1962. We all lived right above the cemetery where her Daddy was laid to rest @ the Hatfield Cemetery. May the only Grandma I have ever known R.I.P. I do believe Grandma would be proud that Kevin Costner played the part of her Daddy, Anderson (Devil Anse) Hatfield, in the 3part story of the Hatfields & McCoys.
I hope my thoughts did Grandma justice Pixie. I know Pixie reads my blogs. We are still BFF after 60+ yrs. When we get together, we always pick-up where we left off. Pixie & Pig are more then friends, they are family . I loved Pigs family Mr & Mrs Trump also.
the following is commentary by my aunt and Pixie
Edna Mitchem � Subscribed � Top Commenter � Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College