Comments on: Snow Again http://www.farrfeed.com/2007/11/23/snow-again/ John Hamilton Farr's Living Planet Mystery Tales from Taos, New Mexico Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:57:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: K.J. Webb http://www.farrfeed.com/2007/11/23/snow-again/comment-page-1/#comment-167 K.J. Webb Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:28:39 +0000 http://jhfarr.com/farrfeed/2007/11/23/snow-again/#comment-167 I went back to Abilene fairly regularly over the years, because my father continued year after year to live there. Since he died two years ago, I may never go again. The jr. high building still stands at the same place on South 11th and Jeannette. The surrounding neighborhood has become very decrepit. Anybody with dough has moved from it. "The Metro" went out of business and was demolished a couple of decades ago when the two old maid sisters who ran the place died. (They claimed they still remembered me when I took my wife to the movies there in the late 70's.) "The Dixie Pig" still slings its hash at So. 11th and Butternut, and still has the same logo (the prancing pig with the delicately balanced plate on one of its trotters) and, so far as I can tell, the original cast-iron weighing machine still stands in the little circular lobby where you get to weigh yourself for a penny (the purchasing power of that penny remains unimpaired) while you're standing in line for chow. Admittedly the lines aren't very long these days - the place used to be Abilene's finest dining experience, but no one would go there now for anything except the chicken fried steak. Oh, and the old school building - it now houses day care programs, head start and the like. The soul of Roger Bauerfeind probably still haunts the place. I went back to Abilene fairly regularly over the years, because my father continued year after year to live there. Since he died two years ago, I may never go again. The jr. high building still stands at the same place on South 11th and Jeannette. The surrounding neighborhood has become very decrepit. Anybody with dough has moved from it. “The Metro” went out of business and was demolished a couple of decades ago when the two old maid sisters who ran the place died. (They claimed they still remembered me when I took my wife to the movies there in the late 70′s.) “The Dixie Pig” still slings its hash at So. 11th and Butternut, and still has the same logo (the prancing pig with the delicately balanced plate on one of its trotters) and, so far as I can tell, the original cast-iron weighing machine still stands in the little circular lobby where you get to weigh yourself for a penny (the purchasing power of that penny remains unimpaired) while you’re standing in line for chow. Admittedly the lines aren’t very long these days – the place used to be Abilene’s finest dining experience, but no one would go there now for anything except the chicken fried steak. Oh, and the old school building – it now houses day care programs, head start and the like. The soul of Roger Bauerfeind probably still haunts the place.

]]> By: John H. Farr http://www.farrfeed.com/2007/11/23/snow-again/comment-page-1/#comment-166 John H. Farr Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:20:14 +0000 http://jhfarr.com/farrfeed/2007/11/23/snow-again/#comment-166 What did they do to the old building? Haven't been back to Abilene since '62! Yes, I remember all that very well. Doesn't happen here. I don't think I've ever seen a single snowball thrown at anyone. What did they do to the old building? Haven’t been back to Abilene since ’62!

Yes, I remember all that very well. Doesn’t happen here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single snowball thrown at anyone.

]]> By: K.J. Webb http://www.farrfeed.com/2007/11/23/snow-again/comment-page-1/#comment-165 K.J. Webb Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:44:31 +0000 http://jhfarr.com/farrfeed/2007/11/23/snow-again/#comment-165 Remember how in Abilene the first snowfall of the year (and some years there was only one of them in total) produced an utter delirium of snow-ball fights, snow ice-cream confections and a scooping up of the precious stuff for preservation in deep freezes? --I reckon that what's rare is prized, what's common despised. Or maybe being a kid means that you don't think much about the trials and tribulations of dealing with the practical side of things - you just experience the joy of this crazy phenomenon of a blanket of freaky white stuff where before there was dust, rocks and crud. I still remember those epic snowball fights which occurred in the inner courtyard of old South Jr. High until the combatants were dispersed by the teachers (usually on account of somebody's missile flying through an open window and exploding on a desk). That old school no longer exists, by the way, at least as an educational institution. Remember how in Abilene the first snowfall of the year (and some years there was only one of them in total) produced an utter delirium of snow-ball fights, snow ice-cream confections and a scooping up of the precious stuff for preservation in deep freezes? –I reckon that what’s rare is prized, what’s common despised. Or maybe being a kid means that you don’t think much about the trials and tribulations of dealing with the practical side of things – you just experience the joy of this crazy phenomenon of a blanket of freaky white stuff where before there was dust, rocks and crud. I still remember those epic snowball fights which occurred in the inner courtyard of old South Jr. High until the combatants were dispersed by the teachers (usually on account of somebody’s missile flying through an open window and exploding on a desk). That old school no longer exists, by the way, at least as an educational institution.

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