More Memories From Harste

More memories from Harste....

One of the features I saw in the area were apple trees planted along the roads coming into the village...and on both sides of the roads.The families could lease these trees at a price from the village authorities and harvest the apples.If the apples were on the ground us kids collected them unless those families got there first.Some times this caused some troubles.After the harvest was done the kids always looked for the lone apples that had been missed.At the time I left it did not matter anymore. The trees were old and not really cared for and if one tree died, it was not replanted.

The manor also had a big orchards and the big boys made it a sport in sneaking in to get the different fruit...through fences and over stone walls.One neglected orchard was located away from the village in the middle of a plowed field that seemed to be fair game.It had a fence but fallen down section made it easier for us smaller kids to get the forbidden fruits.

I remember one fall there seemed to be a field mice over-population and us kids had a ball hunting them or digging them out.I think we were cruel and had no mercy but it seemed fun.

When the sparrows decided to overpopulate, the village set a bounty of a nickel per bird or egg brought in.The big boys went to work and no sparrow was safe.All barns in the village or in the country were searched.Even the church steeple was depopulated.It ran its course or interest slowly faded away.

There were old barns in the area but us little boys avoided them as soon as the twilight came.I remember two such barns and each had a story about suicide and ghosts.Another story floated around about a woman that hanged herself in her room in one of the houses at one end of the village and another woman was killed when she stepped in front of the bus at the other end of the village.

 A story existed about a mount near the road to another village that the kids avoided at night.It was a place of execution by hanging...Galgenberg (Mt of the gallows).I should know I tried to write a scary story as one of my school paper assignment.I must have lost that story in the big move.

On another hill called the Steinberg(Stone mount) were the remnants of an ancient watch tower and the rumor was that a tunnel existed between that tower and the manor house.Just a rumor I think.

That hill was more fun in the winter time for the big boys for it had a steep backside that the daring boys would sled down,I never did.There was also a trail leading through the wood that was used as a sledding path.With big trees and bushes on both sides that only the daring negotiated .I tried but not very successfully.My big brother sledded both places with gusto and made fun of me because I did not dare the trips.I did explore those areas in the other three seasons looking for flowers and hazelnuts.
On another field near by some of the bigger boys had build a snow mound for jumping with skies.This was the first time I saw boys with skies going down a small hill.I don't recall what type of  bindings or skies that were used.It was many years later that friends  in Minnesota taught me how to ski downhill .

On the other side of the hill, which seemed big for us kids was the village soccer field.Every Saturday and even on Sunday games against other village teams were played.It was free as far as I know.I visited that place again many years later.Very close to the field was also a natural spring that quenched my thirst many times and  I did drink from it on the first return trip but not on the second one.The area seemed neglected with debris around the spring and the flow was just a trickle.It must have been a dry year on my last visit.

The little spring fed a little creek that fed the Harste river.I followed that creek further in that little valley and woods to look for flowers, raspberries and hazelnuts.In the same area Dad had clear cut and replanted the area with new pine seedlings.This was part of forest management.Many years later I again strolled through that valley and the trees were tall and wonderful to see. I told my Dad what I saw on my return home to USA. I believe he felt a sense of satisfaction about his work in those years.I saw those trees again on my second trip to the area.Yes, they were taller and wider and ready for the harvest. I expect that new seedlings have grown tall again and the cycle repeats.Now it is somebody else's work and another set of kids can be proud what their fathers accomplished.