JUNIOR HIGH AS WE CALLED IT "GRADES 7&8"

What years these were. The classroom in the High School and a single teacher assigned to teach us was an opportunity for all. We encountered multiple teachers during these two years, and some were pitifully inept to control the unruliness that prevailed within our group.  I am sure that is the reason some, if not all, of them quit their job was because of the challenges we as students presented.  It was downright craziness at times. 

The desks we had, were I am sure, the same ones many of our parents had used in prior years. The lighting was updated to florescent that hung down from the high ceiling. We had real chalk and real "black boards" that had cork boards on both sides. Low tech to say the least. Actually there was one black and white tv receiving one channel in the library in the basement. The school just happened to be within the small area of our valley that had tv reception.

I remember design and build projects that were conducted with great skill and patience. We boys built little darts with wooden match sticks, straight pins, and tiny paper "feathers". The pins were attached with thread heisted from our Mom's sewing baskets. Paper feathers were attached by very carefully splitting the end of the match stick with a razor blade and then slipping the paper in the groove.  This design, if properly constructed would fit inside a drinking straw by slightly rolling the feathers. Here is where those cork bulletin boards come into play. The one just to the right of our teachers desk presented the most  challenge. While the teacher was helping the class on the other side of the room we would pick the target and shoot.  Not a good ending as I recall. Under the heading of pranks, the removal of air relief valves on old cast iron radiators always brought a steamy result in more ways than one.

These two years were pretty much a lesson in how to teach yourself. Parents helped a lot and we helped each other. These two years really put many of us behind, and then there was high school. 

I raised steers for 4-H projects and I helped my Dad feed cows during winter months after school. In the summer I drove a Ferguson 35 with a three point mounted side delivery rake. The hay was cut with sickle bar mowers mounted on Farmall H tractors. Hay baling was done with Minneapolis Moline balers and wagons were pulled behind them. One man stacked the hay on the wagons and when one was full another one was brought in. The loaded wagon was taken to the stackyard and another crew stacked it in large haystacks. I preferred driving the tractor pulling the wagons to raking hay. The adventure as I remember it.