The Family Heirloom

So about 28 years ago my dad was asked to shoot a cow for a farmer, Bill Whitescarver, who couldn't see much and was very old. My dad was told he would get a few steaks out of the deal. Bill had a gun for my dad to use, which my dad would have gladly brought his own to use. My dad went to the farm and Bill handed him a horribly rusty rifle. Praying that this rifle wouldn't backfire and kill him, he asked which cow he was supposed to shoot. Bill pointed to a group of cows very far away and said "Shoot the brown and white one by the tree." (there was no scope on the rifle). Bill explained that the cows hadn't been around people much so they could not get any closer! Of course, my dad is thinking "how the heck am I supposed to know which cow to shoot? All the cows are brown and white and by the tree!". Basically my dad chose a cow he had a good shot at and shot! After the shot was made and the cow was down, Bill said "You shot the wrong the cow!" My dad thought he was joking. Bill took the rifle (saying nothing) and walked to the barn. My dad followed. Bill, still saying nothing, got the tractor and started out toward the dead cow. They loaded the cow and went back to the barn and butchered it...Bill was still silent. They wrapped the meat and put it in the freezer. Since Bill was still not talking, my dad just said, "ok Bill I'm going to go home." And off my dad drove!

The next day or so, Bill shows up at my parents' house and started unloading boxes and boxes of the meat. So my dad went out and asked Bill what was going on. Bill said, "I told you that you shot the wrong the cow. This cow has been in the wild onions and the meat tastes like onions! I don't want it!" My dad helped unload an entire cow onto the front porch of their tiny house in West Virginia.

Then dad and mom were trying to figure out where they would put all this meat...a cow has an awful lot of meat! It all needed to be in a freezer, but they only had the little one with the refridgerator. So dad went and bought a freeer...the family heirloom!

I call it a family heirloom because it has lasted for so long and I can't rememebr our family not having it! But in the move yesterday we thought it had died! It was a sad sad moment. Mom, Dad, and I were a little solemn. Well, 5 minutes later mom comes in and says "WAIT! maybe it's not dead! It might be turned off!" So I ran out to the garage and replugged it in and turned the temperature dial and there came the hum!!! Old Faithful lives on!