tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071098485617569087.post6413180455910714622..comments2023-07-25T21:41:23.614-06:00Comments on Thru Prairie Grass: Govert, South Dakota: Fox and Geese ... and Children ... Oh My!Thru Prairie Grass: Govert, South Dakotahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01882659793608166451noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071098485617569087.post-37095180084972242532014-02-09T14:18:05.209-07:002014-02-09T14:18:05.209-07:00My mother, who grew up east of the Missouri River ...My mother, who grew up east of the Missouri River in South Dakota wrote to me that: "I think we used to play Fox and Geese at school, when we had a small amount of snow, but we were much more interested in sledding down the long hill, close to the school. Father would make a board game, and it was called Fox and Geese, too. We would use beans, corn or buttons for counters, whatever was handy. I think there were several varieties of the game, as it seemed he never made the same game twice, and the rules changed, too!!!"Thru Prairie Grass: Govert, South Dakotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01882659793608166451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071098485617569087.post-44196556380244462492014-02-09T14:10:02.493-07:002014-02-09T14:10:02.493-07:00My friend of many years, Sharon, follows Thru Prai...My friend of many years, Sharon, follows Thru Prairie Grass. Sharon wrote to me that this blog: "[R]eminded me of spending Christmas vacation on my grandparents' ranch [in Colorado]. The only heat was the coal stove in the kitchen. I remember my grandmother hanging frozen jeans, she had washed the night before, over the coal stove to thaw. We also had hot water bags each night in our beds. My mother would tell me how cold they were when they had to walk to school. Of course, they did not have the great winter clothes and boots we have today. They had to be really tough to survive Craig, Colorado, winters. Once in a while they would ride on a neighbor's horse to school. One day the horse was so hungry he ate the teacher's broom. Thanks for the memories."Thru Prairie Grass: Govert, South Dakotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01882659793608166451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071098485617569087.post-58697893907255587242014-02-07T14:45:46.674-07:002014-02-07T14:45:46.674-07:00Sweetheart,
Thanks for another wonderful blog pos...Sweetheart,<br /><br />Thanks for another wonderful blog posting this week!<br /><br />For me, it brings back fond memories of some of the games I played with friends in my neighborhood as a child…hide and seek, tag, kickball, dodge ball, and kick the can. As I got older, it was more of the “organized” type games/sports, like Little League and high school football. But as a youngster, I really enjoyed the neighborhood games played after school with my friends and playmates. Carefree and fun times for sure!<br /><br />However, we never played fox and geese. I can’t recall ever even hearing about that game until your blog item this week. It may be a geographic thing…growing up in Southern California near the beach we didn’t get snow where we lived, which evidently is a necessary element of the game. I’m not sure how we could have done a wagon-wheel on the ground, unless it was painted on the street or something like that, and I don’t think the adults and residents in the neighborhood would have appreciated us doing that. Anyway, like the Govert kids in your blog, we loved playing games…that’s universal for children no matter the time or place. We just didn’t have to adapt to the cold and snowy winter weather (or worry about warming our front and back-sides on the pot-bellied stove!). Nevertheless, although the specific games might differ, the childhood enjoyment of playing them remains.<br /><br />Thanks also for the interesting information included in your blog posting about wintertime life on the prairie in Govert. Fascinating. ”Cold enough for the pail of water in the kitchen to freeze during the night...Yes, that cold.” Wow…makes me and my thin SoCal blood shiver just to read it! But, having settled where there’s snow and cold in winter (and very cold lately!), I’m getting used to shivering in wintertime!<br /><br />Thanks again for another creative, well-written, and enjoyable blog entry.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02804651831910954606noreply@blogger.com