Chicken Mines

Talking about barefeet, there were more hazardous and deadly things to worry about than splinters. There were stone bruises, broken glass, and assorted barnyard droppings. Cows were in pastures and we all know that you can see it, hogs were in pens and you knew that if you were in the pen you were also up to your ankles in this mixed with mud. So if you got those two on you it was really your fault.. However chickens were always a surprise My grandparents did not have grass in their yard. If a blade of grass showed it's head, it was promptly hoed up. We all know that if chickens are allowed to roam free, it is dangerous. It is perfectly camouflaged to blend in with dirt. You can tell when it is too late, and to wash it off you have to go to the hand pump and pump water, which is hard to do when you are a little kid, wipe it off with sand, or track through the house to find your deaf grandmother and that is a more serious situation. So deal with it.
One day Wayne, Benny and I were playing with our rock cars and trucks in the sand when we saw Grannie chasing a chicken. This looked like more fun than we were having so we gave chase also. After Wayne caught the chicken he gave it to Grannie, She kneelled down on the dirt by a stump and had a stick with shiny metal on the end. Whummp, she turned the chicken loose and he ran around like the proverbial chicken with his head cut off. Benny pointed to the ground and what the hell? There was a chicken head laying there. No wonder I started to drink at an early age. Pretty soon they had put up a chicken pen . Not too long after that they started to buy their chickens at the store.