![\"IMG_8251\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3273\/2622476683_8de42c9b07.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nA real stoplight!<\/p>\n
I had no trouble remembering THIS:<\/p>\n
As a teenager, I would occasionally gather toghether some coins and go down to this corner store and buy candy. But it was a 45 minute walk there, so I didn’t go that often. I remember it as something I might do with a friend who came over when we were looking for a way to kill some time. I didn’t have TV or anything else at home, so, walking and talking seemed a good idea.<\/p>\n The little green-roofed shed in the front was certainly not there before. These things were all over in Wasilla, and they were drive through espresso stands. Unbelievable.<\/p>\n We went on to Shrock and then passed Black Bear and Red Fox (or some such roads) to find Bull Moose drive.<\/p>\n It sure wasn’t paved when I lived here. But I remember those mailboxes well. With almost no other way to socialize in home High School, I had many many pen pals.<\/p>\n I remember I stole mom’s\u00a0 mail key. She took a while to notice, and then said that Dad liked to pick up the mail when he came home. That it was a nice thing he enjoyed. But there was no way I was going to wait the 4 or 5 MILLION hours between when the mail was delivered and when Dad came home to get any potential letters. I came up with a cunning plan. I would go LOOK at the mail, and if there was a letter for me I would take it and secret it home. The rest of the mail could stay for Dad.<\/p>\n The days were LONG people. Let me tell you. I waited for the mail to come almost every day. During the summers, I had to be by the window and watch the cars go by to see if the mailman went past. Sometimes I would get impatient and walk down to the mailbox a couple times, just in case.<\/p>\n But in the WINTER! The mailtruck wore chains on its tires every day. I could tell if it went by by the marks on the snowy\/ice buildup on the gravel road. So I would not have to walk allthe way down to the mailboxes, I could just go check for tracks on the road.<\/p>\n Winter always lasted longer than summer.<\/p>\n But the house itself. Still standing: But where did the stairs to the front door go?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “What do we do now?” Chris asked. No breakfast or warm place to sit and eat it. McDonald’s must open at 6 on Sunday. There was nothing I wanted more than to sleep, my stomach wasn’t feeling that good anyway. … Continue reading ![\"IMG_8250\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3159\/2623300580_35897b72e4.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"IMG_8242\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3133\/2622460377_5d43c5a16e.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"IMG_8248\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3072\/2622471805_b6887acd80.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n