My Story - Chapter 3 - Boise

In 1948 Dad was transferred by GE X-ray to Boise, Idaho. We moved there in April. Our home was at 2404 Kootenai Street (pronounced koo' ten ee). It was in the far south east corner of the city at that time. We had a view of much of the city out our back door. I remember being able to see the tower on the railroad station. Railroad tracks ran right across our back fence, and a train went by at least twice a day.

Across the railroad tracks was a field that neighborhood boys used for playing baseball. I was too small to play, but I was over there watching them play one day when I was hit in the face by a foul ball. Of course I went running home in tears. But what I remember most was that the boys all came running after me because they were so concerned that I got hurt. After I felt a little better, I came out on the back porch and they were all gathered around. I shyly acknowledged their concern, although I hid behind Mom while I did.

Next door to the east lived a man named Alex Ogden. He was a painter by trade, and he had a great garden in the back yard. His favorite crop was turnips. He willingly shared them with me. He invited me to come over and pick one any time I wanted one. I loved them.

Less than 2 years later we started building a new house at 1300 Arcadia Street. The lot had a beautiful cherry tree right where the house was going to be built. One evening after Dad got home from work, we went over and he chopped down the cherry tree so the house could be built there. Mom spent most of the evening picking the ripe cherries off the fallen tree.

I was a big fan of cowboys. I received a Hopalong Cassidy Hat and cap gun and holster, which enabled me to play cowboys all day long.

The house had a front bedroom in the NW corner. That was my bedroom.

I got a whooping cough immunization, which turned into whooping cough for me. I was told later that I got an overdose. I coughed and whooped and could not breath. It was very frightening for me and Mom.

I had a new friend across the back yard who liked to play with my toys. I liked to watch him play with my toys. He didn't always play nice with them, and he didn't always return them. He hit me on the head with a new toy hammer I had received. Dad got after me for not standing up to him.

I got a pet turtle. One day I tried to open its shell to see what was inside. I don't know if it was alive before I opened him up, but it sure wasn't afterward.

First time I saw blood was when the lady across the back fence came over with her arm lacerated and bloody for my mom to help her. They had just painted their house, and a window was painted shut. In trying to push it open, she pushed her arm through the glass. Mom did first aid and helped get her to the hospital.

There was an old work shed in the back yard that I liked to play in. One day I was playing there when I had the sudden need to relieve my bowels. I didn't think I could make it to the house, so I used an old piece of sewer pipe that was standing on end on the floor. After that I didn't like to play in there any more because it stunk too bad.

We had flood irrigation in that lot and the irrigation gates were right in the front corner of the lot under a couple of locust trees.

Just north of our house was the back yard of our ward bishop. His house faced the street to the east, so he had a nice deep back yard with lots of room to play. One warm summer night as I played there I was amazed to discover that it was getting dark and there was a full moon overhead. I couldn't believe Mom had let me stay out so late.

Across the street to the west were the last houses in the city. Beyond that was just open land all the way to the mountains, both south and west. There was a corral across the street where cows were kept. The caretaker of the corral lived there in a small Airstream trailer. He was a real grizzled old cowboy. I was fascinated by him. The corral was surrounded by an electric fence, which I soon learned by experience to not touch.

Soon after we moved in on Arcadia St. I got my first dog. She was a beautiful black labrador retriever. I named her Jet. It was fun to throw things for her to retrieve.

I also had an imaginary pet tiger that I kept in the garage.

I had some friends across the street to the north who went to their grandpa's farm every Sunday. One Sunday afternoon they invited me to go along. I wanted to go so much. I went home to ask Mom if I could, but she was taking a nap. I asked really quietly, but got no response. I went out and told them I had permission. We went to the farm and I had a blast. We played hide and seek, and I dug a hole in the side of a haystack and hid in there. About that time the cows came home and one of them stuck her nose in my hole while she was eating. It scared me badly. When I got home I was afraid I would be punished for sneaking away. I may have been, but I don't remember the punishment. What I do remember was that Mom was crying, and I knew I had caused it. That was worse than any spanking I ever got.

My friends from the farm incident had a little maltese dog. One time when I was there, that dog bit me. Scared me to pieces. I ran home crying and got Jet and went back to get Jet to punish that little dog. Jet just wanted to play with it.

I started school there. Summer kindergarten and first grade. Whitney Elementary School was at the south end of Arcadia St. and across Overland Rd. Overland Rd. was a dirt and gravel road at the time. Now it's 4 to 6 lanes and one of the major east west routes through Boise.

The only things I remember at Whitney were about recess. One morning we had some organized races at recess. One of the boys was a little hyperactive kid who had some learning difficulties. The first race was all boys. Then the girls raced. This little kid ran again with the girls, but got bumped and fell and hit his head and was lying on the playground unconscious. The teacher quickly picked him up and headed for the office with him.

She called out to us to just play on the playground until she called for us to come in. I was playing by myself on the bars, alone in my own world, when I realized that I was the only one on the playground. The teacher had called for us to come in, and I didn't hear her. I didn't know what to do. So I went home for lunch. I knew it was too early for lunch, so I hid in some bushes until I thought enough time had passed. My sense of time was really bad, and I still got home way too early. Mom wanted to know why I was home so early. I told her about the playground accident, but didn't tell her about missing the call to go in. I was really embarrassed when I had to explain to the teacher why I missed much of the morning class time.

I went home for lunch every day in first grade. I never got to eat school lunch because I lived so close. I always wanted to eat school lunch because I thought it smelled so good.

I misunderstood something the kids who were crossing guards said. Whenever I was late they told me the 'tardy bell' had already rung. I didn't know what 'tardy' meant, and I thought they said 'Party Bell'. I couldn't figure out why when they started school with a party I was always late and missed it.

We went on several fishing trips and other vacations while in Idaho. I remember a trip to Shore Lodge at Payette Lake. I got to ride in a motor boat. It was fun to watch the water skiers, especially the guy who could go over the jump ramp. The water was cold, but it was fun to paddle around in my little life vest. I also enjoyed sleeping in a bunk bed. My aunt Pauline went with us. She was a beautiful blond about 19 years old, and quickly had a couple of boyfriends following her around and taking her boating. We also visited Cascade Dam. I was in my cowboy outfit and started shooting my cap gun at the roaring water coming out of the dam. I embarrassed Mom by yelling, "I'm a good dam shooter, aren't I, Mom!"

I learned to love music and nursery rhymes while in Boise. My favorite popular song was "Bye, Bye, Blackbird". I had several 78 rpm records that I listened to over and over. One was Tubby the Tuba with Danny Kaye as the narrator. It was about a tuba that wanted to play the melody. The tune for the melody was Rhapsody in Blue. Another recording I remember was Little Black Sambo about a little jungle boy who turned a tiger into a big lump of butter which he then ate on a huge stack of pancakes. I listened to them so often I could recite them word for word with all the sound effects.

I also attended church, probably Junior Sunday School, I remember reciting some of my recordings there. Probably not church material now, but who knew? Mom had not been active and Dad was not a member.

Dad got transferred back to Salt Lake just a year after we got that house. And the worst part for me was leaving Jet behind. She stayed with the house.