We were so Isolated on the farm.

In my emails back and forth with the Old Timers of Swan Valley, I get to hear some of the best stories about farm life, their pioneer ways, and the transformation that came with the building of the dam.  A couple weeks back, I was corresponding with Fawnell Fisher Blankenship and her brother Gary Fisher.  What a treat!  The whole Fisher family must have the literary gene.  Fawnell's descriptions are vivid.  Here a little ditty she shared with me:


"We were so Isolated on the farm. We didn’t do much to remember. But we did take a little ride on Sundays, sometimes up to Afton. I barely remember but as we drove along, my dad said, “See that little farm house, see that barn, look at that little farm.. take a good long look, it won’t be there next time we take a little drive.” I couldn’t quite understand until we took another drive. I’ll remember that to my dying day, the words my father said.. I was 5.
I was about 5 when my father showed us the land and the lake was not there, later he showed us the lake.  We just followed the road to Swan Valley, Irwin, on to Afton. There were only 5 of us so we all piled in the car. It was a few hours trip. They had slot machines in those days. Stopped at the log bar, called 'Palisades Inn' in those days.  I jumped high as I could and grabbed the handle of it; all I remember is getting in lots of trouble." -Fawnell Fisher Blankenship

She also conveyed to me that she never had a change of lifestyle on the farm, even when the boom in population happened because of the dam construction.  She only went to school in the little schoolhouse on Pine Bench in 1st grade....

"I’d spend a large part of the summer alone. My brothers working; they started working driving tractor at 8 years old on our farm. Our closest neighbors were 2 1/2 miles across the fields, Tony and Eddie Kopp.  Thank God for Primary....   with all the new kids that came with building the dam, ie, brand new school, I couldn’t wait til school started to be with all the new kids....  We had the most wonderful new one (school)." -FFB