Chap3

Typical Day at the Spanish American Institute (SAI).

0600 Housemothers awaken Dormitory Residents

0630 All residents fall into ranks in driveway near Central Hall

0630 Roll Call and Courtslips issued for those late and absent

0645 At attention saluting the American Flag as it is raised

0700 Orderly march into Central Hall Dining Room for breakfast

0705 Prayer of thanks for the food

0710 Those chosen to wait on tables bring food from kitchen

0745 All finished eating and taking utensils to scraping table

0750 Those selected report to various stations for cleanup

Scrapers placing scraps into 30 gallon garbage cans

Dishes and utensils to dishwashers for hand washing

in deep sinks of soapy water. Dishes and utensils to deep sinks of hot rinse water. Dishes to those selected for

handtowel drying. Dishes to clean dish and utensil areas

Meanwhile Pots and Pans crews wash the 20 gallon pots

While those selected for sandwich making are preparing

and brown bag stuffing with fruit and cookies to take to school which is a mile walk away in the town of Gardena.

1400 A mile walk back to SAI from school

1500 Classes at SAI such as Printing, Gardening, Agriculture

1600 Athletics and Gym for the 4 seasonal sports in which everyone participated. Touch football with uniforms.

Softball with uniforms. Track running, vaulting, jumping.

Basketball with uniforms. SAI was part of Statewide

competition in intramural sports. Lots of swollen lips, bent back thumbs, charlie horses, sore backs, feet, etc.

1800 Roll Call and Courtslips issued for those late and absent

1815 At attention saluting the American Flag as it is lowered

1825 Orderly march into Central Hall Dining Room for supper

1830 Prayer of thanks for the food

1835 Those chosen to wait on tables bring food from kitchen

1915 All finished eating and taking utensils to scraping table

1920 Those selected report to various stations for cleanup

Scrapers placing scraps into 30 gallon garbage cans

Dishes and utensils to dishwashers for hand washing

in deep sinks of soapy water. Dishes and utensils to deep sinks of hot rinse water. Dishes to those selected for handtowel drying. Dishes to clean dish and utensil areas

Meanwhile Pots and Pans crews wash the 20 gallon pots

Those on pig feeding detail take the garbage can to the

pigs which are about a block away. A bout once a week

some are detailed to clean the grease pit outside at the kitchen outlet and take this smelly stuff to pigs.

2000 To Study Hall for homework

2100 To respective dormitories for preparation for bedtime

NEXT WE WILL COVER SPECIAL DUTIES

MILKING COWS was a voluntary duty which would exempt us from those duties in the dining room and kitchen. Junie remembers milking his share of the 18 cows at 4AM and 4PM seven days a week. Some were Guernseys which gave very rich milk and others were Herefords which gave large quantities. While sitting next to the cow being hand-milked, one had to be careful to keep an elbow close to the right rear leg to block the leg as the cow would try to place the leg in the bucket. It would be handy to have a left arm ready to ward off blows to the eyes when the cow's tail swung around to brush off flies and in doing so would come across the milker's head. That stung !! Later on milking machines were introduced which was much to our liking. The machines would do the milking and the milkers still had to strip the teats as a finishing task to prevent hardening of leftover milk in the teats. While being milked, the cows would eat from the troughs we had filled with grain and other nutrients. They would relieve themselves intermittently and the milkers would have to dodge and keep the milk buckets and contents safe from the deluge. The buckets of milk were taken to the cooling room where the milk was poured into the top of the cooling machine. The machine was comprised of an intake tube capped with what looked like an oil funnel. The milk would pass from this and over a washboard and down into the 20 gallon milking cans which were capped for storage and transport. Attached to the washboard was a hose carrying cold water inside of the washboard and out another hose for disposal. The raw milk was sold to various customers and much of it was used by the boys at mealtime. It took a little while for us to get used to the taste of raw milk and we soon grew to love the flavor.

CURE FOR ATHLETES' FOOT. While Junie was playing in year-round sports, he developed a bad case of Athletes' foot. For those of us who are famiiar with this disease, we are reminded of the terrible itchiness between toes caused by perspiration and dampness between the toes. The itchiness develops into cracks and sometimes bleeding. Uncomfortable to say the least. Junie purchased many products which claimed comfort and some even a cure. Not so The curse continued until desperation prevailed. Fortunately, Junie worked with the cows. Milking and cleaning up after them placed him close to bodily secretions from the animals. One day, in agony, Junie decided to calm the itching and pain by stepping into a cow pile while it was still warm and before normal hardening. A calming and soothing relief was obtained by this action. Leaving the manure on his feet for some hours was the right thing to do. Later the excretion was hosed off with water, and the itching between the toes was relieved. After drying off and proper bathing, it was discovered that the cracks and itching had disappeared and all was well. So now you know how to cure athletes' foot if you work in a dairy.

Later:

Picking Berries and healing thorn scratched hands

Farming and eating the produce while picking

Organic Gardening

More later ......In Chapter 5.