Before I get started on this week's story, I want to inform y'all about Beth's cancer treatment.

The folks at BAMC (Ft. Sam) Radiation Oncology Department will start treatment on Beth in a couple of weeks after they study the results of a scheduled CAT scan.

We want to thank you all for the ongoing support and prayers.

She has a very positive attitude about this deal. It seems to be something that teachers just have a whole bunch of!

Also from my last story about sending Morse code, I gave an example for sending "SOS." My example read, "three dots and three dashes."

It actually should have read three dots, three dashes, followed by three more dots. Hope no one had to send an emergency signal last week!

If you are interested, there is an app out there called "DODI's Light" that shows you all the Morse code alphabet and numbers. It's pretty cool. It actually allows you how to type a message and then transmit it with Morse code using your iPhone light!

Now, to this week's story.

There I was, living it up back in the early 60s. I was in Jr. High in Bandera and enjoying the summer break! One morning I was helping my Dad load the soda machine in our cafe. During these days, the soda water came 24 glass bottles to a wooden case. The round bottle in a square seemed to work very well.

On this particular morning a friend and neighbor named Cotton Fitzgerald came in he café, and after eating breakfast, asked me, "Doug, how'd you like a job hauling hay bales for me?"

I said, "Sure. When do I start?"

It turned out to be the very next day on my Dad's father's place, GA White. The hay field was just behind our place.

So there I was the next morning ready to go to work. After a few attempts to throw a 75 lb. bale of hay onto a moving trailer, Cotton noticed I was not making much progress.

I was just too light for the job. At that time I had a 26" waist and weighed under 100 lbs.

Cotton scratched his head and said, "Doug, get behind the wheel of the tractor and keep the speed very low."

That seemed like a piece of cake.

All I had to do was steer the tractor - the speed was already set.

After all the hay was loaded, we were ready to head for Grandfather's hay barn.

I increased the speed of the tractor and popped the cluch! About half the bales of hay on that big trailer fell off.

Cotton didn't seem very upset, however, he suggested that I go back to the cafe and enjoy the rest of the summer putting peanuts in my RC Cola, which he knew I enjoyed doing.

He also had five other men who knew what they were doing on his crew!

I am pretty sure that was the shortest summer job I have ever had!

I hope you enjoyed this week's story.