Godzilla

After a summer apprenticeship with Dad and Tom Visser across the street I was ready to work as a paid relief milker at our dairy. It was nice because it gave me money for my motor cycles and later to date and carry me through college. I was in eighth grade when I started. From then on I milked the Friday night shift, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Always starting at twelve midnight and noon and often milked with Ed. Some weekends were traded for week nights so I could go camping with friends when I was in high school. It made for long days but I managed. With limited television the scary movies of the time would be laughed at today. Despite that movies like Godzilla and the Blob had me afraid of the dark for a few years. I admit it took me some time to be brave. It was dark out at midnight and even with the barn lights on it was still spooky. I remember the first few times when walking to the back of the barn hearing imagined sounds and looking over my shoulder expecting the unexpected. It scariest thing was to open the big door in the back of the barn and looking out into the darkness. The cow lane was poorly lit and you just didn’t know what lurked in the shadows.