Animals on the Hill

Nanny Flynn holding my mother Mary, summer 1930 with Daisy the Ayrshire Cow

Aunt Agnes tells me about the animals they raised and cared for while growing up on Flynn's Hill. They had chickens for eggs and poultry, and a horse to help with the plowing and hauling. They had a couple of pigs along with a cow for milk. She explains, they were very fond of the cows, remembering "Daisy" especially.  They would not let their parents sell her or send her to be butchered.  Much of their time was spent feeding and tending to the animals. 

She told me, "Dad would go down to the Bay", Bay Roberts that is, which was about 30 km (19 miles) from Harbour Main to buy a horse, paying $20.00. Twenty Dollars was alot of money in those days especially during the Great Depression. A white horse named "Jack" was one of their favorites.  They had only one horse at a time on their small farm.  The horse stayed up in the "pen" on the hill during the summer and in the stable during the winter.  George, her brother would take the horse down to the pond across from their house for water.

Aunt Agnes recalls an occassion when my mom got up on the horse and George hit the horse on the "rump".  The horse took off going a "mile a minute" with my mom hanging on. He did not stop until he got to Hawco's Forge,  the place where he had been shoed at one time. Aunt Agnes and her siblings chased after the "Runaway Horse" and caught up with him, consoling their sister and bringing her home. Aunt Agnes states my mother was very upset at the time, very upset to say the least. But knowing my mother, I know she would laugh at this story today.

 I would of loved to hear Uncle George's version of "The Runaway Horse".

Uncle Ray (abt 13 years) with their young cow.