Who is Orange Sink?

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Rice Lake, WI, United States
My home town is Rice Lake, a small town in northern Wisconsin. I own Red House Wool Studio~ an in-home wool and rug hooking business. I enjoy collecting and decorating with antiques and primitives. Orange Sink Blog is a journal of my interests and ramblings about life. Cathy Greschner

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Friday, December 17, 2010

The Milk Hauler

The snow storms of late here in Northern Wisconsin have stirred memories of big red trucks with steel plows and tire chains...... and little red snowsuits with fur collars and tightly knit red mittens. I've drifted back to the early 1950's when the milk hauler was probably the first vehicle many a farmer would see coming down the driveway after a blizzard had dumped five feet of snow. The cow's warm and creamy milk awaited in heavy steel cans for the milk hauler to transport it to the creamery.
The front end buckets on tractors that most farmers used to clear their long driveways would take days to clear all the snow, so milk haulers trucks were usually equipped with big steel plows for the job. Before the sun rose and  well into the dark of night the milk haulers made their rounds picking up the cans of milk. While breaking open the dirt roads and driveways some would take precious time to make a round or two in the farmer's yard between the house and barn.
I know my Dad was appreciated and loved by those farmers back then. He saved them many an hour and cleared the drifting roads besides. Around Christmas time I remember a plate of cookies and maybe  a brand new pair of leather gloves being rushed out the door down to the milk house where Dad was lifting the heavy steel cans dripping and steaming from the cement troughs. Sometimes a farmer would bring out a bottle of home made wine and beg Dad to have a sip to bring a little cheer to help him tough out his long and hard journey to the remaining farms on his route.
The work was grueling and tough but  Dad knew how much those farmers depended on him. The sight of that pretty red truck with the plow throwing snow ten feet high and roaring down the driveway meant they could get their cars and trucks to town for groceries and to the feed mill. There was always a smile and a good solid handshake for the milk hauler. And at Christmas time some candy for his five kids who  were waiting at home.

9 comments:

  1. Great Pics!
    Wonderful Memories!Wonderful Men the Milk men!
    Oh, yes, I remember many a year(Until 1996 when we quit milking the Holsteins & switched to Beef!)Baking cookies & buying homemade candy for our Milk Man Tom was his name, he was part of the family, we would invite him in many days to have lunch with us & chat! I think he keep our stop around lunch time, just to eat Grandma's cookin! LOL
    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Oh I love this story! Heartwarming nostalgia.Thanks for sharing! Warm Blessings!~Amy

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  3. Cathy ~
    Beautiful memories. Thank you so much for sharing them with us.
    Hugs :)
    Lauren

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  4. Can't tell you how much your post has brought back so many memories to me. My dad was the milkman that served all the homes after the creamery did their magic. I remember so well going with him on his route and can well remember all the snow. It seemed so deep in those days. I remember the milk freezing and popping off the lids from their bottles in the freezing cold weather as dad and I made our delivery house to house one by one in the still of the night. We were the only ones up and about and you could hear the snow fall to the street. What a wonderful post. It warmed my heart, thanks for sharing Cathy.

    Have a blessed wonderful Merry Christmas!

    Cyndi

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  5. What a wonderful life story you have shared! I love the pictures. I noticed on the door of the red truck says Rice Lake,WI. That sounds so familiar to me. As a kid, we vacationed on Moose Lake in Northern WI.
    Karen

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  6. Cathy, loved your post. I remember those days too. Not only the milk truck, but also the coal delivery truck, and so on. I don't know if these days are better, but certainly are different in many ways.

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  7. Cathy,
    Great old photos. It seems we all get more nostalgic this time of year. I was looking at old photos the other day also and taking a little walk down memory lane.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Kim

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  8. Cathy.... this is simply the most beautiful post! What a lovely memory for you of your dad. Thanks so much for sharing with us!
    dulcy

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  9. such wonderful memories and pictures. I love that the snow brought back the memories. Have a wonderful Christmas.
    cathy

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