Grandpa Hill's True Stories

Tag: Childhood

  • Brandy Pony is Sold

    Brandy Pony is Sold

    Grandpa Hill, decided in 1973 in the summer to sell his Brandy.  He had received Brandy for his 13th birthday.

    As horse and rider Grandpa and Brandy had been through a lot together.  Grandpa had learned to be responsible, to be a caregiver, and he learned how to ride well enough to stay on Brandy.  Grandpa still considered Brandy to be very stubborn and failed to see the steady progress of gentling that was occurring with Brandy. The plan was to sell Brandy and if possible all of his tack.

    On that fateful morning when a potential buyer came to his house Grandpa saddled up Brandy for the little girl that was going to be riding him in the future.  Grandpa was shocked and surprised by Brandy’s behavior.  The sale went through.  Grandpa had $600 from the sale of Brandy plus tack.  Now, he wanted a car! The experience with Brandy demanded that he learn a lot, and do a lot.  Getting bucked and thrown wasn’t comfortable.  Owning a horse and starting from scratch without knowledge, skill, or contacts,  required thinking.  As he remembers it he laughed a lot as he tried and tried and tried again.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman, Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Voice of Gorf: Grandpa, Voice of Marshmallow: David,
    Art: David Richman,
    Music: Michael Steele,
    Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy

  • Brandy Pony’s Geometry (Part 2)

    Brandy Pony’s Geometry (Part 2)

    Grandpa Use Geometry to master his troublesome pony. Brandy has been holding his breath while Grandpa puts on the saddle. As result of 2 pi R Brandy gains three inches of looseness on Grandpa, so Grandpa goes flying when Brandy stops for clovers. The solution: Grandpa waits for Brandy to relax, then he cinches up the straps.

    Now Grandpa is getting really good at riding, though Brandy tries his best to eject Grandpa from the saddle, but Grandpa just won’t quit. Grandpa and Brandy have many more adventures, until that fateful day when Grandpa sells Brandy.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Art: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy

  • Brandy Pony (Part 1)

    Brandy Pony (Part 1)

    Grandpa gets a pony for his Birthday, Brandy. Brandy, as it turns out, is a thoroughly stubborn animal who fights Grandpa every step of the way. Hours of watching and reading westerns couldn’t prepare him for this bucking bronco. It doesn’t help matters that Grandpa knows neither head or hoof about caring for horses, much less how to ride them. As a result Grandpa learns how to get bucked, and (eventually) how to stay on.

    Brandy is a difficult horse but he brings a lot of lessons. Lessons of perseverance and responsibility. Although Grandpa didn’t like getting thrown in the dirt, he still kept his duties as the owner of a horse. It was his horse, so he had to feed, water and bath it.

    By the end of the story Grandpa Hill was living his dream, as real a cow boy he would ever be, but it would be foolish to think this fence leaping horse has been broken. Tune in next time to hear of Brandy’s affection for clover, and how Grandpa used geometry to solve the problem of the Bucking Brandy.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa, Marshmallow: David
    Art: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy

  • Driver’s Test

    Driver’s Test

    Grandpa tells the story of his first and only driver’s test, with his family’s old stick shift 1970 (and 1/2) Ford Torino. On this driver’s test the officer giving the test asked Grandpa a very important question, “Do you know how fast you are going?”

    Although Grandpa didn’t quite learn it then, this story brings up lessons regarding honesty and safety while driving. The officer did pass the test, but perhaps only because he was amused by Grandpa’s creative answer.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Art: David Richman,
    Music: Michael Steele,
    Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, Lizzy

  • How to Lose Teeth Fast

    How to Lose Teeth Fast

    Losing My Two Front Teeth is a story for Grandpa Hill’s 8 children, 22 grand children, and all children.   Four of his grandchildren are ready for bed, listening to Grandpa Hill recall the fun time when he had his teeth and played in the clean sheets that his mother had washed and hung to dry.
    Losing teeth the natural and normal way is usually very exciting and sometimes a little painful.  Grandpa lost his teeth in a way that was very painful, and, sad.    In the story he disobeys his mother, and hurts himself.  His mother forgives him and he grows up to be a very happy and grateful Grandpa Hill with teeth.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced and Recorded by Grandpa Hill

    Music: Michael Steele
    Art: Amy Steele
    Grandchildren in Audience: Kyla, Lawrence, Eddie, and Levi

  • First Time Trout Fishing

    First Time Trout Fishing

    In Trout Fishing for The First Time Grandpa Hill spends his last day of his first vacation away from home trout fishing.  Way back in the 1970’s Grandpa Hill fished at a pond in Northport Michigan.  The pond was completely full of brook trout!  More trout than Grandpa had ever seen all in one place ever before and ever since. 

    The pond is not very easy to fish in, so he has to overcome trees and weeds, and learn to cast sideways.  At the end of his successful fishing trip his stringer was full, yet at the end of the day his belly was empty.  Because the fish were all gone.

    Marshmallow explains to Gorf how this was a story about growing-up. Grandpa didn’t get something he really had looked forward to – delicious brook trout, and that was okay.

    If anyone you know would be entertained by, or learn from Grandpa Hill’s true stories please share them, and please subscribe and use all of his stories to think better, laugh more, and live abundantly.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David R.
    Art: Amy Steele
    Music: David R.
    Grandchildren in the audience: Caleb, Corbin, and Walter

  • Pipe Fishing

    Pipe Fishing

    Grandpa goes fishing in the unlikeliest of places. A pipe. Fishing without a fishing pole? Fishing without bait? How do you do that? This unique fun and challenging adventure, was also Grandpa’s Grandma’s way to afford pickled herring (suckerfish).

    Marshmallow the raccoon is quite excited and sees the value of play while working, and, of waiting for a reward.  Gorf shares in the learning but is hesitant.  He suspecting that some of his relatives have ended up on the wrong end of Grandpa’s pole. 

    PipeFishing.m4aDownload

    Credits:

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Grandchildren in the audience: Caleb and Corbin