BEFORE THE DAYS OF CARS

That’s a big woman. Over there. And over and over and over. I like horses.

That one hasn’t turned. I’d really like to do that. Happy birthday! Whose birthday is it? Yours! Happy birthday. How old am I? What we do in schools.

That’s a good one. Did he run away? There’s no wind out there. There’s two.

They’re keeping them under control.

Where are they? In the city. What’s a horse doing in the city? There aren’t a lot of them, but there are some. The horse is watching the crowd. That’s a good horse.

What’s the horse’s name? He’s a beautiful horse, that’s for sure.

Is that his horse? I think. That’s what I thought.

What’s the man doing with the horse? Seeing if he’s sick. That’s the way.

One, two, three. There’s your horse, there and there. Three horses. Aren’t you glad I’m here? You got it.

What are you doing over there? I don’t know. What’s the policeman doing there? I wouldn’t lead. What would you do? I have a few little pumps at home.

He didn’t do nothing. He’s got his hands on the reins. He’s looking for people he wants to take care of. I’ve seen these horses. That might be my fault. That could be. What if it’s their fault? Yes. So they’ll find you. She shouldn’t have said that one.

You’re a nice lady. That’s what I thought.

The women that were there, they were running. I’m not bothering her.

So they’re looking for people to take care of. To see if they’re new or old or know nothing.

Come on in. I think so. Everybody gets a popcorn.

Who is in the picture? It ain’t the best, is it? That’s the pretty one.

This one is going all around up the side. Goes right on up past the end.

It looks like New York. His brother got his act so fast. We can have it if you want it.

It’s hard to tell. It looks like it’s close to six o’clock. I just figure that. Okay. Just leave it low.

There’s either two or three there. This goes up and then it turns.

What is the policeman doing? He’s trying to hold the horse. What kind of luck is he having? It’s probably a bicycle. What is he going to do with the bicycle and the horse? Ride them! Both of them at the same time? Slow ahead. Have you ever been around with these horses on the street? I loved it. Did you ever ride a horse on the street? Once. Beautiful animals.

What kind of name could we give the horse? He’s watching him for sure. Then he’d stop with the horse and all the kids would be around him. It was good. That’s a saint. I’d pick that just to be in their head. I can do that.

These people are in the back. Evidently she’s going back over there. He’s just waiting to see if something is going to happen.

I was on a horse today. What did he do? You did. Once in a while, the policemen would let us feed them. Oh, that was fun. Two boys carried them? No. I always get it wrong, don’t I? Yeah.

Over in Lake Hamilton, it’s down. That is now going down. It’s going by this. They’re turning that circle down. The women are doing what the men are supposed to do. My mother is over there.

I hope we all are here. We had such a good time.

That’s his brother. There he goes.

What do you picture? The woman is walking behind the horse. Those two people were waiting for the woman. Right underneath, they cuddled. Okay, I’ll let you.

She’s watching the horse. This boy behind her, but I don’t know how he is. Is he saying something? Yes, you can see his little head, so he’s talking. He’s got a jacket on.

Something’s going on behind them. I would rather have more than that. Look at this woman. She’s looking at the horse.

I was on the other side when that happened. I’m much further than that. I was down there watching them. I don’t want to be under the feet! He took us for a ride. Good memories there.

If I remember right, I think there were times when the street cleaners did not enjoy their job.

Just one what? What is he going to do next? There were times when we went home after the horse parade, and our parents were not happy because we’d walked right behind the horse. My mother would be so disgusted. She had a fit. She said, “Get your shoes off!” Then she’d get after my father. “Get those shoes off of them!” We walked behind them. Slip and slide. It was a wonderful day.

A cop on the corner. On a bicycle. That’s before the days of cars.

There are eight of them there.

What is he going to do next? Clean up behind the horse.

Is there any trouble on the street? Oh yeah. Street people cleaning up behind the horse. The trouble is right there in the corner. He’s on his foot.

The young person is trouble. She’s walking past. He’s looking at her. She went there and he saw her, so they’re talking. That’s going to be trouble.

It’s warmer over there than here. The water is full all the time. Here is something. I don’t know what it is. The little girls were lost too. They lost their heads.

How would you like our story to end? I don’t want it to end.

It should end with my mother being a little bit wrathful. We had a good time. My dad took us there and he didn’t care, but my mother was a different source.

STORY BY: Gretchen, Patricia, Vivian, Henry, Joyce, June

SKIPPING SCHOOL

I wonder if that’s the only time they’ve done that. I don’t know how to get them out of there.

In this one, it’s a woman and a man. What are they doing out there? They’re talking. What are they talking about? You can tell that the boy and the girl, I think she is talking more than he is. It looks like it.

What do you think they’re talking about? I wish I knew. I don’t think it’s a secret. I think they’ve been friends for a long time. They’re talking about whatever they did before or what they can do now.

What did they do before? They were feeding the birds. But you could turn it into a lot of things.

What could they be telling each other? If he can find what he wants. I’ve seen them talk together. We’re going to be up all night.

They walk to each other, but they don’t talk too much. “See you in the morning about 8:30!” They’re together. That’s what they do. I got there one time. One was going and the other was going, and I was between them, so I saw them.

What time of day is it? It’s close to nighttime. No, not really in the summer. They need to be home. Go home! They look like they’re about fourteen or fifteen.

I wasn’t there because it was dark. I didn’t see them. She doesn’t have it done the right way.

It was a long time ago. What’s a good girl’s name? I had four boys, so don’t ask me. I finally quit having children.

What is the boy’s name? Mark. The girl is a fisher and the boy is a swimmer.

When I go home, I’m going to get them and ask them to tell me. I don’t think either one of them is a fisher. I think it’s just their way of meeting. See you in the morning!

What are they going to do in the morning? Mow the lawn. That’d be right.

They’re skipping school. You’ve seen this before, haven’t you? No, I just have a teenage son.

If they skipped school, what would they be doing out there? I think it just wasn’t the right thing to do. Especially when there’s rain in it and everything. They’re talking about what they’re going to say. Get their stories straight. He’s telling her what to tell her mother, and she’s telling him what to tell his. Brings back familiarity.

That’s the way it is. He wants to come closer and hug her. Not here.

STORY BY: Maxine, Dottie, Joyce, Patricia

FEEDING THE BIRDS

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

I raised four boys as a single parent, and they had all the little tales to tell every day.

He’s feeding everything and that little bird is coming in to get his share, that’s for sure. Who is that person? It’s funny you should bring that up. I skipped over it. There’s a whole thing in there.

At first I thought it was a man but now I think it’s a woman. What else can you see in the picture? Everything that’s there. This is funny. It’s the first thing I ever saw of this. What do you think it is? It’s going up!

I don’t know where this is anyway. I think somebody said he was standing around.

What’s a good name for this woman? It’s a male. There is a woman in here. Where is the woman? Good question.

Where is she? Certainly not at a waterfall. It looks like it’s near a downtown. I think it’s in Kentucky. It’s chilly or cold because she’s all bundled up.

What’s she doing there? I think she’s just by there. I would be her. I would be seeing them and walking with them. What are they? I never had any. I can’t say what I want to say.

What would you do if you were there? I don’t know that I would be feeding them, because there are too many of them. I’m not sure it’s good to feed a few. So I don’t think I would be feeding them, unless I had more food. I would be saying, “Come on! Come on over. Say hello. Come see me.” When she holds out her hand, they obviously know what she’s after.

How is she feeling? Warm now. And she’s bound to feel good. Does she come here every day? Or is this a special visit? I think she comes periodically. I don’t think you could just walk in there.

Why does she come here periodically? They would be friendly. I have always liked animals so I know I would be here. She probably likes everything that’s there.

Where did she come from before? She probably wasn’t at work. Does she have a family? You know how it is today.

Let’s make up some trouble. I was going to say no. But then I live alone, so I lean in that direction.

Is there anybody else there with her? I doubt it, but there might be. There are ducks there. Twins. Two black ones. What else? They’re all over the field. Little ones and big ones. Are there any people there with her? I don’t see any.

What sounds does she hear? If you were there, what sounds would you hear? Well, I’ve been there, not exactly there. If I were her, I would be happy. I wouldn’t have to say, “I can’t do that, I can’t do that.” What would you be able to smell? I’ve never smelled them. I haven’t either, unless they’re a pile back here. I don’t know why he’s coming so late. But they do that.

What sounds do they make? I can’t make the sounds because of my voice. If I shout my voice is normal. I can’t imagine you shouting. Oh my. I raised four boys. Can you imagine it now?

Is there any trouble going on? I don’t know. There’s three birds flying around.

Why is her back turned to us? Is she hiding? I don’t think so. You can’t hide in a place like that.

Is she late for something? I don’t think so. They’re all coming in. All these animals.

What do the birds think of her? Obviously they’re not afraid of her, which leads me to believe she’s done this before. They’re watching her, so they’re happy with that.

Well, this day and age, how can you tell a man from a woman? From the back it’s hard to tell. The way they dress now.

What does she like to do for fun? This is a challenge. The way she’s dressed, she’s probably working for somebody who’s concerned about feeding the animals. It’s late in the afternoon and looks like she’s got a bag in front of her. A lot of people like to keep these animals well fed. I can do that. Lots of fish.

What is she going to do next? Probably going to go home. I think she’ll linger there a bit.

What will she do at home? What everybody else does, I guess. Kick their shoes off, take their hat off, take off their jacket and neckpiece. Sit down to either eat or drink some coffee.

STORY BY: Maxine, Dottie, Joyce, Patricia

THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME

Whoa. What’s going on here? Shew. I don’t know, looks like he’s trying to climb the wall. Good gracious. He’s trying to keep from falling, too. Can’t imagine what he’s doing up there by himself. Looks like he’s at a town hall, city hall in some town.

Why is he climbing it? He wants to be adventurous. I can’t imagine. A man that old, both feet hanging loose. I don’t know. He’s some damn fool.

I don’t think it’s that. I think he’s happy. He’s doing something he hasn’t done before. Any other reasons he’s climbing the town hall? Somebody’s dared him to, and he can’t say no to a dare. Who dared him? Sure wouldn’t be his wife.

Is he coming up or going down? If he lets go, he’s going down. I don’t see how he could possibly be coming up. I think he is.

What does his wife think of him climbing like that? She’s probably worried to death. The words she’s saying to him we can’t discuss.

His friends are watching him. I was going to say his buddies. They probably talked him into it. Thirty buddies. What are his friends saying to him? By this time, they’re telling him to slide down. They’re afraid he’s going to get into trouble again, or get hurt. What kind of trouble has he been in before? He’s been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He doesn’t stop to think about how anything stupid like this will affect anyone but himself.

What’s going to happen next? Who knows? Hopefully he just loosens his hands and slides back down. But who knows. Does he get into trouble? Yes. Whoever owns the building gets mad. He has to give the address. What does the owner of the building say to him? I can’t tell you, there’s too many people around. I imagine he says, “Come down or else…”

How does the story end? He just slides down. It’s wide enough that he could hold on. He’s going to let go and slide down.

STORY BY: Dottie, Joyce, Barbara, Tony, Patricia, Maxine, Margaret

GOING TO GRANDMA'S

It’s a boy! Good. This one’s cute. Keep up, come on. His name is Billy Jr. We’ve had a lot of those.

He’s sitting in a suitcase. He looks like he knows he shouldn’t be in there. You should rinse it at night. That’s the smartest thing I’ve heard in a long time.

Why is he in the suitcase? He thought it would be fun. He’s going somewhere. He’s cute.

Where is he going? How can you tell that by looking at him? He’s going to Grandma’s house. I have four boys and they spent half their time begging to go to Grandma’s. Grandma gave them everything they wanted.

What does he like to do at Grandma’s house? Drink beer. Get into things. Anything that’s around.

Does he have any brothers or sisters? I wouldn’t think so. I think he has a brother or sister. He wouldn’t be able to get in there by himself. They put him in and took his picture. He loves every minute of it.

I think they love him dearly. He looks too cute to me.

What’s going to happen next? I don’t know. I hope it’s going to be a good one.

What does Billy Jr. do for fun? You name it, he’s done it. You can tell I have four boys, can’t you?

He wants to be taken out of there. He’s pretty proud of himself. That smile and those hands. Almost like he knew he shouldn’t have done it. He’s having a good time. He’s happy as can be.

There’s probably somebody in the background. I don’t see anybody. There should as hell should be. Could be the mother or could be the babysitter. I think it’s his older brother.

What does he want? I think he’s got everything he wants. Looks pretty happy to me.

What is he going to do next? Try to get out, I guess. Does he succeed? I doubt it. He gets frustrated. When he recognizes he’s not getting out, he’ll cry, a loud cry. I think he’s happy. I don’t think he’s anything but happy. He’s happy now.

Why is he so happy? Because he’s done something he’s never done before.

I don’t think he can do much of anything. I can’t see him crawling out of that. He might just be standing up. It’s possible he could get out if he could stand up. Yeah. He’s happy.

When he goes to Grandma’s, Grandma likes to put everything aside and give him his way. She’s going to pick him up and hug him. She’s going to pamper him. She’ll give him whatever he wants. He wants whatever’s in site. He wants the dog. He wants candy right away. He loves having his picture taken.

Who’s taking his picture right now? Maybe his mother. What does his mother think of him being in the suitcase? Don’t pee in there! And he said, “I just did,” with that look on his face. I think she put him there. Obviously he wasn’t bothered to be put in there.

He has a satisfied look on his face. I think his mother takes him out of there. I think he’s happy in there right now. He doesn’t want to be taken out.

STORY BY: Dottie, Joyce, Barbara, Tony, Patricia, Maxine, Margaret

WEIRD WILLY

What’s going on in the picture? No comment. When I saw that, there was no mark. I don’t know what he’s doing out there, dressed like that. Why are they dressed like that? They’re playing. Something English.

That should tell us something, and that should, and that should. What have they been doing? Ohhh….

They’re young guys. What is his name? Dumbshit. They’re weird.

The one on the left is a boy. His name is Kevin. We need to find a weird name for the other guy, that fits in with his hat. Not everybody wears those. Anybody that would have a thing on their nose like that is pretty weird.

Is this his face, is this part of his face? Look at that! The hat doesn’t make any difference. His nose, if you look really close, is kind of off. It’s kind of going over that way. Then it goes up there that way. It has to keep the same curve to go with the hat. His nose goes all the way up. Is that his nose? I guess!

His eyes are sure close together compared to his chin. Look at the difference. Look right here, from here to here. Let’s call him Weird Willy. That’s appropriate.

Who’s between them? Bewildered. She’s pretty. Let’s see, the guy has a knee pad, so that means he might be athletic. Because of the pads on his elbows, too. He could be into some kind of sports. What sports might he play? Lacrosse.

I don’t know what she’s supposed to be. What’s on her head? It looks like an animal’s head. It’s some kind of an animal. She’s nice. She’s got ears off the animal on her head. It might be an animal.

We have to figure out what the guy’s got on his nose. There’s nothing there for us. I don’t understand this belt-type thing. There’s something crazy there.

Where are they? Out in the woods. Maybe in Connecticut. I always think of that as an area with lots of wood.

What are they doing out there? They’re hiding from you! I got you. I don’t think they can. Anybody want to know? Do you have the answers or something?

There goes the wind. Is it windy where they are? No, they don’t hardly have any.

You can’t determine what the weather’s like because she’s got on shorts, and the guy next to her does, too, so it can’t be very cold out.

What are they doing? Good Lord, I don’t know how to think like they think. Well, the guy on the one end, I don’t know what he’s trying to do or what he’s doing, with that hat up there. Weird Willy. Well, he’s weird. I think the guy next to her, that is really a weird outfit.

I think he’s almost looking cross-eyed, when you look at his face. Weird Willy.

What is she doing with these two weirdos? She has to be the sister. She’s the only one who would put up with them. She’s got some kind of animal up there. It looks like a teddy bear. The animal’s got his mouth open, looks like he’s really got a lot of stuff in it.

We have no clues of any kind. That’s not bad. He’s crazy, and she’s okay. I don’t know what she’s doing with that animal on her head.

Do you not like that guy? No. Kevin is better.

I was looking at her face, and I turned it upside down. Here. If you turn it upside down, you have a little animal, and it has a face, eyes, a nose. I wonder if that’s got anything to do with it. I’m not getting it anywhere else. The picture of that girl, the bottom half is the animal.

She’s pretty. She looks like she’s just there. Her hands are pretty.

Her name could be anything. Make it Maxine. No, Christine.

Are they playing something all together? No, I don’t think so. Would you play with them? No. They’re doing nothing. They’re just out in the woods. They don’t have any place to go.

What do they want? Who are they talking to when they say what they want? I could see that from here. The game warden. What do they say? They just saw a deer run through the woods and could they shoot it. They’re hungry. I don’t see a gun. Kevin says if they come up to the highway he’ll buy them a hamburger and they can leave the deer alone.

What makes you think they’re after a deer? They’re not after animals. I’m not sure Weird Willy is even a boy. He’s got a beard. What more does she want? If she wants a full disclosure, he’ll have to take his clothes off. His pants are pink.

I don’t see anything unusual about them. That is that, and this is okay. Except that, and that. They wear shorts all the time. Looks like cardboard on his nose. Why would he have cardboard in his mouth? You can’t just walk out into the woods and find a piece of cardboard.

Where are they going to go after this? I think Kevin and Christine are okay, but Weird Willy is just a little bit different.

Where should they go after this? Back to the home for the simple-minded. I think so, too.

Are you all from Florida? You see this all the time! They send them down here from Georgia. Where do you live? Just a mile down the road. Then you know that everybody dresses like this. It’s not unusual. People do crazy things.

Where are they coming from now, New York?

STORY BY: Nina, Joyce, Dottie, Patricia, Tony, Ruth, Maxine, Barbara