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"We Smiths always milked several cows year round, as we called it. Most of the milk was used for our own family. We kept the milk in the springhouse which was built onto the back of the house. Water was piped in by gravity from a spring and ran through a hand hewed log that was hollowed out in steps of different heights. Other food as well as milk was kept cool in the cold spring water and that was the only form of refrigeration we had." "Momma got me and Dobie up long before daylight saying, "Doris hurry and get ready. I want you and Dobie to take this fresh butter down to Miss Lou's boardin' house." I was about eight years old and Dobie was almost six and the trip would be about two and a half miles to Squire Taylor's Boarding House...Me and Dobie felt like a million dollars bein' trusted with such an important errand. ...Soon we approached the back door of the boarding house. Miss Lou took the buckets of butter...and reached into her pocket and handed me a nickel saying, "You've done a real good job bringing this butter to me for my guests." We ran off the porch and went a mile further to Mr. Will Mast's store. ...Stepping out of the sunlight, I couldn't see much, but the smell of the place always excited me. Coffee, musty old shoes, hoop cheese, fertilizer - all kinds of stuff...We settled on five big pieces of peppermint for a penny and suckers for another penny. With the fifth penny we bought a pack of grape chewing gum. We clutched our poke full of candy as we happily headed back up the mountain." In the Preface of the book, Doris writes, "This book is something I've wanted to put together for a long time. I'm writing it for a couple reasons: one is because I'm proud of my mountain heritage and the other is because I'd like to preserve it for generations to come. It is a way of life that will never be lived again." Come vacation with us at Shook Creek to settle down in the peace and quiet and dream of life as it once was in hoot Owl Holler! Excerpts reprinted with permission. |
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Doris
Smith Bliss grew up at Shook Creek, then known as Hoot Owl Holler. Her
book, Dobie 'n' Me in Hoot Owl Holler shares her childhood memories of
living in this special place with her family and her brother Dobie.
Doris now lives just a few miles from here, up the mountain in Matney
where she makes jewelry in her shop Sheer Bliss Rock Shop.
