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Yulan Memories (1937) with Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Walter Metzger

by Dorothy Waltemath

I have been going up to Yulan since 1937. My Aunt Dorothy & Uncle Walt would invite our family to come up for a visit. My father, Fred, was Dot's brother. The fresh air smelled of pine, Yulan was paradise compared to Brooklyn, where we lived. We really roughed it because there was no house at the time. I remember seeing stars for the first time while snuggled in a sleeping bag with my father.

Walter Metzger's niece Dorothy Waltemath on right. Boy on left owned pony and nephew next to Dorothy was Fred Hornkohl.

The first building that was built was what is now called the tool shed. There were two bunks that folded up against the logs to make space for cooking. At this time Uncle Walt and Aunt Dot, both, worked in the city and could only make a trip to Yulan on weekends. A couple of years later my father and Uncle Walt cut down trees, not leaving any naked spaces. They notched the logs so they would lock together. It was a large, fine log house with lots of windows and a loft. There was, not as yet, any plumbing. My brother & I would haul water from the well to the house. Daytimes we had to use the hoosegow. At night we used a commode, inside.

After my brother and I were house trained we were able to go and stay for most of the summer, looked after by my grandmother,Nanny, Aunt Dot's Mom. We had a routine, after cleaning up from dinner we would take a walk down to Beaver Brook Road. There is a large flat rock there. I call it Nanny's rock. We would sit together there while Nanny told us stories about Denmark, some of which I believe were pure fantasy. We listened to the birds. We would count the cars that passed. There weren't many and they could be heard coming a least a mile away.

We had to wash ourselves with a basin of water and home made soap. It was pure soap, hard as a rock, made by Uncle Walters aunt. Darn, it was cold in the mornings and the water was cold. For a thorough cleaning we would walk to Lake Bodine with some Swan Soap. There is where we learned how to swim, using canvas water wings that Aunt Dot gave us. Beaver Brook lake was too muddy. My brother Fred and I were allowed to walk up to four corners to get ice cream, it had to be after lunch. At that time the Post Office had the ice-cream. On the way we would have to pass the Keun's house with their chicken ranch to the side of the house. There were two Keun boys, twins,

Herman and Günter. We made friends with them. They taught me how to climb the big tree that was at the front of their house. There weren't any trees on the street where we lived. The boys had a young bull. They would hitch him up to a two wheeled buggy. I was fascinated but didn't let on. They also had a pony, I think that it's name was buster.

Dorothy Metzger in middle. Nephew, niece and the two boys who owned the pony

We made friends with the Webbers, Gail and her brothers name escapes me. She taught me how to churn butter and dig up potatoes. She was older than I and smarter too. They taught us that we could hold on to the electric fence without getting shocked, when we both had "rubbers" on. Amazing! Every few days, Nanny would take us to walk along the brook on a dirt road in the middle of all that is natural and beautiful. We would be getting milk from Mrs. Brown? She had a Jersey Cow. She would give us a squirt as she was milking. I loved cream. Nanny loved cream too. When no one was looking I drank the cream off the top of the milk. Devine! Unpasturized or homogenized. How fortunate some people are who have their own Jersey cow. Nanny told me, in no uncertain terms, how naughty I was.

If there was snow while we were in Yulan, my brother and I would ride in a big enamal pan, spinning down the hill. We went to a piece of linoleum, it went down the hill faster. One time when we arrived it was so cold that my toes hurt. I put them on the belly and boy did the soles of my shoes get hot and stayed hot for a while.

When Aunt Dot came on weekends we would go pick blue berries. Aunt Dot made muffins and we each got a beater to lick. Uncle Walt would hook up some 10 foot bamboo poles, Aunt Dot would give us some butter, a pan and everything that we would need. We only caught Sunnies, I gutted and scaled them. We fried them and had our lunch on the shore of the lake. When we were wanted up at the house there was the little bell that called us. Uncle Walt was always working on something that had to do with the house. Sometimes he needed a truck to do what he wanted. He named the truck Bruno. It was really old and had solid rubber wheels. No worries about a flat. Later trucks were named Bruno too. In later years Walt taught my daughter, Julie and my brothers daughter Cari how to drive the latest Bruno. They were about 10 yrs. old. They didn't tell me about this until years later. Not that I would be upset, they never went out on the road.

Talk about ecology! That word was not used then. We were taught at a very young age that food scraps went out for the critters, cans and glass went to the dump. Newspapers were burned. We never threw anything on the ground. We were taught about what was expected of us in a very kind and loving way. Aunt Dot was as sweet as the day is long. Uncle Walt was very patient, and kind too. My Nanny was firm but loving. We were so lucky to have so many values instilled in us. But Nanny cheated when she played Go Fish with us. These people played a very important part in our lives. They were and are honest, good, hard working, caring and loving. This is almost exactly the definition of my husbands twelfth century German name. He is all of that. I am so blessed.

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