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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

A family memory

Christmas is a great time to think about old family memories.

In the early 1950s our mother married a strict no-nonsense Scotsman and he took four unruly kids under his wing and tried to make a home for us. On occasion he would drive my little brother and me out to the family ranch in western South Dakota where his older brother raised sheep.

On the way back from one of our visits, my little brother was sitting in the back seat of the car and blurted out “How come they have so many kids?” I could not wait for his reply. He said calmly, “Well, when the rooster crows at 5 a.m. it is too early to get up and too late to go back to sleep.” I laughed quietly as my brother responded, “I think they have two roosters.”

Stan Hughes

Spokane Valley

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