John Robert "Bob" Rippe

I bucked hay for a summer somewhere between Hammet and Bruneau in the early '60's. We lived in the bunkhouse of a farm during the week and went home on weekends. The hispanic kitchen help made wonderful meals. The work was filthy with dust and wind. The infrequent field with straw bales was a welcome relief after hooking wet hay onto the slip day after day. Bob Rippe was the boss and he taught us the techniques to get the job done. Two cents a bale allowed me to buy a good racing bike...