Milliron Monday: Jody's Journals July - September 1984

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: 

April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate 

the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, 

Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.

A continuation of Jody’s Journals.

Through Jody’s reflections from 1984, we gain an intimate look at life behind the scenes of the Milliron Clinic and Farm—her thoughts, routines, and the quiet strength that supported Pete’s veterinary legacy. Her words offer a charming, candid, and sometimes humorous snapshot of a year filled with devotion, community, and the rhythms of rural life.

 

July 1984

·        To church, Croxford’s, Pat, Karen, Mike, etc. > to clinic > brief nap > rode Junie, Pete rode Apple, took Banjo, Puff, Colonel, Streak; lots of lovely blackberries > to barn > pizza, movie

·        To clinic > went to O’Bleness after blood tubes > to barn, to Sissy, Streak

·        Pete WOUB FM from house > groomed dogs, worked at desk briefly

·        Mom called > looked at Pat’s house, went to Mansfield cabin, cookout, boat ride

·        Pete’s teeth finished, mine checked/x-rayed > stopped at Root’s, dropped off Pat > Pete on calls, I worked in house/barn

·        To clinic, took car to town for tires > Jessica’s bd cake

·        To clinic/barn > Pete napped > drive-in “The Natural” “Against All Odds,” saw Brent C., Shirley, Sam

·        To church, Croxford’s-Dewitt’s > to clinic > Pete bedded down barn > rode, Ann H. check out fence line, ate blackberries, Gordon mowed hay > pizza Windy Hills

·        To clinic/barn > Pat, Karen Pete, Gordon, etc., put up hay > called Jessica

·        Ran errands > visited Tony C. at O’Bleness > to barn, walked Sissy, Bullet, Streak > worked at desk, wrote letters

·        Ate at Sizzler > to Meigs Fairgrounds > Charleston on calls, to Nancy Bonnett’s

·        To clinic/barn > put up hay > birthday party at Ken Light’s, took salad

·        To church, Old Coach Inn > to clinic > rode, picked berries, got wet

·        To clinic/barn > to airport, flight delayed, then cancelled, stayed at airport Sheraton

·        Left 7 am flight to New Orleans Sheraton, ½ of suite $50 – beautiful view of city > meetings, college alumni receptions (OSU, CU), jazz

·        Ate at Morrison’s Cafeteria across from Rivergate Convention Center, very nice > Pete in meetings, I went thru shopping mall (Saks 5^th Avenue, etc.), Jackson Square, Cathedral, etc. > night on Bourbon Street, jazz/Irish music

·        Ate in cafeteria > Pete to seminar, I went to RV session for a while, went back to Bourbon Street after tape/Irish music, met Pete, walked over to World’s Fair, back to Columbus 2:15 am, arrived in Athens 4:30 or so

·        Gordon at clinic/barn > worked with Red a little

·        To clinic, took semen sample into O’Bleness, got groceries, to barn

·        5:30 am up, looked for horses, fog, washed Junie > early church > took Apple, Junie to Horse Camp at Zaleski – Johnny Price’s 84^th birthday ride, rode with Chuck Shields, Robbie Moore, Steve Shingler, etc., later with Di Barber, Gordon Bolin, etc., rode back to Dia and Gordon’s trailer, Pete hauled Apple and Gordon’s mare

·        To clinic/barn, walked Bullet, Sissy

·        To clinic > to Charleston with Pete, to Nancy Bonnett’s, John Leslie’s

·        To clinic > lunch burritos, K, J Foster, reviewed statues, Border Collie, sheep, mule > ran errands, got groceries

·        Dewormed sheep PYR > to clinic, paid bills > to barn

·        To clinic/barn, throat worse

·        [5 days, no entry]

August 1984

·        To Gallipolis/Charleston, calls

·        Clinic/barn, cleaned leaves out of eaves > Hop Sing’s, movie

·        Bob Null, Pete not home, at Perkins > to church, late, Old Coach Inn lunch > to clinic > Karen rode Junie, Pat rode, I rode Alrod, rained, met them at Angelo's, play “Harvey,” ice cream, Harter’s

·        To clinic/barn > Dr. Murray helped Pete, embryo transplants Evan’s mare

·        To clinic/barn > to Fair, Thomas,’ J L’H, J A Croxford > Pete won stuffed unicorn at darts

·        To clinic, ran errands, saw Pat’s new office, got groceries > to barn > helped Mary Ann Bateman, retriever/clinic > Pete jogged

·        To clinic/barn, left for NY 4:15, picked up Pat/Karen, took wrong turn, slept a few hours, Newark, Maryland

·        New York City, went across Brooklyn Bridge, bit of China Town, hookers, etc., West End – H Hudson Parkway, very crowded, construction, finally got to Millbrook, South Pond Farm, short nap, dinner/dance, very nice

·        To church, morning prayer, brunch, left around 1:30, excellent prime rib dinner on way home

·        Home about 1:30 am, good trip > to clinic/barn > tired, went to bed early

·        Went to State Fair with K Foster, Janet Mercer, left car at Mall/Kroger’s, saw Jan Crall, Nancy R., Robbie Moore, Chuck Shields at horse show; home by 9:00 > Pete/Gordon at Ponderosa, Pete took care to go on calls, I brought Scottie home

·        Ralph Guthrie swabbed well > to clinic > to Dr. Robbins, D.O., visited Tony Coleman at O’Bleness gave him book from St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans > ran errands, got groceries

·        Pete on calls > Gordon mowed yard > to clinic briefly > to barn

·        Groomed dogs > to clinic/barn, walked dogs, bedded down horse shed > worked at desk, wrote letters

·        Helped Eric herd Holsteins, Charolais in, used Colonel some > to clinic, ran errands, copying, etc., CJ’s dinner > watched movie, rented video cassette player “Little Big Man” Dustin Hoffman movie

·        Walked dogs down after newspaper > to church, Old Coach Inn, Pat, Karen; picked up Cinnamon > to clinic > nap > rode > Pete, I cleaned out horse shed > read, listened to music

·        To clinic/barn > Ellen Izor here, rode Badge, Alrod

·        To clinic/barn, worked on loan application > took dogs to pond > Catherine, Vance DeWitt picked up Cinnamon

·        To clinic/barn > CJ’s Larry Smith, Janice, Pat, Karen

·        Pete jogged > to church, Old Coach Inn > to clinic > rode Alrod, Pete rode Badge > 2 movies, Clint Eastwood “Tightrope”: Wilder “Lady in Red”

·        To clinic > took cannister to bus station, return COBA items to Dave S. > worked with J. Mitchell, talked with Catherine > Red hit my left knee hard

·        Slept in > dewormed sheep, cattle ivermectin > to clinic, gave horses, barn cats, dogs PYR, took dogs for walk in hay meadow > read

 

September 1984

·        To church > Dairy Barn > lunch, toured Foster’s house > to clinic rest of afternoon

·        Left for N.C. at 10 am, drove down thru Kentucky, stopped at flea market

·        Ate at Jarred House, watched TV

·        Lunch C Café, toured Cherokee Museum/Village; Ruff bit Mom’s hand > ate at old Victorian house

·        Drove to Knoxville, called several times, finally located Dr. Allen, drove to Sweetwater Tennessee; drove home, stopped to call Bob Null

·        To clinic/barn > Chris Kristofferson movie, Ann, Jerry > barn

·        To church/clinic > rode Junie, took dogs, had a nice ride, Pete rode Apple, separately/hay fever

·        To clinic/barn > Pete to Charleston > SCC, ran errands

·        To clinic/barn > drove into Training Club, oil pressure low, came back, scrubbed wall above sink

·        To West Virginia, ate at Duff’s, got blanket/pillow Maranatha Farm, beautiful drive to Charleston calls, nice work horse, ate at an old inn, poor food, took pictures of falls

·        To clinic/barn, ran errands, cultures to O’Bleness, etc., mailed biopsy’s

·        To clinic/barn > Pete on calls late > baled 120 bales hay

·        To church, saw Dr. Phillips at gas station > Old Coach Inn lunch > to O’Bleness for reports, tubes > to clinic/barn > rode; Gordon, Dee, Crippen, Mitzi rode Blaze, rode around farm, took Colonel, ate at Sizzler’s > took blood tubes, papers, etc., to Sam Theiss, visited with Sam, Sheila

·        To clinic/barn > Teresa Klimko, Pete on calls late

·        To clinic/errands > drove truck, helped put hay in barn by Eddy’s > office dinner, movie “Revenge of the Nerds” funny

·        To clinic/errands > O’Bleness; library reception for new book > to barn

·        To fairgrounds, Beef Day, briefly > to clinic, helped put up hay, large copperhead chopped up in bale > dinner at CJ’s, O’Hooley’s

·        Packed, etc., early church > J. S. checked mare > Appalachia Farm Museum, Pete toured, I stayed with Puff, hot Sweetwater Tennessee, Econo Lodge

·        Took Pete out to ReproTech, watched beginners > drove to mountains to Cullowhee, met Mom

·        Mom washed car, Just Jane’s for lunch, Senior Citizen dinner

·        Slept in, 2 of Daddy’s golfing buddies stopped in, lunch at Just Jane’s, drove back to Sweetwater, beautiful drive, stopped to take a few pictures, drove out to ReproTech; Pete called, went back after him, watch TV

·        Drove back home in rain/cold > stopped at Charleston horse show to look at C. Murray pony > dinner at Nancy Bonnett’s, dropped off Clovite; home by 10 PM, kitchen door open

·        To barn/clinic, walked dogs, made up Frankincense grain alcohol, worked at desk

·        To clinic, got sheep with Colonel, over by Negro Den > dewormed sheep PYR > long wait at CJ’s, went to Casa

·        To church, clinic; rode in rain, saw Lucas’ calf in cliff pasture

 

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Milliron: The Biography

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Hocking Hills Book Fair   

Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.