Opa Reads

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Book selections read to my grandchildren.

Opa Hous


    • Mar 28, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 289 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Opa Reads

    TQR Chapter 15: The Last Chapter

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2023 9:52


    Robert stays cheerful, content, and a perfect hostess to the end of her life.

    TQR Chapter 14: An Anxious Week

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2023 10:26


    Robert is beset by an illness of some sort, and she is cared for by family and friends.

    TQR Chapter 13: Robert Asserts Herself

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2023 11:05


    Robert does not receive the attention she is used to receiving at dinner time, so she makes a mess of the food items to gain the attention of adults at the table.

    TQR Chapter 12: He Loves Me

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2023 9:37


    Robert ignores the mating instinct as well as the attention of a male quail, she lays 13 eggs, and she swallows a diamond stone.

    TQR Chapter 11: NBC Television

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 11:38


    The author is hosted by NBC which allows her and the Kienzle's to discover other people who had adopted quail.

    TQR Chapter 10: Just the Two of Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2023 11:56


    Robert enjoys playing chase/tag, she knows how to get attention, and her body proved able to digest even a red cloth ribbon. Three months of vacation came to a happy ending for the Kienzle's as they returned to a healthy Robert.

    TQR Chapter 9: Callers

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 13:45


    Many people visited Robert every week, some who were ornithologists, some artists, and some simply captivated by a bird who loved to make people feel welcome.

    TQR Chapter 8: I Learn

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2023 12:44


    Robert demonstrates God-given instinct regarding food, drinking water, fear of birds overhead, and her love of dirt baths.

    TQR Chapter 7: Fait Accompli

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2023 15:04


    The Kienzle's make a good hand off to get Robert into new surroundings, then they leave on their trip. Robert settles into a new routine with Margaret and the three month visit commences.

    TQR Chapter 6: A Big Problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2023 13:48


    The Kienzle's plan a trip to Europe, so the author begins to plan how to care for Robert in their absence.

    TQR Chapter 5: In The Spring—A Surprise

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 12:29


    Robert molts, lays an egg, and gets weighed as springtime comes to the home.

    TQR Chapter 4: Christmas and Grandchildren

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2023 11:35


    Robert discovers the joy of the crèche (nativity), a Christmas tree, and the excitement of opening gifts.

    TQR Chapter 3: A Change of Season

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2023 11:10


    Roberts is introduced to snow, he shows a love of warmth from his lamp or from fire, and he survives a bleeding toe injury.

    TQR Chapter 2: Registration

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2023 11:51


    We learn of Robert's routines, beginning with morning practices, and also of phone conversations, his keen sense of order, and of his head injury from falling while asleep.

    TQR Chapter 1: The Miracle

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2023 21:42


    Robert, a quail born in Cape Cod, appears out of the last egg found in an abandoned nest and he quickly becomes an attached and social bird in the Kienzle home.

    HDC Chapter 25: The End of My Run

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2023 16:37


    Ralph hosts a celebration dinner for his closest friends in order to share good news regarding his debts, his health, and his engagement.

    HDC Chapter 24: Dr. DeMay's Discovery

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2023 24:21


    Ralph discovers a new diet that adds weight to his body, Dr. DeMay hypothesizes the cause for his diabetes, and Ralph once again pursues the love of his life.

    HDC Chapter 23: My Boyhood Sweetheart

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2023 30:01


    Ralph makes a good profit in the butcher and railroad contract business, in his shipping business, and in a two second sheep trading business.

    HDC Chapter 22: Effie to the Rescue

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 27:09


    Effie advises Ralph on how to package and sell his meat and products, then takes the orders for him. Mr Donovan arrives to inspect the excellently built and maintained business, then introduces Ralph to the railroad steward/head cook.

    HDC Chapter 21: Ready For Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 23:04


    Ralph and Nick implement the building plans for slaughter house and meat packing business. The hogs get set to ship in Saturday and Ralph is barely keeping up with so much to do.

    HDC Chapter 20: Sweet Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 17:59


    Ralph and the bankers reach an agreement, Effie gets the line call out for mortgaged hogs to show up and be bought, and then he and George Miner grade the hogs as they get dropped off.

    HDC Chapter 19: Both Pockets Full of Fish

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2022 17:05


    Ralph meets with success in Omaha, both in selling hogs and in getting the meat contract. Nick is hired to butcher the animals and Ralph negotiates the financing of his operation.

    fish omaha pockets full
    HDC Chapter 18: Making My Bid

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2022 20:30


    Ralph takes his hogs to Omaha and meets the railroad commissary agent to make a bid to provide meat to construction crews.

    Chapter 17: Mother's Sausage

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 19:50


    Ralph determined to recreate his mother's Colorado sausage recipe, and he comes up with a plan to bid on the railroad's butcher contract.

    HDC Chapter 16: Horse of a Different Color

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2022 24:22


    Ralph gets a vision for going into the butchering business when the railroad asks for bids to feed its crews.

    HDC Chapter 15: Three Little Pigs

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 25:14


    Ralph went to trial and ended up owing over $13,000. Effie became his advocate and the neighbors all showed him great support at auction.

    HDC Chapter 14: Flood

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2022 16:30


    Beaver Creek is hit by such a flood that Ralph and Bob lose all their hogs and the entire property gets covered in water.

    HDC Chapter 13: The Sign in the Window

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2022 13:58


    Ralph gets brought to court by the new bank owners, and he shared how he and Bob's family worked hard to pull in the same direction.

    HDC Chapter 12: Bankruptcy

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2022 15:21


    Ralph and George walk Bob through bankruptcy so that he could get back on his feet.

    HDC Chapter 11: Foreclosures

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2022 16:17


    Bob overextends himself with a new Buick and is exposed to his wife as irresponsible. Ralph helps the family through this trial and then he helps the township by honoring both his commitment to the bank and by his care for his neighbor's need to retain good stock.

    HDC Chapter 10: A Skunk Under the Woodpile

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2022 24:41


    Ralph experiences panic and loss alongside most farmers in his part of the country because cattle and hog prices fell drastically. His shipment went out on Christmas Day 1920 and his work ethic continued to diverge from Bob's.

    HDC Chapter 9: Mustang Auction

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 19:38


    Ralph sees the arrival of automobiles and trucks as spelling an end to his wheat hauling business, so he sold out by auction. He and Bob takes on more cattle and hogs, and Bones' bank is sold to new management.

    HDC Chapter 8: The Hog Cycle

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2022 15:55


    Bob goes to Kansas City with Ralph to sell cattle and hogs, and it is a good sale because they only lose $500 when the rest of the market is down 30%. George Miner explains his theory on the hog market cycle, and leaves Ralph to extrapolate his own conclusions about whether to put more cattle or hogs into the feed lot.

    HDC Chapter 7 Blizzards and Backaches

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2022 19:57


    Ralph puts up with Bob's fake back pain since Bob has the knowledge and skill to run a cattle and hog feed lot. Their business venture meant many cold days and nights for both of them.

    HDC Chapter 6: Our First Buying Trip

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2022 16:24


    Effie at the switchboard warns Ralph that she thinks any work alongside Bob Wilson is foolish. Bob and Ralph go on to buy all the steers and hogs they wish to buy, and Christmas Day is spent with the Wilson family.

    HDC Chapter 5: Old Man Macey's Steers

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2022 12:10


    Bob Wilson proves his poor character once again, and Ralph is willing to stand by him yet again…because of his little girl and wife.

    HDC Chapter 4: Jointly But Not as Partners

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2022 23:21


    Ralph has to hold the line in order to not go into business with a dishonest Bob Wilson. Ralph admits by the end of the chapter that he wasn't 21 years old when he did his other work with the bank.

    HDC Chapter 3: A Different Lesson for Bob

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 18:04


    Bob Wilson's poor work ethic and discipline is called out, and only George Miner is clever enough to find a way to lighten the scales so that Bob can't profit from dishonesty.

    HDC Chapter 2: A Lesson from George Miner

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 21:24


    Ralph learns the most by listening to George advise friends and farmers regarding cattle and hogs. Practical advice that Ralph will use to start his own herd.

    HDC Chapter 1: I Become a Drover

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2022 17:49


    Ralph learns about the shipping business from Bob Wilson, and he enjoys the hospitality of the Wilson family by staying with them during a week of culling out older animals.

    TDD Chapter 17: Ragtag No More

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2022 20:11


    Ralph and Judy end their wheat hauling business and begin a cattle trading business. Only Paco will remain with Ralph through the winter, so all the hands leave for Denver.

    TDD Chapter 16: Home on the Dry Divide

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2022 23:19


    Just and the crew figure out how to surprise Ralph with a renovated house and bunk room. Mrs Hudson has enough profit from the wheat harvest to move to town and into a house of her own.

    TDD Chapter 15: On Our Way to Heligoland

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2022 24:19


    The wheat hauling business gets into action as two different properties get managed by Ralph and Judy. The celebration on the first day could be heard a mile away.

    heligoland
    TDD Chapter 14: Yimminy! Dat is Fun!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2022 32:23


    Ornery mustangs are brought in from the field, hitched to the wagons, and then each driver gets to practice running down the gulch and up the opposite hill.

    TDD Chapter 13: Wagon Wheels

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2022 21:20


    Doc is cured of his medicine man ways, the wagons are repaired and made ready for business, and paint is added by Martha and Judy.

    doc wagon wheels
    TDD Chapter 12: Tricky Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2022 27:44


    Ralph and his team figure out how to build a forge, repair the wagons, drive the hills with light horse teams, and then Judy helped Ralph determine which hauling orders could be accepted.

    TDD Chapter 11: Haggling and Horses

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2022 20:18


    Ralph and Judy work together to haggle for horses, harness, and wagons to ensure a successful hauling operation.

    TDD Chapter 10: Bamboozling Bones

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2022 23:33


    Ralph does the arithmetic required for a profit analysis of hauling wheat in order to convince the banker to back his venture. The crew enjoys a day in town, but Doc reverts to old habits.

    TDD Chapter 9: New Fields to Reap

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2022 13:04


    Bones makes a visit to Ralph's fields in order to assess the quality and value of the crops. Ralph develops his first ideas of hauling crops to the elevator.

    TDD Chapter 8: Wheat Harvest

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2022 20:50


    The entire crew gets their jobs sorted out, Myron's family joins the meal, and the muscles adapt to new labor.

    TDD Chapter 7: On My Own

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2022 27:21


    Ralph and his crew repair the machinery, learn their new roles, and make an initial practice run. Good good for the crew and good feed for the horses.

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