“The Caspers of Felt, Idaho,” Friend, Jan. 1989, 40–41
Making Friends:
The Caspers of Felt, Idaho
Because their nearest neighbors are more than half a mile away, Shaylene, Sheena, Sabrina, and Sara Casper spend most of their time together. The four sisters live on a farm three miles outside of Felt, Idaho.
There is a lot to do on a farm. The girls use their creativity to come up with different games. One of their favorite pastimes is walking on their own “balance beam” (a piece of metal in their backyard).
A swingset in the yard becomes uneven bars with a little imagination. Sabrina (5) likes to hang upside down while her sisters swing back and forth.
Nine-year-old Shaylene enjoys climbing a pole in the front yard. Last year Shaylene was baptized in Driggs, a small town almost thirty miles from their farm. “I had to be baptized twice,” Shaylene remembers, “because my foot accidentally floated up.”
Jumping on the trampoline is also a favorite pastime. Sara likes to jump on it with her big sisters. She feels safer that way.
Sometimes the Casper sisters take their dogs, Wiggles and Puppy, and visit Grandpa and Grandma Casper, who live almost a mile up the road. They help Grandma Casper pick flowers, raspberries, and strawberries. They also play with Grandpa Casper’s croquet set.
The girls have chores to do. Besides helping Mom (Charlene) inside the house, they often go with Dad (Shane) to check on the acres of potatoes and grains.
Sheena works with her sisters in the garden. They all helped plant carrots, tomatoes, peas, and corn last year. Sabrina sometimes slips out to the garden and eats raw sweet peas, her favorite vegetable.
When it’s cold, the girls stay inside. They like to watch television, help Mom make punch and pudding, and play horsie. Sabrina holds on tight to Shaylene so that she won’t get bucked off. It’s fun to play horsie outside in the summer too.
Even though there are not a lot of other children to play with in Felt, the Casper girls are happy. They like playing with each other and with their mom. They are best friends.
Photographed by Kellene Ricks