Noon Marks …. Again

My sister and her husband asked me about noon-marks because he was going to host a bus load of seniors to a place that
has one. I remembered my early interest in them and a strange encounter with an aunt while I was in early grade school.
Went with my family to the home of my Mother’s cousin. The children generally stayed outside ,and I noticed a stick . Just an ordinary twig stick in front of their farm house porch steps. Picked it up and tossed it because I was afraid someone would
fall on it and “put a eye out”. The aunt came outside and asked me where the stick was. Told her it was dangerous…so I had
to get rid of it. She said “that’s what I use to tell when it’s time for Will to have his lunch” Well I’ve always been cautious so
I did not break the stick but had just tossed it and filed a memory of where it was, Guess I’ve always had some OCD. So I didn’t break it , just tossed it.

There
was a large farm bell on a tall post with a long rope “switch”. When the stick’s shadow was on a carefully drawn line ,she knew
it was noon. Didn’t make any sense until I read about sundials. That was probably my first lesson in technology.