BACK IN TIME

I WOKE UP EARLY AND WHILE BEING LAZY THOUGHTS WENT THROUGH MY HEAD SO DECIEDED I'D ADD A LITTLE HERE.



JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I DIDN'T JUST PLAY WHILE GROWING UP I DID WORK SOME. IN THE FALL AT ABOUT TWELVE I WOULD HELP WITH THE HARVEST OF THE POTATOES DAD RAISED. WE HAD HEAVY DUTY WIRE BASKETS THAT WE PULLED UP AND DOWN THE ROWS OF DUG OUT SPUDS. WE FILLED THE BASKETS AND THEN POURED THEM INTO GUNNY SACKS. IT TOOK TWO BASKETS FULL TO EACH SACK. IT TOOK TWO PEOPLE TO FILL THE SACKS ONE TO HOLD AND ONE TO POUR SO YOU WORKED TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK. THAT WAS NOT EASY BUT AS I GREW AND GOT BETTER I WORKED FOR BERT LOVELAND IN HIS HUGE SPUD FIELD. THE MONEY WENT FOR NEEDED CLOTHS AND SCHOOL SUPLIES. THE YEAR I WAS A SENIOR I HAD PLANNED TO GET A CLASS RING WITH SOME OF MY FUNDS. HOWEVER THE RING I LIKED WASN'T CHOSEN BY THE CLASS SO DOROTHY AND I DIDN'T GET ONE. THE POTATO PICKING WASN'T EASY BUT THE MONEY THAT I EARNED HELPED.



THE THRESHERS CAME EVERY FALL TO HARVEST THE GRAIN. I DIN'T HELP WITH THAT BUT DID PEEL POTATOES AND WHAT EVER ELSE NEEDED DONE TO MAKE THE BEST CHICKEN DINNER EVER AT MY MOM'S TABLE. SO MANY FARMERS WOULD TELL HER HOW GOOD HER MEALS WERE AND ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN. I HAVE OFTEN THOUGHT MAYBE SOME WOULD'NT HAVE HELPED EVEN THOUGH DAD AND BAKER HELPED THEM IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THAT CHICKEN DINNER. HELPING EACH OTHER WAS THE PAY BACK.



WHEN THE WELFARE PROGRAM STARTED THE FARMERS WERE ASK TO RAISE SOME SUGAR BEETS FOR THE PROGRAM. DAD PLANTED FIVE OR TEN ACRES FOR THAT THEY HAD TO BE THINNED AND A SHORT HANDLED HOE WAS USED .. YOU'D CUT A SPACE BETWEEN THE BEETS THEN TAKE OUT THE SMALLEST PLANTS LEAVING MAYBE TWO, ALSO PULLED WEEDS AS YOU WENT. THAT MADE SPACE FOR THE BEETS TO GROW BIG. WEEDING HAD TO BE DONE SEVERAL TIMES A SEASON. WE'D WORK AT THIS TILL WARMED IN THE SUMMER SUN AND EVERY TIME WE'D GET TO THE END BY THE CANAL WE'D GET IN THE CANAL TO COOL OFF. CLOTHS AND ALL. THAT WASN'T TOO BAD AS THE CLOTHS DRIED ON OUR BACKS AS WE CONTINUED WORKING.



IN THE SPRING WHEN IT WAS PLANTING TIME FOR THE POTATOES WE HAND CUT THE POTATOS INTO SEED SIZE. WHEN WE LIVED UP BY THE QUAKER STATE PLACE THERE WAS A COOL SHADY PLACE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY WHERE WE WORKED. IT WAS MADE FUN AS WE WATCHED THE CARS DRIVE BY AND TOOK TURNS HAVING THAT ONE FOR OURS. SOME WERE FANCY FOR THE TIMES AND OTHERS ALMOST WRECKS EVEN FARM TRUCKS HAD A TURN. WE'D LAUGH OVER THE AWFUL LOOKING ONES. WE EVEN TALKED ABOUT WHERE WE WERE HEADED IN THOSE CARS. PLACES LIKE YELLOWSTONE PARK AND EVEN DAY DREAMED OF A TRIP TO TEXAS SOME DAY. MOM OFTEN HELPED WITH THE CUTTING OF THE SEEDS SO SHE HELPED THE FUN TIMES ALONG. IT WAS PLEASANT IN THE COOL OF THE WILLOW TREES WE WORKED UNDER. THE TREES ARE LONG GONE AND IT IS HARD TO RECOGNISE WHERE WE LIVED. NO MORE QUAKER STATE SIGN TO MARK THE PLACE.



DID I MENTION HERDING THE COWS TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING IN THE HAY FIELDS. TIMES WERE NOT EASY AND DAD COULDN'T AFFORD THE FENCING TO KEEP THE COWS PASTURED. JACK AND I WOULD GET PRETTY ROCKS OUT OF THE CANAL AND USE FOR FENCES IN OUR FARMS [IMAGINARY] OF COURSE. WE TOOK TURNS CHECKING TO SEE WHERE THE COWS WERE AND DROVE THEM BACK AWAY FROM WHERE THEY LIKED TO SNEAK INTO THE HAY FIELDS. WE WENT BAREFOOT ALL SUMMER EXCEPT FOR CHURCH AND TOWN. ONE DAY I HAD A REALLY SORE SPOT ON MY FOOT AND IT SWELLED. JACK PUT ME ON THE HORSE AND TOOK ME HOME BARE BACK AND NO BRIDLE. HOW HE MANAGED I DON'T KNOW TO THIS DAY. THAT FOOT PUT ME OUT OF HELPING FOR A TIME TILL WITH HOT SOAKING AND WHAT EVER ELSE WAS USED TO HEAL THINGS WORKED TO MAKE IT BETTER. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A ROCK BRUISE BUT I DON'T WANT ONE OF THOSE EVER AGAIN.