MY GRANDPA

I loved it when we would go and visit when they was making sorghum syrup. Chewing on the sorghum canes was so good. It was very interesting to watch the old mules go round and round to grind the canes. That is when they lived by a creek and we got to go swimming a lot, it had a rope swing. I remember the milk cow they had there, she was so gentle, Joyce and I milked, that was my first experience at milking a cow. It was kinda fun. You had to make sure your hands was not cold If they was you would probably get kicked. We always had to carry a bucket of warm water to wash her bag before we milked.
They had fields all around them that they planted every year, they planted corn, sorghum, peas and a regular garden for vegestables. They always had plenty of potatoes, we was there during potato digging time usually and came home with some. All the kids had to pick them up. They was dug with mules and turning plow. They stored them usually under the house for keeping.

When we would leave we traveled through an open field that was their road out.
We did not live in Sheridan at that time. I believe we lived in Fordyce.They moved from there to an open place, their house set on a hill. They had a large silo in the back of their house. It held food for the animals for the winter.
One year one of the boys, Hugh, Junior or Richard got tired of planting corn and burried the rest in a hold, well when it came up guess what, someone was in deep trouble. Corn in a pile and skips in rows. Some rows no corn at all.
I remember they had an old victrola, we played records, in the summer we would move it to the porch and turn it up as loud as it would go. The boys in the fields liked that.

Last year we took a trip down to Sparkman with Edward, my older brother. It was a good day, the house they lived in still stands. We walked up to it, had to climb a fence to get to it. We looked inside, through the window. I remembered Grandma and Grandpa bed in the corner. He had a string from the light in the ceiling to his bed, to turn the light on and off. That is the way he always fixed the lights. That way he was in the bed and didn't have to stumble around in the dark to find the bed. No such things as switches then. No such things as night lights ourside either. The fireplace was still standing. I had a lot of remenising that day.

We visited the Garner place, the Stafford place, went by Harvey's place and walked around. The barn, the smoke house where they cured their meat. We set on the porch and just went back in time. Harvey is my Grandpa's brother. Grandma Ella lived there until she died. Harvey and Grandpa mother. Sweet Lady. Have to write about her someday. Lots of memories.
The last time we visited Uncle Harvey, Coy and I took Brother Sharp and Mother down there, Boy did we hear some tales that day. House was cold all around except by the fire place, that is where we set the whold 3 or 4 hours. J.D. wife was there. J.D. is Harveys son. He had died and his wife was taking care of Harvey. He did not live long after that.
I know I have rambled a lot but when you get to thinking, all kinds of things comes to your mind.
You have to write it then or you forget your thoughts.
Good night for now and GOD BLESS