Write On!

              have been relieved to have the grain in the bin despite the fact that
prices fell lower and lower to about 35 cents a bushel, I believe.
Yes, times were tough all over the world which I didn't quite
understand but remember how concerned my parents were.
Winter slid by with very little more snow falling and not
too cold as it had all come in September and early October.
However, economic times got worse and worse. No market for
grain, cattle, pigs, eggs, butter or nearly all farm produce, least we
weren't hungry as dozens of city dwellers certainly were.
Charles was growing very quickly, now smiling, laughing,
gurgling and cooing and we adored him. In July, Mother had a
severe kidney infection and was confined to her bed upstairs for
several days. I was in my glory as I had Charles to fully take care
of. I bathed him, changed and dressed him and just took him up to
be nursed and back down with me. Dad was in and out with the
farm and garden work. Charles loved the feel of the green grass
under his bare chubby little feet as he learned to walk, giggling and
squirming all the while. Boots and shoes were a real nuisance to
him for several years I recall. Typical boy!
He created numerous laughs as he learned to talk and
communicate with us. One choice moment we all enjoyed was
when Mother was doing the washing on the scrub board and Dad
was working in the green house close by. They were sending him
back and forth with silly messages till Mother had to attend to
another duty and said, " Tell your father the discussion is now
closed," Charles toddled off to the greenhouse with this message,
" Dad, Mother is cussing the clothes."
We had a fenced house yard plus a larger barn yard and
grain fields beyond. Charles was confined to the former with his
little wagon, trucks, cars plus a big collie dog. Alas, one day he was
missing and we were all frantically searching for them both. The
gate was open to the bam yard- why, who knows. I suggested to
Mother that I would climb up in the hay loft in the bam for a better
view. Sure enough, he and the dog were wandering down through
the tall grain. I could just see the tip of the dog's tail. He was soon
rescued and scolded but difficult to be cross with the cutest little
blonde blue- eyed boy! How he escaped through both yards unseen
remained a mystery.
One spring after a very heavy winter snow fall we had quite
a natural dugout full of water in the pasture. No real swimming
pools within miles in our area then, so this was the chance. Mother
sent for little cotton bathing suits for us from Eatons at 50 cents
each I believe. One sunny afternoon off we went to our own wee