Summer's End

Grandpa is going through 'child' withdrawal.  Each day the grands spent here boosted his mental and physical well being.
I can hardly believe it myself.

We did a first time fishing trip.  The fish were not cooperating, but it didn't matter.  Ariel and I coaxed tiny fish to try and take her worm.  It was fun watching them try to get the bait.

Grandpa finished up chores by the time I got home on Wednesday morning and we took a trip to the creek.  Grandpa rode the 4 wheeler to the bottom then we all hiked in the water and looked at 'stuff' like rocks, plants, and animal tracks.

There is so much to be learned in just a small hike like that.  The kids learned how to look for interesting things and we left them to discover things like...walking on wobbly rocks. 

Later, after lunch Grandpa got Fred, the mule, out of the pasture so each of the kids could brush him and then he saddled Fred.

Learning about mules or any equine takes a lot of time and patience.  Ariel expressed her wish to learn to ride.
She adores the equine we have.
If I couldn't see her in the yard during the visit I could count on her to be standing and watching the mares, mules, and donkeys in the meadow.

I often reflect back on when I was a child and stayed the summer at my Grandparent's small place.  Many times I'd end up at my Aunt and Uncle's place.  They had horses.  My Uncle used to be in the Cavalry.
He taught me how to ride.  He let me explore my balance on an equine.  Other lessons came from my cousins who rode all of the time.

Other times would find me at my other Uncle's place.  I learned how to milk cows and do without running water in the house.
As children, we found absolute freedom in the woods.  We ran barefoot, explored streams, made forts, climbed trees, worked in the garden, and went swimming.

When we had to leave the countryside and go back to 'the city' at the end of summer.  I sat quietly in the back seat of the '65 Dodge Stationwagon and stared out the window ... the view was blurred as tears silently fell from my eyes.
Each summer my heart was broken by leaving the 'country' and all that freedom.

Having to go back to school where we had to wear shoes and back to our house with a small backyard seemed like pure torture.

I saw a glimmer of that when the 'grands' had to leave after their stay.
Tears fell, and nothing we could say made them feel better.

Deep in my heart I knew what they were feeling.
Deep in Grandpa's heart ... I knew what he was feeling.
We watched the kids [yes not just the grands] drive away...we were silent.

I took Grandpa's hand and squeezed it.
Now I was the Grandparent feeling what it was like to see the kids leave and feeling the emptiness left behind.

The farm seemed a little less lively.

And I was reminded of the little girl in the '65 Dodge Stationwagon so many years ago.