Hay Day. At the time my aunt was watching her only grandchild, so after lunch we would take her with us providing her with time to get some of her chores done. The cooking, cleaning and laundry for the dozen children residing in her house for the summer must have been quit a chore. Since it was the hottest part of the day, less strenuous activities filled our afternoons. Some days we would help with the laundry, other days the cream would be churned for butter or we head off for the blueberry patch to fill our bellies as we picked. Other days we'd saddle the horses and head over to drag another cousin "home", or just spend the afternoon riding.
About the time my uncle came home from work, it was off to the barn to milk and feeding the cows again. The one cow who had to be milked by hand, had a young calf who had to be bottle feed. We took very good care of him and he grew quite well over the summer. In for dinner and off to the hay fields again. We would work until dark, or if rain was forecast, until it was all in the barn safe from the weather. Now it sounds like nothing but work, yet we returned every summer willingly. I'm not sure you could get me in a hay field today (maybe if I was promised the driving), but we were all working together, talking, laughing and having fun.
