Growing Up Fast but Hanging On

I don't know about the rest of you, but it is very hard for me to accept the fact that I'm now part of the "older" folks.  Many years ago, a friend and I were talking and we agreed that with the problems going on, it was time for the grown ups to step up and make some decisions.  Then, I reminded him that in our mid 30's, we were supposed to be grownups!  He and I both agreed that we could be in trouble. 

I was reminded of that recently when my 92 year old Aunt Mildred passed away.  She was the last of my mother's siblings.  

Aunt Mildred and Aunt Dean

I lost Aunt Dean, the other lady in this picture, back in April.  There are no more aunts and uncles for me on either side of the family.   What I've discovered is that you always feel like one of the kids if there's a parent or an aunt or uncle around.  They are the "grown ups".    All the cousins were together for Aunt Mildred's  memorial and we're all feeling a bit adrift.  And we're realizing that not only are we now the grown ups, we're fast approaching or already are some of the "old folks".  

I stayed with my brother while I was down in Florida.  He's been the caretaker of a farm (other than his own, of course) for years but I'd never been over to it.  This trip I told him I wanted a tour.  Before heading to the farm, we had to go check on a few things.  We had to go by our family's old farm to check the traps for feral hogs.  Nothing there.  Then we headed off to check on some of my brother's cows that were pastured a number of miles away.   Got there and luckily the cows were close to the fence.  One of the cows had been limping and he wanted to check her hoof again.  He discovered that she had undoubtedly stepped on something and gotten cut.  He'll have to move her back to the house so he can doctor on her and keep an eye on her.   

Then, he decided he wanted to go see a man about a check.  The guy bought some hay from my brother and he had called wanting to exchange cash for the check.  Fine with brother but he could never catch him at home.  Didn't find him home this trip either because he was with his daughter who was competing in a rodeo about 70 miles away.  Oh well, I got a tour of places I hadn't seen in many years, including the grist mill where we always got our corn meal ground.  I have that ticking sack that was used only for the corn kernels and then the ground meal.   Oh my, the smell of freshly ground, warm corn meal!  

After riding over what felt like half the county, we finally went over to the farm so I could see where he spends an inordinate amount of time and energy.   As we drove around, he showed me all the projects he's working on, including the new fences he has put in this year and the watering system so that all the pastures have well water.  He's got part of the pasture land plowed up and ready for rye and clover to be planted. 

And, I had to see some of his cows that were in those pastures. 

After visiting the bovines, we headed off through the woods to the old pond.  (Yes, there is a new pond also.)   I thought we'd gone most everywhere but he assured me that there were other places to go but they required the Purple Onion (the old battered 4 wheel drive Tracker) or the 4x4 buggy.  Since we were on the "good" truck, he wouldn't take it those places!

We stopped and he checked the fish feeder.  The second he touched it, the water was suddenly splashing with fish wanting food.    There's a small floating dock there for fishing or just hanging out.  Brother says he'll just sit there sometimes, taking it all in for a while. 

I headed back north on Sunday.   Somehow, these weeks just keep flying by. 

Y'all take care.