Having done something productive before my second mug of coffee is unusual unless it was an emergency~!
Ages six up to about fourteen, go to Papaw John's before dawn. Go to the house and let Mimmy know I was on the farm. Go bring in the dairy cows, which was basically call them, open the barn gate.
Go load Papaw's truck with hay carried up from the old chicken house. Go round the lots except the bull lot, check fencing. Check fencing on bull lot visually outside of it.
Return to the barn where milkers had come in. Go about getting "the machine" set up. Test the machine was ready. Cut it on and felt the suction. Cut it off. Greet Papaw at the barn gate.
He would go get one of the milkers on. Had to get them some hay for the stock bins. They would eat while being milked. Steer any calves away from the mama milkers. This wasn't done being mean. It was done to help naturally ween them off cows that were sore from their teeth.
Once milking finished up, carry down the buckets to Mimmy, set them on the closed in porch. Back up the lane to Papaw waiting in the truck. Hop on the back. Get Papaw's pocket knife. Start busting a bale or two open, shaking it out off the truck.
Keep on until all the bales for that morning were done. Climb into the truck cabin from off the back. Give Papaw his knife back. Take truck back to its garage, park. Go to the house.
Brush self off, shoes off on porch. Wash up hands and face at kitchen sink. Go to your seat along the side of the table. Papaw only sat at the head of the table. Sit, wait for Papaw.
Once he took and swallowed his first bite, we could go on and eat. Might get a coffee then, around six to seven of a morning after already working two to three hours, depending on what else was involved that morning.
About every other morning I had to get up to go haul firewood into our house. Would also go on and start the first load of laundry for mom, set out anything she needed for breakfast. There was also gardening of its season, mowing, branding and gelding steers.
Three brothers in the country so you imagine there was all kinds of playing as well. Ought to bottled all that up.
