DAIRYING TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

Thermometer by the door said 23 as g-son and I left for school this morning.
By the time I got back home the sun was shining brightly making it look much warmer than it felt.
After I finished chores and breakfast and read my Bible verses for the day I just sat and watched the activity at the bird feeders for a  little while. It felt good to relax in the warm house before having to brave the cold air for much of the rest of the day with the temperature barely reaching 40 for a short time this afternoon.
I had to run all my regular errands in town as well as search for a small corner shelf to replace a larger one that I keep hitting with my computer chair.
I came up empty not realizing how rare small corner shelves were. I found a square shelf in one store and measured it to see how that would work. I picked up 3 boston butts and 6 split chicken breast for the smoker as hubbie is going to fire it up again Saturday.
After eating a late lunch I spent the afternoon determined to finish #2 son's taxes. I was just finishing up when hubbie came home to ask if I wanted to ride up to #2 son's house to deliver his lawn mower and weed eater hubbie had picked up from daughters on his way home.
I  fed and put up the dogs and fed the chickens and gathered eggs before we left.
Son was busily cleaning his house from top to bottom. As I looked around at how pretty the house is I thought I sure wished it was in a different location so son could keep it. The realtor is coming Saturday to take pictures and list it on the market for sale. #2 son said the other realtor called today with a counter offer on the lot of land he has a bid in on and he accepted the counter so he closes on that property in May. At least he is off next week so he can work on having that land surveyed and perked before he officially buys it.
Hubbie and I came home to find #1 son searching through all our out buildings for a small gas grill we have. He finally found it in his half of the shop covered with other things on a bottom shelf. Maybe that will inspire him to organize his things. (doubt it) !!!
Today on the way home I had another memory flash as I passed this old dairy farm my cousin used to run. These old barns have lots of memories for me as I grew up in them. I remember I loved to stand in the warm milking parlor when it was cold outside and  watch the milk spurt through the overhead clear plastic lines to the big stainless steel tank.I can close my eyes and smell the cow smell and see them looking at me with those huge brown eyes while they slowly munch the grain from the feeders.

My dad's nephew ran this farm and we were always around there as dad helped in the fields and wherever else he was needed and his nephew's wife was my babysitter when she was needed.
This farm was my dad's old homeplace. As I grew up that old 2 story white house was a landmark in the community. The only thing I didn't like about it was the tin roof when it was raining. The loud noise of the pounding rain was deafening inside that house.
This is a picture of the house with my grandfather standing on the porch.

 And here it is in the background of this photo of my dad and his second wife and her daughter,they lived with his nephew and his wife for years in this house. My dad and Dottie lived on the second floor and his nephew and his wife lived on the bottom floor.

Unfortunately this old house burned down in the late 60's and they rebuilt a nice brick home in it's place.
In this pic you can see the roof of the house in the background beside the silo.

Dad's nephew had one daughter who married and moved to Georgia and taught school there while her husband worked in research. She held on to the farm with the dream of moving back here to retire. But God had other plans for her as he called her home a couple years ago with a respiratory illness. Her husband who is also originally from up here is staying in Georgia so he sold the house to another cousin about a year ago. She like my daughter is a single young lady and is doing well for herself.

The barns and pastures are all rented out now.
It always amazes me how things change so much yet stay the same in the memories of the mind.
Thanking God for these wonderful years and the memories I have of them.
Good Night and God Bless.