Summer's Weekend
By Sally Amspaugh 

Editor’s note: Sally was a founding member of the Senior group. She passed away July 21, 2011. This is being published in her memory. 

Ah, some of the happiest days of my life
Fat roosters crowed long ‘fore the sun
Just “one more weekend’ at Grandpa’s house
Before the new school year begun 

At Grandpa’s house we gathered brown eggs
And “helped” to milk the cows
I’d begged for a tin cup of frothy warm milk
Fed corn to pink pigs and fat sows 

I climbed endless ladders, pitched hay from the mow
Then jumped in that hay so sweet
I’d swing on a rope to the other side
Hoping to land on bare feet 

A mow filled with wheat straw of shimmering gold
To bed ten brown jerseys beneath
I loved to stick those skinny wheat straws
In the space between my front teeth 

Back at the farm house past two ole’ red pumps
My Grandma fried bacon and eggs
Made biscuits with gravy and pancakes with jam
Sweet coffee and cider in kegs 

Late morning with Grandpa shucked rows of tall corn
By hand – that’s the way it was done
Stacked long yellow ears in a heap at each end
We had bushels and bushels of fun 

Grandma brought sandwiches promptly at noon
We ate ‘neath the shade of oak trees
Cookies and apples and tart lemonade
Watchin’ milk silk blow by on a breeze 

A quick nap for grandpa – we giggled – he snored
His straw hat pulled down ‘ore his nose
We’d lie on our backs as the clouds passed us by
Then surprise ourselves with short doze