As things in this country try to get back to a new “normal”, we still have lots of time to reflect these days. For sure it’s been a time to remember in itself, and today’s children will have lots of tales to tell their children because of “the sickness” (as our 7 year old great-nephew puts it.)  Summertime is supposed to be this great carefree release when you’re a child – I hope today’s children can find some sense of that this summer. For sure, I’ve been reflecting on some of my growing up childhood summertime memories.

Summer wheat harvest is one of the strongest memories – if we didn’t have a good harvest, things would be difficult financially. Farmers knew their fields and monitored the progress of the wheat. I love this photo of my best friend’s father in his wheat field – the clouds looming in the background. The wheat is still young-ish and the rain would be welcome. To me, this photo tells the story of what the wheat means to a farmer.

When we could see these beautiful golden fields all the way to harvest, it was a real blessing.

Days of harvesting, quite often with ‘custom cutters’ (for-hire outfits who traveled around, following the harvest to help farmers get it all cut quickly), were long, especially for the men who worked in the field all day. We helped our mother and grandmother prepare the lunch meal to take out to the field in the trunk of the car, where they would eat in shifts so the combine wouldn’t have to stop cutting. As a kid, it was a treat to ride in the wheat truck, to take the grain to town to get it weighed and dumped, and then return to get another load. Later, as a teenager, it was just as much a treat (and a taste of responsibility) to be allowed to drive the truck to town by myself.

The sight and sounds and smells of wheat harvest never leave you.

What special memory of your childhood summers speaks to you?

Thanks for reading – stay safe!

Adena