At every turn and bend in the road were surprises or things to be remembered, from other drives such as the spots where the pinkest Mayflowers had been found in the spring or the birds nests or where a black snake had once crossed over, or where the biggest blueberries grew and best of all at the end of the trip at the last bend of the road the fun of seeing the farm house first and if you weren’t the first to see the house perhaps with standing up you could be first to see the lakes. But even if you didn’t see any of the things first it was nice to see them anyway the new and the old. There was always so much new to be found, new flowers, bugs, birds, berries and everything just lovely and woodsey and at grandfather’s farm it was always a time for something--cherry time, strawberrie time or watermelon time and if it wasn’t a time for a fruit or vegetable it was a party time like Thanksgiving--Christmas--or just a summer picnic, and always a happy time in such a happy place [Illustration: THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE HOUSE] Grandfather and Grandmother had horses and carriages but the horses travelled very slowly and the carryalls were covered and not like the democrat wagon the eight children were used to and liked because it was open and they could see so much. Buggys and carryalls were not bad for old folks and rainy days. Hay wagons and truck carts were jolly fun and rides on the backs of fat farm horses from the field to barn were worth waiting for and then to slide off over the round fat side and to run quickly from the hoofs that could sometimes kick. To run and offer a few whisps of hay or an apple as reward for the ride and not get nipped by those big rows of teeth, that was fun. [Illustration] Grandmother was most always at home and busy, but pleased to have company, tho she didn’t stop being busy for company. She would spin or weave or make cakes or pies and company could help and when dinner time came she said they had earned their dinner. Such platters of fried fish, rye bread and Indian meal cakes and puddings with pumpkin pies so large and deep, a dinner to be earned and remembered [Illustration]