Recap from last issue: Somewhere along the line we had a collie named Susie and another named Laddie. Laddie was a favorite of mine. Russie brought him home about the time the road was being black topped and kept him at the barn until it was a good sized pup.

He was so much company while Russie was in service, always so pleased when Russie came home and sensed it when Russie was about to leave. That day we could never find Laddie. It seemed as though he never wanted to say "goodbye". If the hogs were out across the road he put them back in the land then guarded the opening until the men came home. He was my body guard when I was home alone and so much company. When he was hit by a tractor and taken to the vetinary's down town we all felt like a member of the family was there.

Russ & Joyce went in on Sunday morning & after decided they could do no more for him he was put to sleep and they brought him home. We all cried at church that morning when we saw them in the vestibule as they came in church & told us about it. I never wanted another dog but now we have Webbie - which is a later story.

In 1930 Russie started to school and I was so lonesome that fall. We had corn on the Flander's place and still husking corn by hand. I helped Russell a lot that fall and became a pretty good corn husker. The house was too quiet and lonely with both children in school. That was my first and last corn husking experience. I used to drive the tractor now & then. The only time that stands out vividly was one fall when we were sowing wheat in the field north of the woods on the east side of the lane. I was discing and Russell had to leave the field on an errand. He told me not to try to crank the tractor. Not wanting him to come back and find me sitting in practically the same place as when he left I heaved and ho'd and finally got the tractor going. When Russell came back he thought it a wonder I hadn't ended Up with a broken arm. I never enjoyed farming in that manner although Edith used to delight in helping in the field. I could milk in an emergency but it was a task I did from a sense of duty only, then then only when hired help wasn't available for a few days at a time. I have milked 10 cows at a milking.

          end of part thirty-three

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