Joys of summertime...

Do you remember the days when you caught bees and lightening bugs in a jar? Or crawdads in the creek? I grew up in the country where my step-father raised rabbits, ducks and turkeys. He farmed a few acres and worked in the city. He let me drive the tractor. He had tiny Morton salt shakers for his lunch and we used to steal one and pick all the ripe tomatoes in the garden, sprinkle them with salt, and devour them warm with sunshine. I put crawdads in the horse trough and threw in my little sister. I had to ride my bike a mile to play with a girl my own age. We used to swing in tire swings and play in the hay in the barn. Our school had one big room for all the classes and we could walk to the church across the street. I never wore shoes during the week and now I can't go outside without them; my feet are way too tender. I miss those carefree days when my only responsibility was to be a child.