I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

From 1st grade to 5th grade, my stepfather, worked for my aunt and uncle on their horse farm.

We lived in a trailer they owned at the front of the property, and then moved to a modest house, two lots up when I was in second grade. I have no idea what my father thought of the situation. As a kid, it was perfect.

My Aunt Birdie and Uncle Conley owned the horse farm that most of our little neighborhood, Paynes Depot, bordered on. 80+ acres of farmland, if I remember correctly. They raised tobacco and thoroughbred horses, As a kid, I couldn’t have picked a better place to live.

Their farm, provided hours of exploration on our bikes in fourth and fifth grade, including their tobacco barn, which we’d been told was haunted. Even better their house had a pool and a trampoline. What more could a little kid want. In the summer, we spent so many days at their house. Literally swimming all day, then we were told to jump on the trampoline to dry off, and then we’d get lunch. It seemed like this happened every day, but it probably wasn’t as often as I remember.

On the days it rained, sometimes, my aunt would still let us come up to their house and play. I’d play the barbies, in their playroom and I sit at the piano and pretend that I knew how to play. It was a dream as an 8 year old to learn to play the piano. I asked and asked and asked to for us to get a piano. We were offered one when I was in fourth grade, but my father wouldn’t pick it up.

Alas, I didn’t take lessons until I was in high school, a little late to be starting something like that.

The summer’s in Paynes Depot really were special.
As a 6 or 7 year old, I attended day camp for the girl scouts. My aunt was a girl scout leader and sleep away/day camp was held at the back of their farm. We’d ride our bikes back to the camp and do the crafts with the girls. I still remember making plaster molds of our hands.

We explored all over the place. The train tressle, just like in Stand By Me. The old house on the other side of the tracks that had clearly once been a stately home. I was amazed at the number of fireplaces in the house. We played in the creek, but were told to beware the snakes that were poisonous. (Yes, I know it’s venomous, but we were told they were poisonous). The hayloft, was also a special place, were you could disappear into play for hours at a time, regardless of how hot it had been.

My aunt’s farm had a Volkswagen beetle that was kind of junked near their horse barn, and my father caught me looking at the girlie magazine I found under the front seat once, when I was supposed to be helping get feed for the horses.

The days in Paynes Depot, were wonderful. The nights were another story that I’ll delve into another time.

All of this is brought up, by the photo I found tonight. I’m pretty sure I’ve posted it before, but my uncle raised and trained racehorses and the photo shows a race we attended that his horse won.

I remember this photo being taken clear as day.

It’s nice to be reminded of the good parts of my childhood.

I was in 2nd grade when this photo was taken.

That’s my mom with her arms on my shoulders. By Aunt Debbie to her left. And my Aunt Birdie and Uncle Conley are two places over. He as a hat, and she was a blue blouse.

Who knew they raced horses in the winter.\