There's a story behind this picture.
So this picture represents us leaving GA and riding the Greyhound bus back home to Miami. James was not having it! (smile)
Each year we went to GA for the summer. We took the Greyhound or Trailways bus. We sat in the seat directly behind the bus driver and were instructed to hand him a note which had information about us and our destination. I think back now and realize that we traveled by ourselves at a young age. We were instructed by mom and aunt to only get off in Jacksonville to switch buses and use the restroom. We took care of each other on the bus. We had lots of food in our food bag: fried chicken, pound cake, grapes, chips, soda, potato salad fruit and more. My mom and Aunt Estelle made sure of it.
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Going to GA each summer was exciting, interesting and educational to say the least. We had lots of cousins to play with.
Life In The Country - Goose Neck
The nearest neighbor was miles up the road. It was pitch black dark at night. Lot's of kids, food, fun, oh yes bugs. I look back now and see it differently. Organic food, good living, peace and quiet. My Aunt & Uncle grew their own food, had just about every animal on their farm imaginable. My aunt would give us a bucket and tell us to pick the vegetables we wanted for dinner. They grew all sorts of vegetable, water melons, etc. I was amazed, coming from the city with this. So many kids to play with that it didn't matter that neighbors were so far away.
Cooking - James
All my aunts were excellent cooks.
Aunt Doris - The best pecan pie and blackberry cobbler
Aunt Frances - The best flour bread, biscuits, real cane-sugar syrup and thick smoked bacon.
Aunt Irene- Fresh milk from real cows, free range organic chicken and eggs from the farm, fried cream corn from scratch, cakes, sweet potato pies and so much more.
Both Grandmas - Great cooks and could do it all.
Rooster & Chicken Pecking James
I remember my brother playing in Aunt Irene's backyard with the other kids. I was inside trying to preserve my hair because I had so much hair and no one to take care of it away from home. James kept messing with the chickens. I stood at the back door watching to make sure he was okay. I thought to myself, that rooster is going to peck him in a minute and he did! I just remember the rooster running behind James and pecking him all over. I started screaming help! LOL. My Uncle saved the day.
Falling In The Hogs Pen
We went with my uncle in the woods to feed the hogs. He gave us each a pale of food to feed the hogs. We were told to climb up on the wooden fence and leaned over and pour the food in the pen. Well, James fell in the pen!!! I was so scared and starting crying because I thought the hogs were going to eat him alive. I was screaming for my uncle to come help but climbed in because he was taking to long. He had to get us both out. We came home muddy, stink and traumatized. We never went back to feed the hogs again.
Summer Trip Farewell
When time to leave GA each summer, James would get sad or start crying at the bus station because he didn't want to leave. He loved GA! I would be smiling because I was ready to go home, get my hair done and forget about the bugs.