[mrnoodle]

I miss sitting in my granddaddy's lap on the farm at Larrison Prairie at 5 in the morning drinking "coff" when I was about 4. It was mostly sugar and milk, but by God it was coff to me. I still remember the cup I drank out of, the feel of the table on my arms, the feel of grandaddy's lap..I wish I had that particular cup, but an uncle got it when g-daddy died...

Anyway, we'd drink our coff and go out to milk. Old-school, with a little stool (wasn't really a stool, kind of a worn out spool of some kind turned over) It was baaaarely light outside, and under the trees in the milkin shed it was still dark as night. hard to step when there's craters in cow poop made by hooves the night before. You might fall, you might break something, you might just get wet. Take your pick. Puttin the hay into the trough in front, putting hobbles on her if she was a kicker. Standing in front of Granddaddy while he showed me how to get the milk out, then started doin it myself. Turned around to show him but he was gone. I felt like a real cowboy then, lemme tell you. I told about milking the cow myself for the rest of the week.

I only got maybe a cup out before I tired out, but that's still "Milking The Cow" as far as I'm concerned.

I miss my grandaddy and nana tonight.