One day Grandma asked me, "Would you like to go for a walk in the woods?"

I was excited.   We were going on an adventure.

Grandma hung her apron on the hook by the back door and off we went.   Of course, there were some chores we had to first.

We had to stop and check the baby chicks that had been moved from the hatchery into one of the small chicken houses.   Grandma called them the "brooder houses."   Inside, the floor was covered with chickens that had lost their baby yellow fuzziness and were getting their white feathers.   In the corner was a big pail turned upside down in a dish.   This is what the chicks drank water from   Along the edges of the house were long trays filled with grain, this is where they got their food from.

Hanging on the side of the wall, by the door, was a large round tank.   Grandma lifted up the top and looked in.   The tank was filled with oil and when it got cold, Grandma lit it.   It was like a heater to keep the chicks warm at night.

After Grandma got done looking at a couple of these smaller houses, she checked the two long hen houses to see how the big chickens were doing.   They had enough water and feed so we started walking back, down the lane, toward the woods.

Grandma showed me the sheep barn, but the sheep were in the pasture today.   She showed me the turkey roost.   It was a funny sort of building, very small, that was open on all sides with only a roof and a bunch of boards up high that they could sit on.   Wire was used for the walls.

Then Grandma pointed out the horse barn, but she didn't have horses anymore.

As we got near the woods, there was a little shed.   Grandma stopped and tugged the door open.   Inside was a big tank with a sort of stove under it, a table and lots and lots of spider webs.

"This is the sugar shack," Grandma said.

"What's a sugar shack," I asked, looking around for bags of sugar.

"Your Grandpa and Daddy used to tap maple trees and get the sap from them.   Then we'd cook it down in that tank and make maple syrup out of it."  

The shack looked like it was falling apart to me, but Grandma had a smile on her face as she pushed the door closed.

We walked into the woods a little bit and then Grandma turned and started walking along the edge of the woods and the field.   Pretty soon we came to a creek and walked along it until we came to the edge of the field.   There was a rounded area where the creek stopped.   It made a little pool.

There was an old chair by the pool and Grandma sat down.

"Your Daddy used to play in this pool when he was little, " said Grandma.

"Can I try, Grandma?"

"Well, be careful.   Just stay close to the edge of it.   It might be deep in the middle," she said.

I took off my shoes and socks and stepped into the pool of water.   It felt so good on my hot little feet.   I waded around for awhile and then climbed out.   I looked down at my feet.

There were black wormy things hanging on my feet and ankles!

I started screaming and crying and jumping up and down.

Grandma jumped up from the chair and came and picked me up.

"Oh, Precious, those are just blood suckers.   They won't hurt you."

"Get 'em off!   Get 'em off me!" I screamed, flinging my legs in the air.

Grandma sat me down in the chair and knelt in front of me.   She tugged and pulled those nasty things off me.   Then she dried my feet and ankles on her dress, kissed my toes and put my socks and shoes back on.

It felt like I could still feel those blood suckers on me, but Grandma said I was all right and we walked back into the woods.

When we came out on the other side of the woods, we were in a field behind Great Grandma Sophia's barns.   We walked up to the house and there, sitting in chairs on the front porch, were Great Grandma and Uncle Ray.

"Ma, Ray, how are you feeling today?" asked Grandma.

"Been digging up thistles," said Uncle Ray.

"Sure is hot today," said Great Grandma.   "Would you like to sit a spell?"

When I woke up, Uncle Ray was back in the field and Great Grandma was in the house.

"Are you ready to go back?" asked Grandma.

I nodded my head and we started back down the driveway and walked up the road.   When we got to the corner, I could see Momma and Daddy.   Both were working in the field.   Momma was driving the tractor and Daddy was stacking hay in a big wagon.

Grandma and I waved and turned the corner to walk back to her house.