Feeling Like Fall

Photos
Filling the tobacco sheds.

Childhood’s happy memories
A loaded tobacco shed brings me back a large chunk of my childhood. From age 5 to age 15 I worked in the broadleaf tobacco fields. When I was only 5 I would follow my big brother out to the fields because I wanted a job too. The farmers would pay me a nickel a day to pick up the good leaves that had dropped off the stalks and put them where they would be safe and transported to the shed at the end of the day. As soon as I was almost as tall as the plants I graduated to handing (for $0.25 an hour). This was a dangerous job, because it was easy to get your hand speared onto the lathe if you weren’t careful. A hander had to now each spearer. The Reichle boys grabbed the plant in the middle so the hander had to hold the plant by the top. The Berger and Waldron boys speared by grabbing the top first. I don’t remember how Mr. Kamm speared. I must have known back then since I have both hands intact. Once the tobacco has been cut, wilted, speared and hauled off to the sheds on riggin’s, it emits a fragrance that this farm working, country girl will always breathe in deeply and smile.

Something’s missing
One thing I have noticed about this coming autumn is the foliage. Some of the maples are already turning, which is normal for this time of year. However, I am not noticing the vegetation shrinking. By now I should be able to see more of my neighbors houses, but not so this year. Perhaps it’s because we have had so much rain.

Predictions
I’ll keep an eye out for the production of acorns and let you know what my prediction is for next year’s squirrel population.

Usually by this time of year I’m predicting the coming winter because I’m feeling something in my bones. This year I’m feeling warmer. Are we going to have a warmer than normal winter here in southern New England? Could be. I have no idea about precipitation, but if our temperatures are going to be warmer than normal I can only guess that our precip will not be snowy. Please God, no ice! I’d rather have 3 feet of snow than a quarter inch of ice.