The Writer's Pen

My earliest memories of the farm always involve livestock. There were always chores to do, no matter what time of the day or what day of the week. The earliest chore I remember was washing disks for our cream separator. I was 5 years old and my sister, Darlene, was my boss since she was 6. We were supposed to use hot water, but we waited for the water to cool off so we wouldn’t burn our hands. By the time we got done, I don’t think there was enough hot water to kill any germs.

My brother, Glen, and I were less than a year apart in age. Together we learned how to tie our shoes, ride our bikes,...