A/N-I know I said in my last chapter that it was supposed to be the last chapter but I had this idea and had to write it down! Enjoy!
At the last of the week, we all got in the wagon and started on our trip to Tracy.
Uncle Jonathon had to take off from work and asked Laura and Albert's paw to watch over the place, even though he would probably be back before the weekend was over.
I was sad to leave Laura and Albert, they had become two of my best friends ever. But I was so excited to see Maw and Paw and my grandparents who I haven't seen since I was little.
We stopped and camped for the night when nightfall came and Uncle Jonathon told me that we would be at the dairy farm a few hours after we woke up.
We built a fire and this time Uncle Jonathon built it then Andy and I played around until Aunt Alice put us to bed which I thought was too early but she said, the sooner I went to sleep, the sooner morning would come so I quickly went to sleep.
The next morning, we got up and with excitement growing, crawled in the wagon.
After about a hour of riding, Andy and I got out and walked alongside for the last five miles. We stopped in town to get directions and we went out to the farm on the outskirts of town.
When we reached the farm, we stopped at the gate and the sign said—'The best little Dairy Farm in Minnesota! Owners, Paul and Gill Lay'- Uncle Jonathon looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said,
"We had the name of your grandmother right, why didn't you tell us your grandpa was Paul?"
I giggled and said,
"Honestly? I couldn't remember either, I never knew his first name. Always been grandpa to me"
Aunt Alice and Uncle Jonathon smiled and he made a clicking noise for the horses to move on and we went in.
Maw, Pa, Grandma and Grandpa came out to meet us and maw hugged me so tight, I thought I would burst! We all exchanged our hellos and how do's Then maw asked Aunt Alice,
"Why didn't you put her on the stage?"
Aunt Alice said,
"By herself? NO! Anyway, it was a good pleasant trip and a good excuse to get together"
My grandfather said,
"Yep, not too many of us Lays or Garvey's left"
My grandmother then said,
"Come on inside, we'll have some nice lemonade that I made"
Andy asks them,
"Can Chris and I go looking around? This is my first time here" "Can we maw?"
I ask.
The grownups laugh and grandpa says,
"You go on and I'll show the young'un's around"
They all go inside to drink their lemonade and grandpa shows her around and Andy asks,
"How many cows are here Mister Lay?"
Grandpa says,
"Around 40, that's all we can handle right now. But you call me grandpa, that's what they all call me around here so will you"
Andy smiles and says,
"Yes sir!"
We go to the cows, and Andy and I go around each one and my grandpa can tell you something about every one!
Then something funny happened, grandpa let me and Andy milk two of them! It was so neat! When I first sat down, I was nervous about it, being from International Falls, I have never milked one, I just drank the milk maw poured out for us every morning and that was it so when I grabbed one of the udders, I, uh, turned it up and milk squirted in my eye!
Andy laughed and when he did it to the other cow, the cow kicked the bucket then swift as a fox, kicked Andy's stool out from other him and it was my turn to laugh!
Then later, near about evening time, this hand on the farm came up to grandpa and he said,
"Mister Lay, I got all the cows in for the night and fresh hay for them. If you don't mind, I'm going on home"
Grandpa says,
"That's fine son, but come here for a second, I'd like to introduce you to my granddaughter and a friend of hers…Chris, Andy, this is Wayne Larson, on of my newest and best hands around here"
He comes up out of the shadows to shake our hands and he is a boy of about 16 and he looks a lot like Albert ( at least to me )
We smile and shake hands. I know right then and there this IS the best summer ever!
This is the end! Ha! This has been a blast to write and I love all my reviewers and give a big old giant bear of a hug to each of you!