A
Childhood Place: The Haymow
I
remember the haymow in the old white barn at the south place.
In
spring the hay stored there was coarse and dry. My sister and I made
big “nests” where we could read or daydream or cuddle the kittens
whose mothers had made smaller nests in the back sides of the hay
piles.
In
summer there was very little hay there. It was brittle and dusty and
the sun shining through the high, dirty window created long,
sparkling shafts of light – perfect for day dreaming on a hot
summer afternoon.
By
autumn the haymow was packed with fresh clean hay. The fragrant scent
of the hay was mingled with the sweat of those filling the mow. There
was only a small space around the top of the ladder to lounge against
the tall piles of hay.
In
winter the haymow was cold. We quickly pushed the hay through the
holes to the mangers below so we could run back to the warm house and
lounge by the Warm Morning stove.
(Excerpted from Class Exercise)
