Dear Papaw Winkle

My mom is not sick any more. I got your letter in the mailbox. How are you?

We have made lots of fires(I assume it's been chilly in Cleveland and they burn woood in the fireplace.) Our blueberry plants are doing good. We will have blueberries soon. Maybe you can sneak over to my house.

Have you planted any vegetables or fruits? Do you have any funny stories to tell me?

Love you,

Love,

Liam

Now that is the best mail grandpa can get! We got a great big stack of junk mail and tucked in it was this fine letter from our six year old grandson Liam. After this crazy morning, that just makes my day!

Well Liam, this morning one of our helpers ran the truck out of fuel by the covered bridge. He almost made it to our house! Then, papaw went to look for him and he was out in the field counting corn. I didn't know that until I got back near the house. He was looking for my phone number and had yelled at me when I found the truck with no driver! I guess I couldn't hear him.

I drove through a ditch and punctured one of my BFG Long Trail tires. The little red Dakota is sitting by the air compressor with one bad leg! I will take it to Wilmington tomorrow to get the tire replaced or put a tube in it, but it is brand new and I think guaranteed for road hazards.

I finally got the tiller going so the weed patch beside the house almost looks like a garden. We have corn, tomatoes, green beans, onions, and other vegetables growing. Your apple tree has lots of apples on it so I expect the June drop will be heavy. It still should have plenty of fruit on it.

I picked up some seed and chemicals this morning and everyone was talking about dead or dying corn. There are lots of problems in the late April planted corn around here. Pythium, flea beetles and chemical injury are all being blamed but the real culprit was that cold snap with 5 inches of pounding rain on the soil.

Sable wanted to jump out of the truck and chase the squirrels, cats and other dogs we saw but I told her to stay and she stayed in the truck. She did not want to obey, but she did. A neighbor stopped by to talk and we were standing under the pecan trees when a big fat robin pooped on my nice clean shirt!

That's the way it is today, down on the farm. I hope you have lots of blueberries but I am afraid they will never make it to the house with you and Caoilin picking them!

Love,

Papaw Winkle