Spud harvest

I was thinking this morning, since the kids are out for spud harvest, about my 2 short jobs working in the spuds.  As I thought further of my own fun experience in the spuds it occurred to me that I should write it down somewhere.   So, this is a story from when I was in high school, so if that doesn’t sound of interest feel free to stop here.  I am not even really sure what grade I was in, but I am guessing maybe a Freshman.  Blake got a job with one of his friend’s dads who had a little property out in Parker.  I don’t remember how it all went down but he got me a job working on the digger too.  The first day we went to work and I don’t remember much about the day, but I remember it was horrible!!  Riding that stupid thing non-stop all day long outside was really not my cup of tea.  We worked later into the night and then I started getting so very cold, which I hate even more than just being outside.  After we were done on the digger, we went into the spud cellar to help them finish in there and then we were finally able to go home.  We left with instructions for Blake to call in the morning at a certain time and they would tell us what time to come to work.  So, the next morning Blake called to see what time they would like us to come to work.  They told him what time to be there and at the end of the conversation they said in what I am guessing was a nice, tactful, polite way, “do not bring your sister with you.”  So, working in the spuds was technically the only job I have ever been “fired” from in my life.  I can’t say that I was sad, because I was so very happy that I didn’t have to go back to that field ever again.  I haven’t really thought about it a lot since, but now as a parent, I wonder what my parents thought and if they were embarrassed or disappointed.  I also find myself wondering sometimes how horrible I must have been on that digger, was I complaining that bad, I didn’t think so.  Maybe I let too many vines get past me, I don’t know, but I didn’t have to go back and that was all that mattered.
A few years later I had a friend whose dad needed some help for just one day at his farm in Egin.  They were desperate and promised they would be done early.  I agreed to go help that day and it was so much better than I had remembered the first time.  The sun was shining all day and it wasn’t the nightmare of the first spud experience.  However, it was not something I ever did or wanted to do again.  I had babysitting jobs during the summer of my freshman year and my sophomore year I worked the summer at a snow shack and my junior year is when I got the job at the law firm and worked there for what seemed like 10 years, even though I am sure it wasn’t that long. During my senior year I got out of school at 12 worked at the law office from 1 until 5 and then I went and worked the nights at Big J’s.  Wow, I was a busy girl my senior year.  Anyway, the moral of this story is that I will never make my kids work in the spuds.  If they want to that is their choice, but I will not ever force them to do so.  Your welcome Jerika and Kinlee.