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Barefoot In The Sand: Remembering the Waning Days of the Hopewell Community (1998) Bruce C. Gragg 7/123

or early Summer day on the "Ole Suwannee" than enjoying its bounty,
under the shade of a tupelo or maybe an old oak tree on the upper
bank. A few times we would make it a two or three family event, then
it was not as a relaxing atmosphere. Everyone thought there were so
many things to be done, then it gets complicated. We kids let the
adults handle the planning and carrying out the plans, we were there
for the fun of it and do the assorted "gofer jobs."

After eating all you could, find a shade tree lean against it, pull
the hat down covering the eyes, and listen to the sounds of nature
around you. Naturally it would help if there was a little stream
nearby with water running over some roots forming a water fall.
Listen for the fish jumping while feeding, or the splash of a bird
catching his lunch of a fish that was too near the top of the water.
There was an abundance of all kinds of birds to listen for. A hawk
would be doing its screaming call, while soaring high in the sky
looking for something to eat. For someone from around the area, it
would not be to difficult to identify all the birds they would hear.
All too soon it would be time to pack up and move on, back home to
the routine of farm life. Most of the time when we fished, we went
back home to cook and eat at home, but it was a pleasure to take a
break from the normal pattern of doing things. Whether fishing or
swimming on the Suwannee, I always enjoyed time spent on it's banks.
A very relaxing way to spend part of a lazy Summer day, even when
fishing and we had no luck, and came home with no or few fish.

It was a time that seemed to drag by, but now I know it went by all
too quickly. Actually it raced by at a very high rate of speed. Now
in the 1990’s, we miss seeing those family members and former
neighbors, and see how short life can really be. It seems that every
blink of an eye someone else is gone forever. Many of the events
related here took place over 45 years ago, and it seems only
yesterday. Some of the dates or events may not be remembered in
completely accurate detail, or chronological order, they are just a
collection of memories. Many took place during the late Spring or the
lazy days of summer or early fall. At times I may even repeat part of
a story while referring to another turn of events. This is a
recollection of happenings during approximately the last twelve years
of the forty years of the James Burnette homestead. I refer to it as
the last twelve years because I was born in Jan 38, and my first
couple of years of so I have little memory of. However I do remember
events from the early forties and we moved Oct. 52. Well, it is a
little less than twelve years, but who is counting anyway. Many of
the events being relived here are on the light-hearted side, many are
just a bit of history of events taking place while growing up in a
rural setting so many years ago.

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