Day at the Pond

It was a warm sunny day when my older brothers and sisters decided to go to the pond to play.
We crossed over the fence into the pasture and followed a cow path that led to the pond.
Before we got to the pond we went down into a hollow where a grove of trees were and wild grapes grew on some of the trees.
My brothers took some of the dry grape vines and broke them into pieces.
Then they took out a match, lit one, and we were smoking it like you would a cigarette and
then passing it around. We all took a couple puffs and then proceed to head on down to the pond.
The pond was located near some oak trees and it got plenty of sun. The water was not deep, we could walk across barefooted.
When we walked through the pond the old red clay mud would squeak through our toes.
My brother Richard was walking around when he step down on and old snapping turtle and then the turtle clamped down on his big toe. He let out whoop and a cry; he could have wakened the dead.
He was trying to get to bank of the pond with that old turtle on his toe. We knew it wasn’t funny but some of us kids could not stop laughing.
My brother Les help him to bank of the pond, he found a tree limb and hit the turtle in the middle of the back a couple of times and that old turtle let go and roll back into the pond. It was at this time that we all decided it was time to head back to the house.
Richard’s toe was sore for a day or two.
I don’t believe he ever went wading, in another pond barefooted.
It was a lot fun that day with my brothers and sisters.
I will always remember that day at the pond.

By Vivian Foote