I have always kind of bragged to people about my first grade class and the fact that I got to have my Grandmother(Grammy Lowden)teach me. I have also enjoyed mentioning that there where three sets of twins in that class of 19. I have done a lot of scanning lately so here are some of those. I posted a rather mixed bunch and plan to do more soon. Sam and I are fraternal twins while the other sets of twins where, are, identical. We left thornton school after the second grade to go to Woodstock Elementary.

I have always wished Brielle could have known her great grandfathers and for that matter I wish I had gotten to know them better and learned more from them than I did. I like to think I have some of Grampa Lowden's carpentry ability although I enjoy rustic lately more than conventional craft. I was in high scool when this picture was taken of Grampa Lowden. I love the picture that Aunt Dorothy gave me of Grampa with his Indian motorcycle. I think she gave it to me because she had seen me with my Honda Interceptor way back when.

Grampa Bradley; I really feel I missed out on a wealth of Yankee know-how, more because of Mom and Dad's divorce than his death. There is a lot that cannot be taught in everyday life that can be taught growing up in a self reliant farm. Most of the things I remember from farm life was more as an observer than a participant. I am jealous of the Roy boys knowledge of how to do everything that it takes to run a farm from haying to slaughtering animals to making syrup. I was there for all of these things but only as a child observer. I wish it was possible for me to work in the Gore with Uncle Ralph in an apprentice type role, logging and learning and creating my own self reliant life but I don't think we could keep our lifestyle and make that work. Maybe that is the kind of change we need. I was fortunate to work with Dad for the last ten years so I could learn a great deal from him and others at Gunstock. Even more than the education I got was the opportunity to spend time with him and get to know him better than I could have any other way.

I don't want anyone reading this to think that my parents should have stayed together or that I led less of a life than I should have. Divorce happens for a reason and it happened for a reason in this case too. Mom and Ken have given us everything they could with love, affection, security, and everything that great parents give. I don't want to imply that I am not happy with my upbringing, only that I wish I could have participated more in the hard knock life of farming.

Well how was that for a ramble? I came across this picture of Cody, Brielle, and Ciara that Cassandra had taken years ago. I really like the goofiness of it so I thought I would share it.