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Life in the slow lane

   Another memory of my youth is that of our neighbours, Austin and Elma Gray. I was very young but liked going to visit them as it was only up the road from our home. Austin was a veteran and they had a small farm. I remember one of their horses being called Bill and another one called Pony. 

   I never knew my grandparents from the Nolan side of the family as grammy died before I was born and Grandpa when I was around 4, so I do not remember them. I knew my grandparents from my mom’s side of the family and loved spending time with them, playing cards and just visiting.

   Austin Gray was a friend whom I adopted as my grandpa from my dad’s side of the family and I spent a lot of hours with him. He was so neat just to be around. I was there for a few suppers and just hung out. 

   Mrs. Gray took sick but I was too young to remember then and am too old to remember the details, but she passed away. I do remember I did not go to her funeral as I was very young, but after she passed away, I spent more time with Austin. I stayed overnight more than once at his house and he was always happy to have me stay.

   After a couple of years Austin, went to live with his daughter Claire Nicholson from Shoal Lake. He went just for the winter. He came back the next summer for a while then made the move permanent. I missed him and only saw him several times after his move. 

   Austin passed away and that was a sad day for me as he was my friend and my adopted grandpa. It’s funny how life works sometimes because I have now become an adopted grandpa and I love it. The hardships we go through sometimes just sets us up for something further down the line in our lives that we would never envision. As I write this story, it brings back a smile and a tear. I was fortunate and blessed to have a man that I admired and trusted to fill a role that only God would have known in my life, Austin Gray!