How to Survive a Family Reunion - Day One

We have just returned from the internet-less interior of northern Minnesota where all my brothers and sisters, and their families, met for a family reunion. My second brother even returned from China, where he lives and teaches full time. I so enjoyed all the foods that we ate when we were kids. I don’t generally eat these foods anymore, but I splurged over July 4th weekend. Tuna casserole, pasta salad, Jello salad, hamburgers, hotdogs, hot barbequed beans, cupcakes, and more all found their way onto my plate. It’s not the beginning of the year, but I’m going to have to make a resolution to lose weight! It was worth it. How can anyone attend a family reunion, and not enjoy the fare offered?

My third brother has such a charismatic personality that everyone is attracted to him. He is the center of his farming neighborhood’s social life. He has an event every Friday evening in his garage, and anyone can attend. The neighbors take turns providing the meal for the evening, and often call ahead of time to reserve their turn. Our family reunion kicked into a full swing party. People dropped in from nowhere to see what was going on. They knew that they are always invited. We met many of my brother’s friends. To borrow my brother’s line, we would say, “What a hoot!”

An hour passed when a long-bearded and shirtless friend of my brother’s drove up on a tractor pulling a hay wagon. There was no hay on it, but benches that faced inward and wrapped around the outside of the hay wagon. The friend and driver hollered, “Climb aboard!” We didn’t hesitate, but piled onto the hay-less hay wagon with enthusiasm. All the seats filled up with the merry crowd, and we took off. I initiated the competition for animal sounds. Every time we saw an animal, I mimicked the sound the animal would make, and the others joined me as we mooed, neighed, and b-a-a-d. The animals gazed at us and then at each other, and wondered about the crazy crew. The nieces and nephews didn’t know that the adults could be so silly because in the past, they had been much more decorous.

Our driver took us on a tour of an unknown farmer’s circular drive. We all gazed at each other with surprise and embarrassment, and felt like unwanted party crashers. To break the tension, we waved at the unfamiliar family barbecuing in the yard! We continued out their driveway and around the quarter section of land on a gravel dirt road. When we had traveled to the far side of the quarter section, the driver pulled up next to a country cemetery, and stopped the tractor. The driver said, “Get off the wagon, this is the second sight you’re going to see today.” We thought that he was kidding, and so no one moved, but laughed at his humor. He ordered seriously, “Get off the wagon!”

I said to my husband, “He’s not kidding, we’d better get off the wagon.” All the other revelers followed suit. The driver took us on a tour of all the family members that he had buried in this cemetery, and we had our pictures taken with the gravestones! This was indeed the strangest hayride we had experienced. After the unusual photo opportunity, we reloaded the wagon, and headed home, but not without another detour through a farmer’s yard! We waved at a young boy and his dog playing in the yard, and he waved back, as if this was an everyday occurrence to have strangers tour your front yard! The driver commenced to drive us to my brother’s place where we regaled our tale with those that didn’t take the ride, and explained the oddity of such an adventure. That was the highlight of the first day.