A Ten Year Old's Trip of a Lifetime - Part VII Ohio Cousins

The Naylor's Forest

     For the most part, my mom and dad kept us busy.  I don't know if that is because activities kept us out of trouble or because there were so many family members to visit.
     We took one trip driving north to Massillon, Ohio to see our Naylor Cousins (my dad's sister).  Now, if any of you are familiar with my old hometown, Taft, you will know that it rains little and nothing is green.  What few trees exist have been planted.  There are not many trees around the oilfields. I was fascinated with the greenery in Ohio.  There were trees all over.  I remember that Uncle Everett and Aunt Dorothy had a forest in their backyard.  My cousin, Linda, told me that the house that I remember was under construction at the time.  I had never seen anything like that and thought that it would be cool to live somewhere that had that many trees.  I loved trees.  All types.  And still do.
     Another trip was south to Rushville, Ohio to see my mother's cousins.  They lived on the Hugus Fruit Farm.  The fruit farm had been in Grandaunt Berenice's family for generations.  It was said that Johnny Appleseed had visited the farm. 
     The farm came complete with a pond and a log cabin (now in disrepair).  For a kid it doesn't get any better that that.  When I visited the Hugus Fruit Farm fifty years later, it was just as magical.

     I found out that this cousin thing was lots of fun and Ohio was full of adventure.