Nickel on the railroad

Thanksgiving 1957

The feast is over and the I am remembering our

hike earlier in the day.

It is a yearly thing, The Old Farmer takes us out

to hike the rail line that crosses the back road into town.

It is quite scenic, going around a curve and with shale like

cliffs on one side. It was chilly out today.

There were 4 of us kids. We tried to outdo each other

walking on the rails, follow the leader.

Picking up dead leaves and stones along the tracks.

We had a healthy curiosity as all kids do

We were full of questions, what kind

of leaf it this, what tree did it come from.

The Old Farmer had the answers and pointed

out the matching tree. 

What would happen if we left a penny on the rail?

Then The Old Farmer took a nickel from his pocket

And searched along the rock cliff for the perfect spot.

He swept off the debris and put the nickel there,

And told us all to remember where it was, next year

We would come back and find it!

Continued...present day...

 So the Old Farmer's Wife had a respite from family

so she could concentrate on the big dinner.
And when we went back to find that nickel...

...never could find it-after a year of anticipation! 

It was a mystery, did a squirrel or a bird dislodge it? 

Or did someone else actually find it!?