My paternal uncle was pretty much illiterate. He had worked on the farm most of his life and when the farm was sold after Grandma and Grandpa died, he had a hard time finding a job. Now keep in mind that this was the 50s and though there were plenty of jobs to be had, uncle couldn't read much and so he was pretty much unemployable.

We called him Uncle Hump because he was shaped similar to an egg and we kids thought he looked like Humpty Dumpty. LOL The name stuck and forever after he was "Uncle Hump."

Uncle Hump picked the dump. In those days there was plenty of good stuff to be found and he sold things that he found there after he'd cleaned them up and repaired them. Then he began picking bicycle parts out of the dump and putting them all together to make bikes for kids. He then charged for the bikes and he became the proprieter of a very lucrative business.

When I was about ten, I dreamed of having my own bike. My brother had one and so did my maternal uncle who lived next door. If I wanted to ride a bike, I had to convince either my uncle or brother to let me ride theirs. That wasn't an easy task, so I really wanted a bike of my own.

The morning of my birthday arrived and Dad told me to go and have a look in the shed. There, to my delight was a red and white bike. It was one that Uncle Hump had put together, but to me it was like receiving a million dollars. It had been put together with me in mind and the paint was bright and shiny. What fun I had riding that bike. It was a 24 inch and the only bike I ever had as a child. I took care of it, being sure to put it in the shed at night so it wouldn't rust.

My friend who lived about a half mile up the rural gravel road had a bike and on Sunday afternoon we would ride for miles. If Gail couldn't go, my maternal aunt would go with me. Some Sundays we rode as far as 15 miles. Up and down steep hills, the wind blowing our hair. Around curves in the road to see sights during spring, summer and autumn. We saw deer grazing in the fields, farm animals, squirrels, rabbits and a wide variety of bird species. As we passed neighbors houses, they would wave at us and we would wave back. What a wonderful time we had those Sunday afternoons.

These memories are a big part of who I came to be. I still love riding a bike and sometimes in spring, summer and autumn, I go biking with Brandon and Jordan. We don't ride as far. I think 15 miles of riding bike would kill me at this point in my life, but I still love to feel the wind in my face and blowing my hair as we coast down hills and through scenic valleys.

Do you have a birthday memory. If you would like to join the Remember When meme, please visit Speaking from the Heart. It's a lot of fun stepping back in time through our memories.

Have a wonderful week and remember to do an random act of kindness. ~Blessings, Mary~