Radio days

I remember when I was young
The apricot cutting shed was the place
Where we spent most of the summer
It was really hot and we all worked hard
No holidays for us! What a bummer!
We still had days off to go to the lake
It was so cool at Lake Bonney 
Across the Murray River 
I remember when we were swimming there
And a storm could be seen
Coming from the west
We'd all race home to save the trays
All laden with the drying fruit 
At Kingston-on-Murray
How quickly we stacked them up
It was like a graceful dance!
Safely stored all within the shed
Before the rain came pelting down
We'd saved the precious crop and 
Then we could relax again!
Waiting for the sunshine to return next morning!


We'd listen to the radio 
At the same time each day
To find out what had happened 
In the radio serial; to our heroes
Sitting on upturned buckets
Cup of tea in our hands
Vegemite sandwich at the ready
Fifteen minutes to relax
To stretch ourselves
Especially our backs!
Then it was back to cutting!
Mum and I would work all day
Cutting up to 100 trays
Standing there in that stifling heat
Hardly a breeze to cool our cheeks
But everyone was there to work
We got our jobs done
From 8am till 5 o'clock
Some days we'd finish early
But not often! 
The fruit was there and it came first
Picked in those metal buckets
Piled high with sweet ripe fruit
Along the River Murray!