My grandparents lived in Elgin (Texas) and my grandfather had a small place in Type between Elgin and Taylor. It was about 40 acres if I recall with an old two story house on it. The house was a dream for little kids. It was pretty run down but still safe. No running water, outhouse, and a beautiful old in ground cistern that collected rain water. We'd pull buckets of cool water out and keep them in the house for drinking and washing. No body lived on the property but someone was there just about every day so it was maintained. It had 2 stock tanks and a big old barn with a hayloft. He and my uncle had a few head of cattle, some chickens, and there were occasions where there were hogs and goats too.
Most of my fondest childhood memories were of riding out there in my grandfather's truck, if the weather was nice in the back, and just fucking around out there. We'd help a little with feeding the live stock or whatever but mostly we just fished the tanks, wandered the property and played. Great dove and rabbit hunting during the seasons. It was surrounded on all sides by fields of maize and we'd sit on those tanks at sunset and wait for the birds to come to water. I think about those times at least once a week. God I miss that old man.