The Terrible Catsafterme

Brad's Musings and Meanderings

random acts of quoting

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son" - Dean Wermer, "Animal House"

trac.jpgDuring the early 70’s we took several camping trips with Bill and Dottie, often during the early parts of the Summer before it became too unbearably hot. On a few occasions, our trips were over Memorial Day Weekend. In 1973, we spent Memorial Day weekend in Virginia and Washington D.C. (although I was not taken into D.C. – sore spot). So our first camping excursion was in the early Summer. We stayed in a nice private cove area near a lake. Unfortunately, no one can seem to recall where this campsite actually was located. Previously we had stayed at Woodland Altars and Imes Park, but the photos do not seem to indicate that this was at either place.

It may have been the Beechwood Acres near Cowan Lake, as Dad recalls that we once visited there – but can’t positively identify that location in these photos. Oh well, the important thing is that we most certainly had fun. I obviously enjoyed the nearby spool, throwing rocks in the lake, and climbing atop a tractor for the classic pose as seen above. There would be more trips of this nature over the next few years, even if we didn’t re-visit this location.  

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Our campsite. That spool is just asking to be played upon.

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There’s me, Mom, Dottie, and Bill ready to grab some grub off the fire

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Mom takes me for a swing

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Dad toys with me while I’m inside the spool

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Robby, Lora, and Mom make sure I don’t fall in the lake as I discover a new favorite pastime: throwing rocks and hearing the sper-lunk

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Action shot of sper-lunk

Back home in Dayton around this very same time, my uncle Jim was graduating high school. Dad snapped these somewhat humorous photos of him. At a young age, I came to realize that Jim was the ‘funny one’ of the family and he and my Dad got along swimmingly. Jim twice made me wet my pants laughing. But last year I swore I’d never let him do that again.

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 Jim and his cake

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 Dress shoes were out of the question

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A typical Jim-ism, doubtlessly meant to irk my Grandpa

1973 will continue…

One Response to “Summertime Camping ’73 (and Jim’s Graduation)”

  1. Another place I seem to recall that we went camping was somewhere by Phillipsburg. Does anyone remember that?

    Wow, Jim – you look so young and cute in your graduation pictures! We all looked pretty darn good when we were young!

    Mom/Barb

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