[atr]

Years ago My mom, wife and my son and daughter would drive down to virgina to spend from 3 to 7 days in a cabin by a lake that my mom's boss owned. We would take a canoe and fishing rods and our dog.
Sometimes my young son and daughter would bring a friend with them.
My mom and wife would spend some time reading on the deck while the rest of us scattered in every direction. It was not unusual for my son or I to bring a snake or some creature back to the cabin to show everyone. One time my son brought in a garter snake, just as everyone was checking it out the snake reguritated a small fish which freaked the girls out.

There was a little mom and pop general store down the road my son and i would walk to and buy jerky in a jar that looked like it had been there 10 years, but we would walk out of there tearing it with our teeth and we enjoyed it.

There was a high mountain nearby, a few time I talked my kids into hikeing it with me , it would take a half day to get to the top and i had to give the kids pep talks sometimes because they wanted to turn back. When we got to the top the view was amazing and the air much cooler. Once up there i put there initials on a log. The next time we went up we would look for the log.

After beating the bush all day we would go back to the cabin where you might see my mom and wife shucking sweet corn and smell my moms baked beans on the stove.

One early sunday morning my sons freind and i were fishing while everyone else was in bed , we were fishing on the shore when my sons friend is running down the shore hollaring "Help me Help me" I looked to my left as he was running towards me carrying a 24inch pike the way an adult would hold a baby, it was funny. It really made that kids day. We had the pike for dinner that night.

One evening I took my mom to the other side of the lake to show her a goose that was sitting on a nest. She really liked that kinda stuff.

In the night time i would get a fire going in the cabin and we would play different table games.

Onced i was really nervous when my daughter and her friend didn't come back on time but that turned out ok.

It was nice to lay in bed and here the geese in the early morning.
...................
This past spring I decided to drive down to virgina to that cabin and look around and climbed that mountain again.
I got alittle confused after i parked my truck as where the trail was to go up the moutain. By the time i had found the trail i had already walked a mile. I was hot and already alittle tired but after my beagle and i took alittle rest we started heading up that mountain. I hoped also to get to the top and find the log that i put my kids anitials on. It took a half day working our way up the mountain resting and drinking water as we went.
As we finally got to the top of the mountain my dog and i rested drank some water and started to look the the log with the anitials. I looked and looked and could not find the log or maybe it had turned into mulch.

As i sat on a large rock scanning the amazing view I couldn'd help thinking the way things were then. Now my kids are grown and gone, my Mom has past away, and after 30 years i am divorced. I thought if just one more time i could walk down this mountain and go to that cabin and have dinner with the family.

Just a guy sitting on top of a mountain

 

[jimsdad]

I hear you brother. Three weeks ago I drove from Chester County to Cocherton just to fish in French Creek, Lake Tamarack and to revisit the place my granfather, dad and uncles built in the 1950's. I drove 795 miles, round trip on a Saturday morning through the late evening of the next day, cought a lot of fish, got a good sunburn and only slept about 3 hours. I revisited the camp, it still stands and is in a fair state of disrepair. I touched some of the trees that were so small when we went there in the 60's and 70's. I sat on the ground where we had our evening fires, now covered with grass, and I remembered the way my mother and dad voices sounded, and the things they spoke about. I remembered my dad and me fishing off the dock and coming bac to the fire from time to time to get warm and for my dad to get another Genesee. I recalled scratching in the fire scorched earth "tactics" with my uncle. That game never mad sense, but we loved it. I remembered the sounds of fish jumping in the dark and of racoons turning over rocks on the other sid of French Creek looking for crabs and fresh water clams. I thought of my family memebers: my grandparrents who worked so hard to buy the property and build the place for their family that we all so richly loved; aunts and uncles who laughed and told the funniest stories of when they were young; plans for the future that would not come true and then some that did. So, I hear what you are saying and I am glad to know that there is someone out there who feels the same way I do about certian things.

 

[atr]

Good reading

 

[Trailcamologist]

Great read ATR

I think from time to time we all yearn to get back to simpler times? I know I do, Looking back I wish I'd have spent a little more time with loved ones who have since passed, a little more time enjoyin the simpler things in life. Seems nowadays everyone and everything is in a hurry and no one has time to slow down and take in the small things..

 

[BCozhunter]

Couple of great stories!

Thanks to both of you for sharing them!

 

[m77lewis]

Good reading, both of ya!

 

[5chunter]

Very nice read

 

[blueknob]

very nice.

 

[eyefromthesky]

Great reading! Any time I'm hunting or fishing in an "old spot" I can't help but look around an reminisce.

 

[atr]

Thank you guys

 

[great white hunter]

Good reading!

 

[Callmaker60]

Good reading, both of ya!

Yep, life is memories.

 

[bigguy54]

I can certainly relate to both stories, thank-you both for sharing.

 

[atr]

 

[double c]

good stuff buddy, good stuff.