Days Gone By

We've been going through "stuff" to see what more we can get rid of. Being retired for ten years now, there are still things that we'll never need and feel it's time to let someone else enjoy. Among the boxes were a couple pictures Ken found (which I will treasure 'til the day I die). I thought you might get a kick out of them as I did, remembering the event when the picture was taken oh-so-long ago.

This picture was taken in China Town, Los Angeles, when I was 16 and Ken was 17 . . . we were married four years later!


This picture was taken at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, about three weeks after we were married. I was auditing a class that Ken was taking for credit. We were learning to repel down a cliff and by the expression on my face, one would think I was having a blast. In reality, I was scared to death but obviously couldn't let it show (because the one taking the picture was my new husband doing his job as school photographer).

The class title was informally called "September Camp" and formally was called "Introduction to the Skills of Outdoor Recreation." From my memory, and with the help of the brochure in which this photo appeared, we learned and practiced the following activities: boating, canoeing, sailboating, motor-boating, paddle boarding, water skiing, bait casting, and fly casting. In addition, in the area of nature craft there were studies in mammal skins (catch your own animals), geology, plants, and insects. In the area of camp craft, students learned "axemanship," tent erection, carving, fire building, outdoor cooking, knots, splicing, lashing, and compass. There was an overnight camp-out, and practice mountain climbing. At the end of the two-week session there was a battery of tests. The course provided practical experience and leadership preparation in outdoor recreation.

Little did we know, forty-six years later, we'd be living the full-time RVer lifestyle, while enjoying the great outdoors and using skills we learned at September Camp!

Life is Good!