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Friday, May 24, 2013

Swimming


When we were tadpoles we always insisted on swimming on Memorial Day. It marked the traditional beginning of the summer season and the whole clan on Mama's side of the family spent the weekend opening up camps up on Caroga Lake.

Then sometime on the day itself us young 'uns begged and pestered and nagged and annoyed until someone took us over to East Caroga beach for a swim.

I do NOT remember being cold on those magical, if slow-moving weekends way back when.

I do remember aunts and uncles who aren't all that much older than we are joining us for all sorts of horse play and the wondrous accomplishment of finally swimming out to the floating dock and hauling out like a seal on the beach.

I do remember doing the whole whining thing in reverse when it was time to return to the cabin.....I do NOT remember being cold.

I remember building elaborate miniature forts and farms and fences and fields with twigs and slabs of bark that took up half the clearing around grandma and grandpa's cabin... They were amazing places with little houses snugged up under the roots of the trees and roads from the campfire to the wood pile and beyond. Our toy dime store horses and cows and trucks and cars set them off to perfection.

I remember a certain fine uncle, who bent his dignity to play with us little kids, just for that weekend.

He had the amazing magic of firecrackers. After the forts were all built and played with until the shine wore off he got them out of wherever he hid them so the little kids wouldn't find them.

While we watched in goose bumpy anticipation, from the windows in the main room of the cabin...that was as close as we were allowed to get...he set his charges and lit his fuses and blew them all up KABAM!

I do NOT remember being cold.

So take THAT Global Warming. Anybody who goes swimming this weekend is either nuts or at the Y. Brrrrr.......

5 comments:

joated said...

40 degrees, drizzly and down right cold (not "chilly") at 8 AM this morning at the Aerie. It was 90 degrees two days ago. Possible frost forecast for Saturday-Sunday-Monday. WTF?

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Wonderful memories, vividly recalled! When I was a kid growing up on a Michigan lake, I always had a swim party on my May 22 birthday, with a wienie roast on the beach. But even before that date, if the ice was out on the lake, we were in it! Once you jumped in all the way, you quickly got used to the cold. We always got terribly sunburned the first day of swimming, though.

Rev. Paul said...

Great memories!

It's 40ish here, which feels warm. Going into the 60s with lots of sun over the next few days & loving it.

Have a great weekend, ma'am.

tryon1@frontiernet.net said...

No, you were never cold. Your goosebumps were as big as toadstools and your shivers as fast as if you were would up on a tight coil. Wrapped in a towel, hair dripping, shivering in front of me, while waiting for a hamburg, no hot dogs for you. I too have wonderful memories. Love you daughter. Mom PS Wish Lizzie a very Happy Birthday!

threecollie said...

Joated, Same here this morning. Sure mood-destroying. We are desperately eager to get the garden in. It's TIME! But I am really worried about another late frost. bah humbug

WW, happy belated birthday! Hope it was wonderful. your memories of the lake sound delightful....

Rev. Paul, you have a great weekend too, kind sir! Glad you are finally getting a bit of better weather. Sure been a stubborn winter!

Mama, oh, how I love you! Ain't it crazy? I love hot dogs now, as long as they are Nathans. Mike hooked me on them a few years ago when he brought some up to camp and grilled them on a little bitty hibachi. I know we got cold swimming, but we sure loved it didn't we? I can remember Uncle Larry and one of the aunts...maybe Aunt Peggy...putting me and Karen up on their shoulders and having water fights of some sort. Great times. And catching frogs in the little creek.... Sure have no desire to go swimming this weekend!