TRIBUTE CONTINUED - THE LAKE

"And can I ever cease to be
Affectionate and kind to thee
Who wast so very kind to me,-"
..................My mother

by Jane Taylor

The Lake. From when I was 8 until I was about 19, we spent our weekends at the lake. We had a small (and I emphasize the word small) trailer that we stayed in. For the first few years there was no running water and then we had cold water. Showers and bathroom facilities were in the club house. It was a bit of a jaunt especially in the night or the rain. I loved the lake. It was a small lake by Lake Erie standards but it was a fishing lake and no outboard motors were allowed that were more that 5 or 10 horsepower. We sailed. We went up on Friday nights and came home Sunday afternoon. My mother packed the food and clothes in cardboard boxes. They fit nicely in the station wagon. She said that my dad drove back to town (about an hour) on Saturday mornings to play golf. I actually do not remember that. He crewed on a Lightening sailboat on Saturday afternoons and we all raced in our Daysailor on Sunday mornings. I had a separate set of friends at the lake and I was about the youngest of the group that I hung out with. Nights were spent around various campfires, canoeing, etc. My dad hated the rainy days and always wanted to go home but I loved it. We would play bridge on the afternoons. One of my dad's fraternity brothers belonged (I am sure that is how we became interested) and they had a refurbished school bus as their trailer. I can remember sitting around the campfires singing fraternity songs. On Sunday mornings the kids gathered at one of the members trailers and we had Sunday School. Holidays were especially fun as Sailing Regattas were held at the sailing club and there was lots of activity plus dances on Saturday night. This is one of the best childhood memories.