He's Not Kidding, Morg!

The Haire family has camped for at least a week at Pymatuning State Park almost every year for the last thirty-five years!  Never having a large income, it was a cheap-but-fun, family vacation. We'd pack the kid's 'hot-cycles' or bikes, throw in the kitchen sink and take off!

One year we were rolling along toward Pymatuning on Route 11 with the kids hot-cycles tied on the back of the camper. A car pulled alongside me and motioned that we had a problem. I pulled off to find that the ropes had loosened and the back wheels of Troy's hot cycle were rolling along the highway at 60 mph!  😳  Thank you, dear motorist friend!
The week would include:

• Hobo dinners
• S'mores
• Roasting ears
• Swimming
• Water slides
• Camp fires
• Playing games
• Telling stories, and
• Feeding the fish at Linesville!  😝

If we hit an occasional rainy day, we would jump in the car and head for Lake Erie or some other place (like Hermitage) to hang out or shop. 

Many of these vacations were shared with the Mahosky family. Travis, Troy, Tracie, Marshall, Barbie and Jesse grew up a lot like brothers and sisters!  

At least one day would be spent at Conneaut Lake Park riding the small, amusement park rides!  I'll never forget pulling into our site one summer and having little 'Bubsy' run up to my door announcing with exuberant anticipation:  "Uncle Harold, tomorrow we're going to Ponneaut Cake Park'!!!!!

Then there was the year that we went to Linesville to feed the fish. But Troy and Marshall decided to feed the seagulls instead. They deliberately threw the bread in the middle of the road in hopes of seeing one get hit by a car. They had scored '1' before I caught them!  Marshall told me a few years ago that it was the angriest he had ever seen me!  😡

On years when the Mahosky's couldn't go, we allowed the kids to each bring a friend. By this time, I had bought a canoe to add to our fun. Troy often brought his friend, Morgan, who lived up the street from us on Thompson Avenue in East Liverpool. 

The first time Morgan came along, I had fixed my traditional breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast and home fries. As we finished the meal, I informed Troy and Morgan that it was their turn to wash the dishes. Morgan laughed and got up to head for his bike. Troy called after him saying, "He's not kidding, Morg!"  With a rather shocked look on his face, he dropped his bike and walked back to the table to wash dishes for the first time in his life. 😝

We made endless memories:

• Tracie and Barbie waking up in the pup-tent with ice in their hair. 
• Troy and Morgan rolling the canoe and losing a camping stool and Tracie's boom-box!
• The daily fight over who gets to start the fire. 
• Travis eating sausage that was under-cooked;  then we woke up at midnight because the camper was shaking!  Yep!  It all resurfaced in projectile form!  😦
• Playing 'Sorry' in the camper at Ohiopyle with the rain pouring down shortly after we got set up. 
• Having church one Sunday where Troy read about the seeds that were planted along the path, while Tracie chose and led the singing!  

Debbie and I are camping today at the Jamestown camping area. As we sit looking over the lake, our minds are ruminating these memories. Good memories. Precious memories!  Some pain, of course;  but mostly smiles - and deep gratitude!