A Childhood Memory of our Family Taking "Rides in the Woods" in Northern Michigan
Growing up in northern Michigan we had long, cold and snowy winters. When it began to thaw and my dad could get the car into the two-track roads, my mom would want to "take drives in the woods." We would do these drives in the spring, summer, and fall. One of her favorite things was putting all four of us kids ages 10 to newborn into our not so reliable vehicle and head to the wood. She would pack a lunch of white bread bologna sandwiches, fruit, cookies, and beverages, and off we would go. She always had a fruit jar with water and a washcloth that she used on the little ones before and after we ate.
I found these jaunts torture as I was the oldest and had a teasing brother 2 years younger and he would get the younger siblings upset. So often they were crying. It was one of those experiences where I would think, "are we having fun yet?" I always wanted to be left home to cook, clean, or read a book but Mother insisted this was a family outing.
There were times my dad would get stuck, run out of gas, have car problems and he would take off through the woods to get help.
I hadn't thought about those trips in several years but last spring my husband and I took a drive to a place called "redbud valley." It reminded me of a lot of my drives in the woods and I found myself not enjoying myself but feeling like the car is going to get stuck, or we were going to run out of gas, or have car problems. I had to tell myself we won't get stuck, my husband always has a full tank of gas, and we have a late model SUV. On top of that, we both have cell phones to call AAA for help. I told myself to chill and enjoy the redbud trees!
Isn't it interesting how memories of the past can affect the present? That was just a small thing but it reminded me to not let past memories keep me from taking a leisurely ride in the woods. These photos were taken during a "drive in the woods" last fall when I was to Michigan.
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| My mother's picnic lunch in the woods |
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| My mother, older brother Larry on the right, younger brother David next to him and two of his friends |
I found these jaunts torture as I was the oldest and had a teasing brother 2 years younger and he would get the younger siblings upset. So often they were crying. It was one of those experiences where I would think, "are we having fun yet?" I always wanted to be left home to cook, clean, or read a book but Mother insisted this was a family outing.
There were times my dad would get stuck, run out of gas, have car problems and he would take off through the woods to get help.
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| 1946 Desoto |
I hadn't thought about those trips in several years but last spring my husband and I took a drive to a place called "redbud valley." It reminded me of a lot of my drives in the woods and I found myself not enjoying myself but feeling like the car is going to get stuck, or we were going to run out of gas, or have car problems. I had to tell myself we won't get stuck, my husband always has a full tank of gas, and we have a late model SUV. On top of that, we both have cell phones to call AAA for help. I told myself to chill and enjoy the redbud trees!
Isn't it interesting how memories of the past can affect the present? That was just a small thing but it reminded me to not let past memories keep me from taking a leisurely ride in the woods. These photos were taken during a "drive in the woods" last fall when I was to Michigan.
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| Ride in the woods during autumn |
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| Another beautiful Northern Michigan photo |
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