Memory Lane ...

The Duck got a new toy recently … and I must say that it is true … the only difference between a man and a boy IS the price of their toys! This 'toy' is very cool, though ... with its software it allows the Duck to scan slides and put them in digital format. We have about 1,500 old slides from our nearly 44 years together. This arduous task is quite time consuming … he’s done approximately 100 slides so far, but those have taken him three or four hours. The prospect of getting rid of all those carousels of slides and emptying a couple of boxes out of the closet is reward in it’s self. But it’s this journey down ‘memory lane’ that has turned out to be so special.

Some of the first slides the Duck found were of the four of us taken 34 years ago in Colorado. It's August 1975, we were on vacation, camping out in a large tent with a catalytic heater in a campground in Ouray, Colorado. Several of the photos were taken on the Narrow Gauge Train in Durango. 34 years ago … truly the time has flown by us … we are young and so full of energy, there is no grey hair, no glasses, our bodies are stronger and slimmer … it was only yesterday!! NOT!!!

I am taken back at seeing myself with dark auburn hair (my natural color!) I have blue jeans on, my shirt is tucked in and I'm wearing a belt!!! It feels like I’ve been on some sort of diet all my life … but in these photos, I am slender. I remember never being pleased with myself ... my hair, my shape, hobbies, clothes, whatever. I always found fault, however small the imperfection. I look at these photos now from the past and see someone different and I realize that I was so hard on myself, rather than enjoying the moment, all those important times with my husband and children … if I had only known then what I know now.

The Duck decided to send both offspring ‘pics for today’ and now not only are the ‘children’ and their spouses enjoying the photos, but our grandson is able to ‘see’ his dad from so many years ago. Grandson is looking at photos of his dad riding a motorcycle in the beautiful Colorado Mountains. There is one photo by the side of a dirty yellow motorcycle … grinning with dirt (and surely bugs!!!) on his teeth. Both ‘ducklings’ are going down their own memory lane.

I love the one of adorable little Miss Bz (with her Dutch Boy haircut) helping her big brother hold a string of fish that they have caught with their dad. The fishing poles are standing at their sides like miniature knights holding their lances. This was taken just moments before Bz dropped the fish back into the icy water at Lake San Cristobal in Lake City, Colorado (accidentally) and then proceeded to jump into the water to retrieve the fish! She looked like a drown mouse when she was pulled out of the water, but she had that string of fish clutched tightly in her fist.

We’ve just gotten through 1975 … son would be 9 years old, Bz is 6 years old. The Duck had Bz riding on top of the gas tank on his motorcycle; wearing goggles and a white helmet covered with ‘flutter-by’ decals. Son rides behind me on a purple 100 cc Yamaha. We ride off-road to areas not visible from cars. We remember one such ride … it was July, but it had started hailing; sharp, stinking pieces of ice on the top of one mountain … Bz’ hands are not covered and to this day, she tells us that she remembers being so cold! Oh, there will be more photos of her snowmobiling years later in Colorado … her dad’s mustache frozen with ice … she says she never thought she’d be warm again. All those motorcycle trips/vacations in Colorado … all those photos of a sometimes motley looking crew … all those memories. We’ve been tiptoeing down a wonderful memory lane … and I'm looking forward to more.