I found a little brown, leather notebook on the shelf in the blue room. The following is an exact transcription from the original text. Attempts have been made to maintain the integrity of the original, so all punctuation and spelling are as they were written. Some words that were illegible have been transcribed as they appear.
This is The Epic.
Sat 12 Noon
Off for Mountains
Isaac, Freddy, Becky, Annie, Robbee, Andy, G.Pa
Ken & Mandy & Lincoln – will meet us at camp. Stopped at Renos – Good lunch – got gas film ice cream ice & off for camp.
Long train delay at Mojave – finally off about 2 p.m.
Mandy (crossed out) Becky drove the truck and made it most of the way tot the top. we saw crows a roadrunner a baby jack rabbit & an old one on our way here.
Made it to our camp side 5 p.m. Ken & kids came about 5 30.
Took 8 of us to put our dumb tent up.
Had a good supper hamburgers & peaches & peas & corn – roasted mushmallows at 9 p.
Sunday AM –
Great breakfast bisquits eggs & bacon juice & coffee then had church services – Ken Beck GP & Mandy on one side of creek – the others on opposite side. Isaac introduced Freddy who delivered an excellent sermon & lesson.
Robby will have the service tonight.
We took off at 10 AM & climbed & climbed really a long way
to highest part of mountain to east.
Then a scary trip back to creek where where we all refreshed our selves with cool water to drink & bath.
Back to camp at 330 P for sandwiches & cold drinks – guess what? We killed a rattler. Isaac nearly stepped on it and we got the kids back & killed it. – mass hysteria –
Drove in rain on highway Thundering now
Beautiful cloud formations – many infernal flies – large spider
Mosquito bites – all whittled – many mosquitos tonight – we ate in the camper
Pork chops – corn mashed potatoes apple sauce – well recieved by all.
Good church service taken from Revalations & John & Robbee made the sermon – had nice hymns too. Really a blessing the way Freddie & Robbee lead us today – I think of the scripture re a small child shall lead.
Andy found a big piece of obsidian – our only artifact.
Robby & Freddie to do dishes tonight – Becky is tired – she took a couple of hard falls today.
All saw (Jager?) & quail today.
Monday 10 AM
Good sleep – good breakfast – eggs bacon O.J. Hot cereal corn chips etc. going for hike
1 hr then to Kern River – hope our camp is all here when we get back. All OK boys climb trees & play catch Becky washes & cleans the camper over & over & over & Mandy lays around all time dreaming about whatever 14 year old girls dream about –
Monday eve
Glorious day – had a nice hike & drove to Kern river – stopped at the store for candy bars & chips – drove on to the river – made hot dogs for lunch while kids got muddy in the river –
so beautiful the clouds black & ominous Thunder & lightning. We put the canopy up & I made noodles & beef with cheese gravy. Pear halves & cakes. Kids are playing catch. Freddie thought he’d seen a snake & showed me where there was a little movement in the dirt. I dispatched it with the shovel & it was the fattest toad I’d ever saw. I felt bad because it was by the toilet and it had kept the bug numbers low – Nice soft rain & no bugs tonight
Annie says:
Tonight Lincoln and Andy are going to sleep in the camper (maybe) the rest of them are sleeping in the tent. And are going to have a great time and Annie is going to sleep in the camper with Becky. Have a great fire going in the rain. + Quoted Annie.
Hornets rough – I showed Annie how to train one so they wouldn’t sting. (With my fist!!)
Annie kicked Lincoln in the eye & made him cry – Andy and Annie comforted him & covered him with a towel while he bawled in the rain.
Tues AM
Finished breakfast Blueberry pancakes Bacon eggs & O.J.
Cleaning up camp & camper – Made a long close line for the sleeping bags _ tent let in about 1” of water on the floor & I really believe I could build a tent 2 people could erect & that would shed a little rain!
We are going to go on a desperation hike for artifacts after while – then we’ll eat lunch & head for lake Isabella.
Its a glorious day. We began it with swell prayer by Isaac Annie & Lincoln –
He has asked 55 times how far up the mtn we are going on our hike & I refuse to answer the 56th time.
Had a great short hike! no artifacts. Surely must be around somewhere. Maybe hit a (borvings?) next time.
We all had a good lunch prior to leaving for lake Isabella.
We’re off through breathtaking scenery.
Arrived at the (bicoray?)
(Becky’s handwriting) 4:00 gassed up in Isabella #21.75 60906 17 gal.
(G.Pa’s handwriting) about 2 PM and traveled through Onyx where terrible damage has occourred from Monday nights storm. One man dead by lightning and houses crushed by rocks & mud.
We saw beautiful Golden eagle, swallows hawks etc. Many squirrel & Beck saw 1 grey.
Isaac saw a jack rabbit.
We went to the T Shirt shop & got our T shirts & at 4 P started for home – 40 miles of unbelievable roads up and down because the canyon toward Backersfield is closed by rockslide. Got a good look at great hawk who soon tired of our eavesdropping & slid off the tree top he’d alighted upon.
Steadily droned on toward home stopped at grapevine for good dinner – good faire & happy trip
Praise the lord home at 8 30 P. to warm welcome. – Looking forward to (Alysaps?) Friday with howard.
9 comments:
Wow! that is epic! What a great story. I can totally picture it.
No wonder after all these years the mountain of man, their Grandpa, still stands tall...brought tears to my eyes with remembering. this is what a legacy and a family is all about. We are making new memories now for a whole new generation of kids--your kids--thanks Freddy! --Mom
What a great post! I remember that trip so well - how excited all of you kids were to be going! And, those T-shirts! That was such an event when Grandpa stopped and got the "DDDT" T-shirts. You all couldn't wait to let us know what those letters stood for (BTW, why are all blue except Annie's and Linc's in red?). Andy kept his "DDDT" shirt all those years and I still have it - looks so small now. G'pa whittled a "fast dog" and gave it to Andy. He loved it and kept it in his chest of drawers. Every so often, he or I would take it out and he'd recount how G'pa had whittled it and memories of that trip. Rob and Andy came home from that trip dusty and full of stories (as you all did). When they took their caps off, their hair was full of pine sap. Uncle Bob immediately suggested putting gasoline in their hair to remove the resin. I nixed that idea and opted to have them shampoo and I cut out the offending patches (poor little guys - they looked like they had the mange for a while!). Thanks for the sweet, tearful memories.
That is truly awesome. What a treasure you found. This is one story I don't think any of us will get tired of hearing about and reliving.
Aunt Judy asks a great question. "Why are all (the DDDT Shirts) blue except Annie's and Linc's in red? Would you believe I know the answer? When we showed up to the t-shirt shop at closing time asking for 9 identical t-shirts, the guy at the counter became less than enthused. He didn't have enough shirts to finish the job so we'd have to get some blue and some red. It was decided that since Lincoln and Annie were the youngest that they would be in red, but it wouldn't be fair for Linc to be in a girl color - though to Annie, this was a good situation. That's when the little hearts and stars came in. To make sure Lincoln didn't get grafted into girlhood, they decided to put stars on the boy shirts and hearts on the girl shirts. I remember that the solution still wasn't much of a consolation to Linc who really wanted a boy, I mean blue, shirt.
Pretty simple huh?
Great explanation, but Andy was the youngest. He was always way cooler though, even when we were little :)
Okay. Freddy is mostly right--there were differences between the girl style and boy style--you'll notice Linc's is still the boy style. Problem was that there were only two t-shirts in the store that were boy, but fit both Andy and Linc. Linc lost on the color selection and we hit on the stars/hearts solution!
A little extra trivia for you all: Arlene's daughter Michele lived in Lake Isabella for a lot of years. Her husband owned the t-shirt shop (at least I beleive he did) but that family is now pretty much estranged from Arlene. She has a good relationship with a couple of her grandsons--one is Matt who is in the Air Force now and has been over at Gram and Gramps...and I know a couple of you have met him.
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