Memory Lane - Beaucoup de Burks (August 1984)

In my last Memory Lane post, I made it to about the middle of August 1984. So I'll resume with the rest of August, and my second reunion of the year - the Burks. Not quite the production the LeRoy reunion turned out to be, but significant nonetheless. For a couple of reasons. The first is that in the '80s the members of the Burk family saw each other quite regularly in smaller gatherings, but it was rare for all of us to be in the same spot at the same time. The second reason was a special guest. 

The reunion was held at my parents' home in Linwood, Michigan, just north of Bay City. My parents had moved to Linwood from Bay City circa 1970, when the last of the children had escaped the nest. The house was a comfortable ranch on a good size lot in what I would call farm country. The yard was surrounded on three sides by cultivated fields with a culvert running along the back of the property. Fresh air, wildlife, fewer people. And a sizable vegetable garden, complete with a stretch of grape vines. My Dad was into homemade wine.

The weather was good that weekend, allowing us to spend most of the time out in the yard. Here are some pics. First up is a familiar face. Christy passing the time on one of the oldest swing sets in Bay County. Made out of pipes. This iron icon was cemented into the ground when my parents bought the house, and I'd bet a loaf of cheese bread it's still there.

Here's a closer shot of our swinger showing off her fancy hat.

Now for some cousins. This is my brother Jeff's daughter Dee Dee (short for Dolores) copiloting the little red wagon with Christy. 

Here's another shot of Dee Dee in her red jellies, all the rage in 1984.

Now for some boys. Ted with my sister Wendy's son Tristan in the middle of a heated round of Jarts. I think they're illegal now. Hurling pointed steel missiles in a yard full of kids. What's the problem?  

Also present was sister Wendy's daughters. Melanie, shown here on the aforementioned swing.

And Jennifer, apparently consulting with grandpa about some multigenerational issue.

Here's a couple more action shots of the kids enjoying the day. This first one is of Melanie and Ted haggling over a questionable badminton out-of-bounds call. In the foreground is Christy, risking injury from an errant birdie, running through the field of play trying to catch Heidi, our family dog.  

In the background you will note a couple of old friends. On the far right is Big Blue, the large six-person canvas tent that you may have seen in earlier posts. Next to Blue is its former partner, a 12 x 12 canvas screen porch. They were pitched that weekend to be aired out and serve as entertainment for the kids.

These two soul mates could be seen standing next to each other in campgrounds all over Michigan in the '70s and '80s. The porch has long been retired due to sun damage and other wounds suffered in the line of duty. Big Blue, however, currently hangs in residence in the Wiser Times garage, patiently waiting for an opportunity to serve. It turned 50 this last year.

In this next shot Tristan is treating Christy to a red wagon tour of the property. It looks like the mule may have just come up lame. 

But again the real story of this picture are the two relics in the background. My Dad's boat and the house trailer. The boat has a pretty standard history. My Dad loved the water and loved to fish. So shortly after he and Mom moved to the "country", he bought the boat. For most of its life the boat sat in the yard on its trailer waiting for action. Occasionally, Dad would take Mom out for a ride on Saginaw Bay. They never went out for too long or got that far from shore, as Mom really didn't enjoy the water. But for my Dad, having the boat scratched an itch.

The house trailer story is a little more complicated. As I have noted in previous posts, a key component of my parents' social life was always weekends up north. For many years they would head up to the Indian River area for a weekend, check into a favorite motel, and hang out with friends. Eventually, they tired of the motels and bought property nearby with the intention of building a small getaway cabin. 

For one reason or another the cabin was never built. My parents ended up selling the property and buying a different lot that had this trailer on it. But the trailer needed work. Lots of it. So my Dad towed it home to Linwood so he could put it in working condition. Slowly. Over time. As the mood would strike him. 

Suffice it to say, the trailer never left the yard. I think Dad eventually sold it before he and Mom packed up and moved to Florida in 2001. But this old gray ghost did provide fun time for my Dad as he tinkered with improvements. And occasionally the kids would use it as a fort or playhouse. But enough on the trailer. Let's get back to the reunion.  

In addition to the grandkids, all of my siblings were there. My baby sister Cindy who was living in Flushing.

   My brother Jeff down from his home in Gaylord.

And sister Wendy, also living in Flushing, here demonstrating her elegant badminton form.

Of course I was there, shown here applying one of my infamous bungy cords to a minor tent issue. 

And my bride Nancy, just taking it all in. And perhaps looking forward to happy hour.

First among the senior generation was my mother Dolores, managing the whole affair. 

And my brother's bride Sue chatting here with her mother Elaine. 

Our special guest for the reunion was my Grandma Katy. 

The reunion was also an 80th birthday party for Katy. She lived to be 100, but I'm pretty sure this was her last visit to Michigan. Here's another pic of Grandma and my mother in a private hobnob out behind Big Blue. The subject matter I'm sure was classified.

A couple of final shots from the day. First the grandchildren wrestling with ice cream cones (had to bribe them to sit still for a few moments). Melanie and Ted in the back with their hands in the air, Tristan in front of Melanie, Dee Dee in the shadows, and Christy in front of Dee Dee. From the look on Christy's face and her empty hands, I'm guessing her cone had taken a tumble. I'm sure it was still under warranty.

And as with the LeRoy reunion in my previous post, I'll finish with the group shot, captioned below. Not my best camera work, but still a classic.

Across the back are the men, me on the left, then moving to the right brother Jeff and my Dad. In front of us are the women, from left to right Sue, my mother, Wendy, Nancy, Cindy, and Jennifer. Standing around my seated grandmother on the left is Melanie. On the right are Tristan and Ted. On Katy's lap are Dee Dee and Christy. A memorable gathering for our extended family.

Things wound down on Sunday. We all packed up and headed our separate ways, not realizing how infrequently these gatherings would recur in the future. And never again would all of the attendees be in the same place at the same time.

The balance of August passed quietly with the usual lazy summer days. One exception was a joint party we had for Christy and Ted whose birthdays are one day apart. My recall isn't totally sharp on that event, but I believe we had one cake for the two of them. These pictures support that theory. Here's a shot of Christy blowing out three candles on the cake.

And one of Ted blowing out eight candles on what appears to be the same cake.

The less-than-optimum quality of these old photos make it hard to tell. But I think we pulled a "twofer" on these kids. That strategy would never work today, in our culture of individuality. 

The ploy did not dampen the mood it would seem, based on these shots. First, Ted opening what appears to be a kid-level portable cassette player.

Here Christy is carefully pulling the paper from another treasure - a playhouse set.

This final pic captured a glimpse into the future. Ted, plugged into his own world with what would be only the first of a long line of electronic escape devices. The smile says it all.

And Christy, gazing intently into the business side of her playhouse, inventorying the endless combinations of imaginary family dramas and furniture arrangements at her disposal. Her expression is as revealing as Ted's smile. Fun times.  

That brings us to the end of August and the end of this post. I'll be back soon with the rest of 1984.

Grosse Pointe Charles