Memory Lane - Summer Fun (July and August 1989)

The summer of 1989 for the Burk family - big surprise - played out much like recent past summers. You know, the groove thing. So I don't really need to tell the story. But I found a few pics of noteworthy moments to offer. 

We got the summer rolling with what had become our annual stop at Story Book Gardens in London, Ontario. We were pumped.

Okay. Maybe not pumped. But comfortable. By now we knew where everything was. We worked through the usual rides and exhibits. Cathy was now big enough to ride a pony all by herself. 

She must have liked it as going to summer horse-riding camp became a major highlight of her teen years. 

This was also the first year I remember Cathy having full command of the giant rope web.

Here she is making it all the way to the top, leaving poor Christy in the lurch.

It was also the year the girls tried to take over the transportation system. But, they never got the hang of the push thing. The sit-in didn't last too long. 

Meanwhile Ted was growing into his big brother role.

This final SBG pic is a favorite. Chilling with Humpty. Life was good.

Cathy's 4th birthday arrived right on schedule. 

And it came with a milestone - her first two-wheeler.

Purple and pink to boot. And yes, it had training wheels (although as I recall they weren't needed for very long). 

Our summer was highlighted by our customary visit to the family cottage at Ipperwash Beach, which included some new activities. Like a little multigenerational swing dancing in the screened porch. I think that's probably Glen Miller you're hearing in the background. One of Rae's favorites.

There was some ambitious sand art, a la The Plains of Nazca (it helps if you squint).

Some new beach equipment.

And an uptick in home-schooling.

There were also a lot of traditional activities, like spending time in your favorite motionless position.

In retrospect, I guess motionlessness isn't actually an activity.  

There was the usual animal husbandry. 

Heidi was the ripe old age of nine by this time, and not seeing as well as she used to. This put Grandpa Rae's floor-to-ceiling porch screens at peril from time to time. I'd say more but those records have been classified. I can admit that I knew my way around the screen section at the local hardware store. 

A highlight of our time at the cottage was the generous amount of quality time we spent with the senior generation (also known as extended happy hours). Here are Aunt Evelyn and Nancy's mother Marge, our gracious co-hostesses.

Uncle Ken, tending bar. 

And Nancy's father Rae, dapper as usual, about to imbibe.

I'll close this quick look at our summer of '89 with two of our all time favorite cottage pics. The first is of the four cousins (Cathy, Christy, Heather and Andrew) running free after dinner on an otherwise deserted beach. Most of them wore shoes.

And here are Christy and Cathy ending another day in paradise with corn-husking duty. 

For the girls, corn-husking began as a "get-to-do" activity. But being the perceptive creatures they are, they eventually realized it was really a "have-to-do" activity. The change came when they tried to get out of it. Even paradise has the occasional hiccup.

Hope to see you back on Memory Lane soon.

Grosse Pointe Charles