Favorite Childhood Memory

What do:

And:

Have in common? They are a part of one of my favorite childhood memories.

The question was asked the other day, "What is one of your favorite childhood memories?" My first thought was of our trips up the river to Nasika Park. We would always wave a watermelon which we would promptly place in the river to stay cold. The other selections would be either KFC or Kielbasa sausage and french bread. We would swim and eat, eat and swim. Papa (Ben) would wear his cut off shorts and our mom would put on her swimsuit, something we did not see her in very much. I just remember fun, happiness, and the occasional crawdad scaring me enough to get out of the water.

This memory lead me to remember 4th of July's. Every year for quite a few years we spent 4th of July with my 4-H club. The Super Cows Incorporated. We would gather at my Aunts house with inner tubes, air-mattresses or anything else we could think of to float on. Then the procession would head through the fields to the river. I always had a chuckle and wondered what the cows must have thought about us, and how odd we must have looked. The float up river would take a few hours. By the time we got to Grandma Roods place the parents would have the BBQ blaring and as much potato salad we could eat. We would then proudly show our sunburns off at our next club meeting.

A part of the Coos River, Coos Bay Oregon

Most of my memories I thought of in response to the "What one is your favorite" question were memories made on the Coos River. I guess that's why wherever I have lived it has always been, Home.