MRS. LIVINGSTONE, I PRESUME?

(Run originally 3/26/04 on our old site)

Anita Hart Fuller

Thanks to all who gave directions and drew maps, etc. Bob and I - with friends from Illinois - hope to drive out there tomorrow (Thursday) so, hopefully, we'll be able to give a first hand report and send pictures from Bob's trusty digital camera (eat your heart out, Don). We also hope to eat catfish for lunch at the "cafe" in Georgetown: surely everyone in miles radius of Searcy knows about it and has eaten there. Best catfish we've EVER eaten, and we've eaten a lot of catfish, as my figure will attest.

(Next day:)

To Dan E: sorry if you might have been expecting the pictures I promised of Echo Dell today. Due to circumstances beyond our control we weren't able to go to Searcy. Will try again asap.

To Ernie: I make my family listen to Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" all day on July 4th. I'd love to hear you bleat “To the Colors;” maybe if I turn off Kate and listen real hard I may hear you.

Everyone: let's talk a little bit about The Poor Farm. I remember it.

(Is it still in operation? If so, I may soon be living in it. –tlp-)

Paula Anne Windsor Thompson

Camp Wyldewood - 1948

I do not remember how I came to go to Camp Wyldewood, but I'm sure that my parents thought it would be a neat thing to do. So, after completing the 7th grade, I got ready to attend my first summer camp. It was 1948 and the camp had just opened, so I was a charter camper. I did not realize until later what a wonderful experience it was. The good news was that it was not too far away, so it was a short trip. And you know another thing was that we did not have a car at the time so, again, I do not know how I got there. But my good friends Pat and Johnice Young, were going, and I have an idea that was one of the selling points.

As I recall, there were not too many campers that first year. There was only one cabin for the girls, and one or two for the boys. I do believe that some did sleep in the lodge hall. The cabins had the smell of newly milled wood (almost as good as new car leather) and the bunk beds were a new experience. I slept on the top bunk.

The lodge hall was the dining area and some other activities were performed there.. Of course we had Bible classes, lots of singing and swimming. With all the woods around, it was a great nature place, and it was so peaceful..... Since there was no pool, we were bused to Harding's pool for the activity. However, there was a lot of concern about Polio and, after the first or second day, we started swimming in the Little Red River, just a hop, skip and a jump from camp. It was really fun.

Wonder if there were polio bugs in the river??? Being new and out in the woods, it meant that there were a few changes from home, like no indoor plumbing, so we had outdoor potties and showers. Man, was that water cold! I do believe if we had to take showers with cold water these days that folks would not use so much.

I am sure you remember some camp experiences and how you make new friends and then, when it is time to leave, you had to go, and you cry and promise to write. The picture shows Pat and Johnice Young. Johnice is top left, Pat is top center and I'm lower right in the picture, taken by our camp counselor. The rest of the girls were from other towns and I don't remember their names.

Camp Wyldewood is a Christian camp sponsored by the Church of Christ. Read about it at http://www.campwyldewood.org/

Don Thompson

Note about today's journal. I sent the piece to F.B. Canfield and his reply was:
“Interesting story, but not accurate. I was a passenger. Can't remember who was driving, but my head cracked the windshield. Had lots of tiny pieces of glass embedded in my forehead. One of the Johnson kids was thrown completely through the windshield on the passenger side of their Model A. No one was seriously injured. Amazing.”

Cheers!