Ride into yesterday...

I had to take Sadie into the groomer this morning, and I took the road along West Beach. It was a cold, Dark Morning, no rain, but the threat of it was there. As I drove down the road, It was like I was in a time machine, taking me back, back, back into the early 50's when we first came to the Island from Hawaii. I saw Phyllis Ann in her plaid coat, and Dad in his eskimo parka, along the beach and throwing driftwood up on to the berm along the road. We lived in a log cabin with a fireplace, the first we had ever seen. And back then, where we lived was so far out in the boonies, that taking driftwood off the beach was accepted. So every weekend we would pile into the car, put the back seat down in the Nash Rambler station wagon, pile into the front seat, and head to the beach for firewood.

We spent all afternoon walking the beach and throwing the wood up onto the road. We would also be beach combing, and there were some good finds back in those days. We would then turn around and wait at the end of the road, while Dad went back for the car. He drove it up to where we were and then we would open the back end and load up the wood, drive on to the next piece and load it up and so on until we were back at the beginning, and the car was stuffed so full, that sometimes we had to sit on each others lap, as the long pieces rode over the seat back and up onto the dash board.

Once home, we would unload it and then Phyllis Ann and I would grab the 2 man buck saw, and cut it into 2 foot lengths, and Dad would split it and stack it in the wood shed.

We not only brought back wood to keep us warm, but we also brought back memories of runny noses and frozen fingers, and sleet, and misty rain, and fog. But you know what they saw about firewood, it warms you twice. Once when you cut it and once when you burn it. In our case it was many more times than that, as the warm memories of spending an afternoon out in the boonies with your Dad and Sister, keep coming back every time I drive down that road on a dark gloomy cold morning.