What I like about this picture is that it shows my dad at the far left of the frame with his characteristic hands on back of waist stance. I mean, a glance at his figure and I know it's him. I sort of remember this vacation. Snapshots of it, really. I believe it was one of the last times we took a small engine airplane out to NH - and what was I? Two? Three? I can't tell, but I do remember staying at the Maker's cabin on the lake, finding a zillion dreamsicle-colored salamanders (and wanting to take the bucket of them that I found home with us), and even the family in the little house next to ours - I played with the kids, who were dreadfully noisy. One night at their house I was so thrown by the chaos and noise that I told the girl I needed earplugs (kiddingly, of course). She pulled open a drawer and handed me a set without question. Seems they were used to that complaint. And ready. I can't remember their names, but it wasn't the McLaine clan - they were on the other side of the woods.
Grammy Foote stayed with us in this house, and I recall a night that we were all in the lake after dark, while she babysat and our parents had gone somewhere for the evening. She called me in and made me sit with her as the others continued their playing in the water. I was so upset! I honestly don't think the woman ever cared much for me, but that could be the memory of tiny kid who felt "victimized" by a overly cautious grandma. She fed puzzles into the fireplace to keep the fire going - puzzles that belonged to the house and its owners. I remember Rootie getting a huge kick out of that. We only stayed in this cabin once or twice early on, and I do remember it a bit. Jeanne and I had a bedroom upstairs and I insisted on a hall light staying on because I was ALWAYS scared of the dark. The last night we were there Jeanne cried in bed and said goodbye to everyone as she lay there in the dark - even said goodbye to Sandy McLaine's horse. I thought that was hysterical.
On the flight out we were fogged in at some stopover airport. I do recall sitting for what seemed DAYS in a waiting room until we were allowed to take off. We were not allowed to move around, but to sit still. How often these days does one see a family of kids sitting quietly for hours? Talk about hard - I remember that it was agony.
