1976 was a big year for the Crews family. Our precious Peggy had started "Candy Garden" at Lacoochee Elementary in Pasco County, Florida. She was filling up her head with letters, numbers & colors while being shoved into the wrong bus line and having her pregnant mama close to a nervous breakdown. This caused a blubbering confrontation with the school Principal, the teachers, the school nurse and both janitors. The little darling announced to her favorite teacher’s aide that her mama would need a whole seat for herself if she volunteered to go along on the class field trip to visit Busch Gardens in Tampa. Miss Brandon started laughing the moment she first met me as she could see I was near giving birth to our Jon. Yes, I did need a whole seat. The little brother (at birth) tipped the scales at 10 lbs. 1oz. I tipped it at 175 while eating.
So, the school system in Pasco County was operating on the 45/15 system. Meaning there were 4-track rotations of school days so as to maintain full usage of the buildings and tax monies. 45 days of school for a track and 15 days off. School was always in session. Glad I didn't have to set that schedule. Peggy's 15 off days gave us a chance to take a Crews Family Vacation. July, hot, pregnant me. Hot Diggy Dog!
We operated on the cheap by driving "Old Yeller," our 1974 Ford truck fitted with a camper cab. The man of our house cut a bed from plywood to fit on the truck body ledge so his precious baby girl could sleep comfortable on her own bed above our feet if we decided to sleep on blowups shoved into the floor of the thing.
"Good to go now."
"Yep, no Holiday Inn beds now…sigh!"
We packed our gear for camping. Coleman tent, Coleman camp stove, Coleman lantern, Coleman sleeping bags. Coleman gear got all our jar money. We headed out to the great American camping experience to look and explore the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. First night we put down tent stakes at a recommended campground. Peggy insisted she needed to participate in the campfire sing-a-long.
"Kumbaya Lord."
Fog on the mountain, sinuses packed back to there, ankles swollen, road weary; the princess insisted she needed to look in others’ tents.
"Please, let her tire."
So, we camped. We took family pictures with chainsaw-carved bears, at the edges of gurgling streams, in grassy meadows, and on porches of old pioneer cabins. We spent money for corn cob pipes, beaded faux leather purses and dances with Kowalige the wooden Indian. We spent our next month’s grocery money on trinkets of everything stamped, “Made In China.” All this for our darling girl. The kid knew exactly how to work her daddy.
One night we had set up the tent to spend a night of rest. We had all our gear packed in the truck bed for safe keeping from the roaming bears.
"Shush, don't mention roaming bears, she won't go to sleep."
"Oops!"
We were tucked into our sleeping bags on top of blowups. All was well until the princess decided we would be fodder for the bears and we should move into the truck and put the food and gear in the tent.
"Now is that okay?"
"Okay now lay your head down and go to sleep."
"Mama, you wanna lay up here with me?"
"GO TO…SLEEP."
"Shush, people round here trying to sleep; y'all gonna get us thrown out."
"Harumph!"
"Mama, I ain't sleepy yet."
"I''mma spank your BEHIND."
"Daddy…"
"Now settle down baby girl."
The 10 lbs. 1 oz. parasite was growing by the minute and let me know every fifteen minutes how crowded he was and I should go make water. I took a flashlight to shine in the eyes of roaming bears, but decided I could squat behind the truck tires and get a midnight snack while I was up.
"Now then!"
Time in the mountains was fun and un-funding; time to head home. We were rolling down the mountains on I-40 where the ride gets fun. The Princess had insisted on riding in the back of the truck on her plank bed. We could keep an eye on her through the window that had no opening between her and us. Our way of communicating with her was tapping on the window and mouthing,
"What?" Or
"Lay down now." Or
"Soon."
As the ride got twisty and uppy and downy, we looked back to see our baby girl crying in a panic. After finding a pull-off we skidded to a stop and jumped out, went back and lifted the camper window to ask what the problem was.
Rolling off her plank bed and stumbling into our arms, she showed us how her pointer fingers were caught in a,
CHINESE FINGER TRAP.
***Google it.***
You can check out Earline’s blog and buy a copy of her first book “Life With the Top Down” at: http://www.earlinesdoins.com
