Saturday, May 25, 2013

Week 21 Reminisce


Our prompt from Sally this week is to take a photo that triggers a memory and to reminisce.  Recently I was reminded of a very special summer when I was 11 by the cottony seeds flying in the air  from this great  tree.  There is a long line of them in a town near where I live. 


 We call them giant sycamore trees.  And they in turn remind me of the giant cottonwood tree that grows out west: in  particular, northern Arizona.  It was the summer when my parents sent me to a horse camp in northern Arizona.  Just an amazing experience for 6 long weeks on a ranch.  Each camper was assigned a horse to care for and ride.  My memories are of long rides on endless acres of  unfenced land and then coming across the lone giant cottonwood-- a beacon and a sign that water is nearby; a memory of a dry arroya suddenly filling with a 3 foot high bank of rushing water after a thunderstorm; passing the test after  learning the correct names for all the parts of a horse, saddle, bridle and how to care for and groom them and earning the status of no longer being considered a tenderfoot.  I had many incredible and wonderful experiences that summer besides riding every day.  I learned how to tool leather and made a belt, I had a close group of friends in our bunkhouse, we had campfires and sing alongs and a camping expedition to the Grand Canyon.   And I encountered my first bout of homesickness.  When the summer was over, several of us and an adult boarded the train and rode all the way to New York City where my family met me at Grand  Central Station.  It was truly a summer of adventure and personal growth that revisits me whenever those cottony seeds fly. I will always be grateful to my parents for their wisdom in making it possible for me to have these experiences
                                     


To see what others have reminisced about this week click HERE.

16 comments:

  1. Those cottony seed remind me of springs in SK where they are so thick that it looks like snow on the ground. Your summer in Northern Arizona sounds wonderful.

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  2. What lovely memories indeed! And beautiful shots of that tree! There were two cottonwood trees across the street from the house I grew up in,...each year as those little pieces would float through the air, they would stick to the screens of our windows and front door - my folks hated it when that happened - but I always thought it was like snow in the summer!!

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  3. What a stunning tree, it looks huge too! I really enjoyed this weeks topic, it gave me a chance to flip through photos and remember fun and laughter.

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  4. I remember the first time I saw the cottonwoods "snow." It was my first year in Montana and it is a sight to see.

    Your memory is very evocative and I felt every step of your trip in that arroyo.

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  5. How wonderful. What a lovely story

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  6. Oh that sounds like so much fun. What a great memory to have. Watching movies of summer camps I always wished I could've gone. Do they have them for adults?

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  7. Wow - that sounds like one heck of a memorable summer. I used to love going to camp to ride and then going to camp to help the counselors with the horses! Such wonderful memories from those summers which you can attest to!

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  8. Oh what an amazing experience that camp must have been. I don't think I have ever seen cottonwood seeds fly before.

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  9. Many of us have our reminiscences linked to some kind of plant!!!

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  10. Mary your tree pics are cool. The summer camp you describe must have been quite different from growing up in New York. Thanx for the wonderful memory you shared.

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  11. What wonderful memories and a great experience! I enjoyed your story very much. And your photos are lovely.

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  12. Great story...my daughter would KILL to have that kind of experience....Of course now she is almost 20...hmmm might still kill for it...lol Thanks for such a great memory!


    http://mypicturesonlife.blogspot.com/2013/05/focus-on-live-week-21-reminisce.html

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  13. I can only imagine what a wonderful experience this was for you.

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  14. Wow, what an experience! and no doubt a memory that will always be with you. I've always wanted to take a train across the country ... that too must have been quite an experience! thanks for sharing

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  16. Mary, what beautiful trees and thank you for sharing such a wonderful memory!

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