Picnics And Reunions-1961

That summer of 1961 was fun. We got to go to the Remington Picnic at Pine Lake. We were all lined up in front of Grant's Department Store waiting for the bus. I loved going to the lakes. We'd go to Pine Lake and sometimes to Caroga Lake. They both had an amusement area with rides and games etc. We'd always get into one of those photo booths too. Those pictures never seemed to come out that good but I still have a few. We'd all go swimming. Pine Lake had the nicer beach I thought. It was a fun time for us poor kids from across the tracks.
We also had a family reunion that year on my father's side. My Aunt Sarah and Uncle John had it at their farm on Pine Bush Road, which was one road away from the old Grandparent's farm on Casey Road. My Grandfather had died in 1958 after a ten week stay in Herkimer Hospital. My Grandmother was still alive in 1961 but in a nursing home with Diabetes. I never saw her again since the late 50's it seems. She died in 1964 in the Utica State Hospital.
So in 1961 we had that reunion. It was fun being around all the relatives and cousins. Uncle John would always have the water cooler in the barn full of soda and beer. It sure stayed nice and cold in there!
The men would play horseshoes and the women would sit around gabbing. Us kids could go swimming in their pool if we wanted. I never did but the others loved it. Sometimes we'd take a walk through the woods over to Casey road to look at the old homestead, which had just about fallen in by then, after being abandoned for a few years. Doesn't take nature long to eat up an old house. It was not in good shape anyway.
Sarah's family picked Blackberries every summer and sold them to the local markets. We'd go picking them for ourselves if there was any left. That trail between the two roads was loaded with them. And other times we'd go searching for Puffballs. My father always fried them. I never really cared for them though.