Exhausted, we parked our cart and rested. It must have been around five o'clock.
All around us people were setting their tents up, or plopped next to their cart taking naps. I was sitting under some trees in the shade, a distance from anyone else, not caring about the ticks, bugs or misquotes. Too tired. I took burrs out of my socks. They wouldn't be any good when I got home, the burs had claws that tore the thread of my socks up. Either I went along and ignored the scratchy feeling of them rubbing against my legs or I took them out, reducing my socks to useless shreds. I decided only to take out the bad ones.
It was very peaceful. As most of the camp woke up from their naps, the prairie camp became alive with the smell of campfire smoke and noise of setting up tents, laughter, and a soft tune being played on the recorder. It sounded and smelled so real, so like what I thought a Mormon pioneer camp would sound, that I could picture Brigham Young walking here and there.
A little while later, I went to my family's camp site and washed my hair in the biggest pot that my family had, with Ma. I spotted some kids going behind some bushes south of our camp, and asked where they were going.
I think it was Pa, ( or maybe Faith,) that answered, "Swimming in a cow hole."
Swimming huh? Well, I went to go look. Some friends of mine said, 'Are you coming to swim in the creek?'
I shook my head, " No, this is my mother's favorite dress,
(everyone was stinky- clay-covered-dirty when they got out). And it's also my last dress and I don't want to get it anymore dirty then I have to make it."
'why don't you change back into your other one?' they asked.
"Because that one's my favorite."
( Like all other girls, I had brought only two dresses, one for the first two days and one for the last two days. Everything we took had to fit in a 5 gallon bucket.)
But I followed them down to the creek. Normally I have nothing at all against swimming in a creek. Catching crawdads, tracking bluegill perch nests, skipping rocks, floating down, running back. I love it. But...
Oh, Oh. Pa was right. Some creek. It was a cow hole. The water was brown, and stunk like manure. Not strongly though. Only if you smelled the mud like I did. After all, there were free range cows running around. Ones with long horns. They weren't a threat though, as soon as they saw us they ran for the hills. Lots of kids were playing in it. I think most didn't know how to tell cow water from good swimming water, and the rest didn't care. My brother Joseph was one of those who plain didn't care. He was hot. He romped around with the rest of them.
All around us people were setting their tents up, or plopped next to their cart taking naps. I was sitting under some trees in the shade, a distance from anyone else, not caring about the ticks, bugs or misquotes. Too tired. I took burrs out of my socks. They wouldn't be any good when I got home, the burs had claws that tore the thread of my socks up. Either I went along and ignored the scratchy feeling of them rubbing against my legs or I took them out, reducing my socks to useless shreds. I decided only to take out the bad ones.
It was very peaceful. As most of the camp woke up from their naps, the prairie camp became alive with the smell of campfire smoke and noise of setting up tents, laughter, and a soft tune being played on the recorder. It sounded and smelled so real, so like what I thought a Mormon pioneer camp would sound, that I could picture Brigham Young walking here and there.
A little while later, I went to my family's camp site and washed my hair in the biggest pot that my family had, with Ma. I spotted some kids going behind some bushes south of our camp, and asked where they were going.
I think it was Pa, ( or maybe Faith,) that answered, "Swimming in a cow hole."
Swimming huh? Well, I went to go look. Some friends of mine said, 'Are you coming to swim in the creek?'
I shook my head, " No, this is my mother's favorite dress,
(everyone was stinky- clay-covered-dirty when they got out). And it's also my last dress and I don't want to get it anymore dirty then I have to make it."
'why don't you change back into your other one?' they asked.
"Because that one's my favorite."
( Like all other girls, I had brought only two dresses, one for the first two days and one for the last two days. Everything we took had to fit in a 5 gallon bucket.)
But I followed them down to the creek. Normally I have nothing at all against swimming in a creek. Catching crawdads, tracking bluegill perch nests, skipping rocks, floating down, running back. I love it. But...
Oh, Oh. Pa was right. Some creek. It was a cow hole. The water was brown, and stunk like manure. Not strongly though. Only if you smelled the mud like I did. After all, there were free range cows running around. Ones with long horns. They weren't a threat though, as soon as they saw us they ran for the hills. Lots of kids were playing in it. I think most didn't know how to tell cow water from good swimming water, and the rest didn't care. My brother Joseph was one of those who plain didn't care. He was hot. He romped around with the rest of them.
Many kids asked me to join. I refused all their invitations, and sat on some beautiful rocks above the trail boss and my ward bishop, ( who was Pa for my trek Parent's real oldest son,) They were conniving about how they would throw me in. Such teasers they are, I couldn't tell whether or not they were serious~!
And the plotters.
I stalled time and sneaked away. There wasn't anybody that was going to throw me in that.
I guess I am spoiled after enjoying the Ozark's crystal clear rivers.
My bishop, ( in white with hair,) plotting with the tail boss to toss me in, even though I am right there, perched above them. You can see that mischievous look on the trail boss, (he's in the red shirt).
I got up higher on the bank after that.
The cow hole ...
I stalled time and sneaked away. There wasn't anybody that was going to throw me in that.
I guess I am spoiled after enjoying the Ozark's crystal clear rivers.
My bishop, ( in white with hair,) plotting with the tail boss to toss me in, even though I am right there, perched above them. You can see that mischievous look on the trail boss, (he's in the red shirt).
I got up higher on the bank after that.
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