My Grand Canyon Adventure by Sally Dawley Stroud Class of 1965 I have been taking whitewater rafting trips for many years now. My first trip was on the New River in West Virginia back in 1980, sixteen years after I graduated from Lee High School. After that first trip I was hooked. My biggest dream was to someday raft the Grand Canyon and finally decided when I was in my 40's that I would make that dream come true for my 50th Birthday. So, keeping that promise to myself, on July 8th 1997, I began an awe-inspiring 12-day raft trip that covered 226 miles on the Colorado River that cut through the Grand Canyon. I won't bore you with a day-by-day description, but needless to say, it was a trip that is forever etched into my memory. There were 20 rafters with 6 guides making up the expedition. We had a great group of rafters, ranging in ages from a 14-year-old to a 71-year-old retired nurse! The weather was beautiful, and though it was hot we had very little rain. I can't begin to describe how beautiful the inside of the canyon really is as you travel through it. We saw beautiful waterfalls as we traveled down the lush blue-green water of the Little Colorado. You also notice that as you traverse the canyon its characteristics change from limestone and sandstone walls on the upper portion to the dark, black volcanic rock in the lower canyon. Each section of the canyon has its own unique beauty. We were lucky to have a geologist from New York, who worked the summers as a "baggage boat" oarsman, accompany us on our adventure. He gave several talks to the group on the formation and history of the canyon along the way. Having never had a class in geology, I found it all fascinating. As I mentioned earlier, the weather was hot but I failed to mention that the water was COLD! The average water temperature was between 48-56 degrees. It was so cold we kept our beer cold by placing it in bags and dragging it behind the boat. I can attest to how cold the water was at a place called Specter Rapids. That was where our paddleboat overturned and all eight that were in my boat went out. I got caught in an eddy current to the right of the rapids and was in the water for between 10 and 12 minutes. That doesn't seem like a long time to most people but it seemed more like a lifetime to me! I was very hypothermic and scared when I finally got back into the boat but the guides were wonderful. Thank goodness that was the only major medical problem we had on the whole trip and I recovered pretty quickly once I got warmed up. After 12 days on the river with all the beauty of nature and without any conveniences of our modern society, I had a little difficulty adjusting to "normal life." That has never happened after any of my other vacations. But, then again, I have never spent 12 days in a primitive camping environment before either. On our last night the head guide cautioned us that returning to "the surface" would take some adjustment. We all laughed at that idea, but it turned out that he was right. If you are a nature lover, water lover, or a ratfter, I would highly recommend that you find time to take this trip. I would love to do it again. Maybe I'll save up for my 60th birthday. _____________________________ |
Est. March 31, 2000 16,675 Previous Hits October 15, 2001 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu |
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Do You Remember... "The Lunchroom"? by Tommy Towery This week's topic for memories was suggested by Escoe. We all have our own memories of many hangouts, but let's face it, we all didn't travel in the same crowds and all go to the same hangouts. We all did eat in the lunchroom. As I started trying to remember things about it, the first memory lapse came in trying to remember how we paid for our lunches. I remember when I went to East Clinton that we paid at a cash register, and in those days it cost 25 cents to eat. I remember that because I used to carry my quarter to school each day in a St. Joseph's Aspirin tin. Over the years I remember the problem with always having to remember your lunch money, and the consequences of forgetting it. But my memory wants me to remember that we bought lunch tickets at Lee. But when did we buy them (home room?) and what did they cost and when did we give them to the people that took them, if indeed we bought lunch tickets? I remember fish every Friday, be you Catholic or not. I remember that we did not have snack machines or drink machines like they do in schools today. But, there was one Coke machine that I remember, and it was in the teacher's lounge. Mrs. Parks used to trust me to go down and get her one right before break or lunch. Sometimes I would have enough money to buy myself one and chug-a-lug it there in the lounge before I took her's back to her. But unlike today's schools, we only had food in the lunchroom. I remember walking down the line and sliding my try along and getting milk in the paper containers and getting my silverware. I remember at one time, people started stealing spoons from the lunchroom and they would take the spoons and beat on the sides of nickels and round them out to make rings. I remember that an English pea could be sat strategically on the end of a fork and catapulted across the room. And did we have straws that allowed us to shoot the paper cover across the room with a mighty huff? I remember flies always being a problem. And finally I remember that you took your trays to the back right side of the lunchroom, scrapped the food off the plates and put them into the stainless steel window for the kitchen staff to clean. This week we're going to try something new to try to increase website participation. This is going to be a controlled memory exercise Okay, lie back on my couch and let's play the word association game. Get a piece of paper and pen or pencil. Number three lines - 1, 2, and 3. Starting with Item One below, point your mouse pointer to each of the three boxes below (one at a time I said) and write down the first thing (short answers) that comes to your mind as these items relate to THE LUNCHROOM. Then go to Item Two and write it down. Then Item Three. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU RELATE THESE ITEMS TO THE LUNCHROOM? Now go back to the paper and tell me why you gave the answers you did. When you get that done, then e-mail me your comments and answers please. I'll start it off with my own memories of the three items above. Person - Pam Grooms. I know that is crazy, but I have my reasons. When I first started noticing girls, I met her at the skating rink and I had a secret crush on her. When I first started to school at Lee in 1960, I was in the 9th grade but she was younger and about the only time I saw her was in the halls and in the lunchroom. She was putting up her tray one day and one of the workers hugged her neck. I think it was her mother or aunt that worked in the lunchroom? Am I right Pam? Maybe? Food Item - Lima Beans. Because one day I was eating them and looked down on my plate and there was a chubby little green worm (like a green grub worm) in my lima beans. It was the same color as the beans, except for it's black head. YUK! I haven't liked lima beans since then. Event - The Senior Prom. Because that is where the First Senior Prom of Lee High School was held. I documented this historic lunchroom event in "A Million Tomorrows...Memories of the Class of '64" with these passages: Finally, the big night arrived. The four of us showed up at the school and wandered into the lunchroom where the big event was taking place. The motif of the night was "Syronora," a befitting theme for a good-bye occasion. As if it were taken out of the script of "Footloose," rock-and-roll was not to be our music of the evening. That type of music was not acceptable for the senior prom. People hadn't gotten dressed up in their nicest outfits to get out on the dance floor and dance to jungle music. Whoever was appointed to the music committee decided that slow music would be better to dance to. Of course, none of the committee ever went to dances like the rest of us seniors and didn't have a clue what type of music we really wanted. I had been to a dance almost every weekend during my senior year. I had seen good bands and bad. I had seen battles between bands. I had even seen and danced to the "Thirteen Screaming Niggers." I had never seen or even heard of "Dixie Belle and Her Combo." Their name was as bad as "Dixie and the Dancekings" from Burt Reynold's movie "WW and the Dixie Dancekings." Only Dixie Belle wasn't country and western. She and her group played elevator music and that wasn't rock-and-roll either. In 1964, the only fast song that any of the ballroom combos knew was "Kansas City." When someone requested something fast they got the ole' "Kansas City here I come." The song just didn't sound the same played with an organ and drum as it did when played on an electric guitar and saxophone. So, the evening was spent sitting around trying to act sophisticated and dancing nice to the slow piano bar type music. The air was filled with the "swish-swish" sounds of the girls' formal dresses. We slow danced instead of getting out on the dance floor and doing what we really wanted to do. We sat around at the lunchroom tables, looking at the crepe paper and balloons, and drinking unspiked punch. Sometimes, as if in a fit of pity, several of the boys asked the female teachers to dance. The male teachers didn't need to be brave to ask the teenage girls to dance. Some had wanted to get their arms around the students all year I suppose. Everyone had a proper time and too soon the evening came to an end. The girls in their nice gowns and the boys in their coats and ties moved their way to the dance floor and danced the last slow dances of the evening to bring the night and their big dance to a close. Troy wanted to get a jump on the crowd in the parking lot and so one song before the dance was over, my date of the evening and I danced to our last song together. It was not only our last dance of the evening, it was the last dance of our short-lived relationship. Other Classmates' Memories of "The Lunchroom" Subject: Lunchroom Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 10:30:20 -0500 From: "Linda Walker" <lbwalker@usit.net> I was one of the lucky ones that attended Lee from the 7th grade through 12th. I don't think the food changed much in those 6 years. What was the the "treat" with the bologna fried just enough to make the edges curl up and mashed potatoes were dumped on the bologna with shredded cheese on top? and why do I remember that one thing? Scary, huh. And, of course, Miss Monroe with her brown paper bag collecting scraps to take home to her animals. I took the civil service test in the lunchroom in my senior year. They put 3 people at a table. My friend told me later that she had copied from my test. She got a job at the arsenal, but only for 3 months. Lynn mentioned Ken Martz - does anyone know where he is? I remember him from Rison through graduation. Subject: Memories of Lee's Lunchroom Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 21:17:12 -0700 From: "Terry 'Moses' Preston" <mosespreston@earthlink.net> Lee's Lunchroom: Dale Thompson's and Betty Jo Key's mothers worked there. I always tried to be in line with Dale so that I could get more food. (Didn't work). Mr. Hamilton had a rule that you ate in the lunchroom, even if you brought your lunch, and that you couldn't leave campus for lunch. (Didn't work either). I thought that the food was really....not bad. We always had fish on Friday, in order to avoid eternal damnation. I observed several people simply walking out of the line after they got their trays and not paying for their lunches. I hoped that they would not become victims of eternal damnation. Our Junior Prom was held in the lunchroom. I think I might have preferred eternal damnation to the band that played that night. Moses From Our Mailbag... Subject: Memories Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 09:30:50 -0500 From: "JOY MORRIS" <MORRIJA@ATHENS.EDU> I remember Big Spring Park and the pool. My sister and I would ride the bus into town and then walk to the park. How well I remember the chlorine smell, the lockers, and the basket pins. I also remember the shower you were supposed to take before entering the pool area. We never took them although the pool water probably would not have seemed so cold if we had. I remember songs by the Beach Boys and how cold the water was. I remember the new swimsuit we bought each year and comparing the latest fashions (one piece versus the new two piece), colors, and patterns. I also remember riding the bus back home sunburned, tired, and hungry! I remember never having the gumption to jump much less dive off the high dive although my sister did. Every time I looked at that diving board, I swear it got taller and taller and no amount of bribery or teasing could get me on that ladder. I remember the park where the company my father worked for held group picnics. I also remember going there on weekends (usually Saturdays) on family picnics and ending the day with a trip to the drive-in. I remember the worn path next to the chained link fence where children would explore, play hide and seek, and where couples could find some private time together away from the noisy crowd to steal kisses and hold hands. Of course as we got older, the family picnics gave way to dates at the drive-ins, the skating rink, putt-putt and driving between Shoney's and Jerry's to see who we knew. Big Spring Park became less of a place to visit while the parking spots along the mountain became more popular. I look at Big Spring Park now and although it is beautiful, I am wistful for the way I remember it. It held a magic all its own. It would be nice if some of the "old places" we remember would remain intact so that we could return to reminisce and to be surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of yesteryear. Joy Rubins Morris Subject: One More re: Lyric Theater Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 11:44:07 -0700 From: "GRIFFITH,MIKE (HP-USA,ex1)" <m_griffith@hp.com> In the Fifth Grade, I was a "Patrol Boy" for the crosswalks at Lincoln School. Mrs. Chapman was the teacher-sponsor for the School Patrol and everyone was terrified of her. Even though we were all scared to cross her in any way, the perks were not having to be in class at the start of school, leaving class before school ended for the day (had to be at the crosswalks before and after everyone else), and free movies at the Lyric after school on Fridays. We would walk from Lincoln downtown to the Lyric and either show our belt (with badge) or an ID card that said that we were Patrol Boys. Now this is where "Sometimers" disease strikes (sometimes I remember and sometimes I don't) ... I don't remember whether these were special movies or if they were the movies that were normally playing during the particular Friday. I enjoy the weekly updates to the site! Mike Griffith (Editor's Note: I was a patrol boy at East Clinton. I think I kept one of the belts until I graduated from Lee and moved away. I remember walking out to our respective corners and having a little drill where we would hold the flags different when a number was called out. I also remember walking out and holding the flags to let the other kids cross the street. They pay adults to do that in Memphis now.) Subject: Big Spring Park Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 22:51:39 EDT From: CEB1947@aol.com Tommy, somewhere in my old family photos, there is a shot of me and a little black Manchester pup named Dixie standing in front of a water scene at Big Spring Park. I was 13 and we had just moved to Huntsville from Decatur. When you said you saw the park on one of the "Where The Action Is" shows, it reminded me that I was there that day. The band I was in, "The In" had a record on the radio that was getting some attention nation wide. It was a cover of the old Wilson Pickett hit "In The Midnight Hour". Our producer, Sonny Limbaugh, took us to the taping at Big Spring hoping to persuade the producer to let us tape a segment and we got to hang out in the dressing room with all the stars. The Righteous Brothers where there that day and The Rascals and a singer named Keith Allison who later went on the be one of Paul Revere's Raiders. We also got to see the dancers close up and we had a ball. The producer of the show, Steve Alamo, said our record was too much like the cover that the Rascals had on their album so he decided to pass on us taping the show that day. One of the local TV stations there in Huntsville were there doing a report on the show being in town and they taped us performing our song out in front of the club house there at the park. All in all it was a pretty neat day. By the way four members of that band were from Lee High. Fred Sanders, George Vail, Bill Peck and myself. The fifth member was Bobby Land an older keyboard player and singer from Florida. If anybody remembers this story better that I do, please write me and tell me what you remember of it. After all I am 54 years old now. Eddie Burton Class of 66 Subject: Memories of Lyric & Big Spring Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 21:17:12 -0700 From: "Terry 'Moses' Preston" <mosespreston@earthlink.net> Sorry that I have been off-line for awhile. Here is a quick rundown of some of my memories. The Lyric Theater: School safety patrol boys got in free one day each week. In my elementary school days I could ride the bus to town for a nickel each way, pay a dime to get in (15 cents after Old Yeller), and get a candy bar, popcorn, or a "cold drank" for a nickel each. Gary Kinkle, Lehman Williams, and Dwight Tuck talked me into going to the Kiddie Show one Saturday morning during our Junior Year. There was a drawing, and I won a two month pass to attend the Lyric as often as I wanted. Thanks guys! My bicycle was stolen from in front of the Lyric when I was in the sixth grade. An early indication that life isn't always fair. I was thrown out one time for throwing things from the balcony. On that occasion I was innocent, but it made up for several other times when I wasn't. An early indication that justice can be a bitch if you don't behave. Big Spring: School safety patrol boys got in to the swimming pool free, all summer long. The old, run-down houses on the hill across the street from the pool. Residents of the old, run-down houses on the hill across the street from the pool playing bongo drums forever. Little League baseball. The Sertoman train. Our senior class picnic. Steve Roberson, Harold Gill, and some others spun me around so fast on one of the rides that I passed out and scared everyone. Tommy Thompson risked eternal damnation for a hot dog (it was on Friday). Hey, I think that I can correctly identify from memory all of the classmates whose photographs from the picnic were shown atop last weeks issue. They are (L-R) Bob Cochran, Carolyn McCutcheon, Doris Johnson, Gary Kinkle, Lehman Williams, and my cousin Milton Shelton. Right? Be good to yourselves, gang. You are a wonderful group of people! Moses ____________________________________________________________________T |
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Est. March 31, 2000 16,675 Previous Hits October 15, 2001 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu |
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E-mail us your memories about: For Next Week's Edition |
My Grand Canyon Adventure by Sally Dawley Stroud Class of 1965 I have been taking whitewater rafting trips for many years now. My first trip was on the New River in West Virginia back in 1980, sixteen years after I graduated from Lee High School. After that first trip I was hooked. My biggest dream was to someday raft the Grand Canyon and finally decided when I was in my 40's that I would make that dream come true for my 50th Birthday. So, keeping that promise to myself, on July 8th 1997, I began an awe-inspiring 12-day raft trip that covered 226 miles on the Colorado River that cut through the Grand Canyon. I won't bore you with a day-by-day description, but needless to say, it was a trip that is forever etched into my memory. There were 20 rafters with 6 guides making up the expedition. We had a great group of rafters, ranging in ages from a 14-year-old to a 71-year-old retired nurse! The weather was beautiful, and though it was hot we had very little rain. I can't begin to describe how beautiful the inside of the canyon really is as you travel through it. We saw beautiful waterfalls as we traveled down the lush blue-green water of the Little Colorado. You also notice that as you traverse the canyon its characteristics change from limestone and sandstone walls on the upper portion to the dark, black volcanic rock in the lower canyon. Each section of the canyon has its own unique beauty. We were lucky to have a geologist from New York, who worked the summers as a "baggage boat" oarsman, accompany us on our adventure. He gave several talks to the group on the formation and history of the canyon along the way. Having never had a class in geology, I found it all fascinating. As I mentioned earlier, the weather was hot but I failed to mention that the water was COLD! The average water temperature was between 48-56 degrees. It was so cold we kept our beer cold by placing it in bags and dragging it behind the boat. I can attest to how cold the water was at a place called Specter Rapids. That was where our paddleboat overturned and all eight that were in my boat went out. I got caught in an eddy current to the right of the rapids and was in the water for between 10 and 12 minutes. That doesn't seem like a long time to most people but it seemed more like a lifetime to me! I was very hypothermic and scared when I finally got back into the boat but the guides were wonderful. Thank goodness that was the only major medical problem we had on the whole trip and I recovered pretty quickly once I got warmed up. After 12 days on the river with all the beauty of nature and without any conveniences of our modern society, I had a little difficulty adjusting to "normal life." That has never happened after any of my other vacations. But, then again, I have never spent 12 days in a primitive camping environment before either. On our last night the head guide cautioned us that returning to "the surface" would take some adjustment. We all laughed at that idea, but it turned out that he was right. If you are a nature lover, water lover, or a ratfter, I would highly recommend that you find time to take this trip. I would love to do it again. Maybe I'll save up for my 60th birthday. _____________________________ |
