Yep we were not sun smart back in the day, but they were fun times. That is me mid air.
When we my 3 brothers and I were growing up we spent most holidays camping and being outdoors. Mum (Lois) Dad (Claude aka Hank) used to take us away most school holidays. We (eldest Steven then Glenn and younger brother Travis) nearly always spent Easter at Lake Eppolock and Koondrook on the Murray River for Christmas.
The van was packed and off we went. Over the years we made friends with other campers and as the years went bye the camp just got bigger. We loved catching up with the other kids to find out what they had been doing since last year.
Ok saftey was not really a big priority as you can see no shoes and helmet but we survived. We had too much fun to let cuts and scratches slow us down. We carried pocket knives and tomahawks to make huts and carve our name into any tree we could find.
This time I was slowed up when I had an accident with the axe and ended up with 8 stitches in the foot. Notice no sympathy, my brothers were still off playing.
There was never a dull moment around camp. The annual cricket game was played with a winner take all attitude with many heated moments arouse from backyard rules being changed depending on how many people played. You can never go out on the first ball in backyard cricket????
And of course we were all oblivious to the oldies and there antics when we were off playing. So does a bear shit in the woods? Not sure but looks like my Dad had a crack pun intended.
The SS-hawk was the center piece of our fishing in the early days and she still lives in the family at brother Glens place, we have all had her for a period of time over the years. This boat and Hank were the reason I fell in love with fishing and boating.
It has taken me a life time to to realize the impact Mum and Dad had on me. As most kids of my generation I couldn't get out of the house quick enough go and dominate the world. But now a father of older children I can see how they molded me into the person I am today. I always looked up to them just never told them enough.
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