Along Side the North Santiam River

My parents came West with my Grandparents in a very different time. My Grandparents were going to farm. My Grandparents had gone through challenges of historic proportion and were looking for a land where it rained. My parents were looking for a land to raise healthy children.



There was some sort of argument or problem between my grandparents and parents. I don't know exactly what. I know my Father was unhappy and very angry about it and that the problem between them followed to their deaths.



But I remember in my early teens in the 70s my Grandparents were successful and prosperous farmers. My parents lead a stable household. During the summer we spent time with them. I remember several days which were particularly happy to me. Late in the day, after the work day for both my grandparents and my parents. We gathered for a meal in an area along the North Santiam River. I remember walking on round river rock bare foot in cold water. Watching and trying to catch various water creatures, I remember a fire pit on the rocks prepared by the adults and going to pick corn from the fields for the meal. I remember running through the corn stocks, cold, alien, wet, seeing fragile and short lived creatures below the corn stocks. I remember the split-crack sound of the corn stock being separated from the stock by an adult who carried the corn from the fields back to the fire by the river. And I remember my Grandmother and Mother as well as an aunt preparing a simple meal by wrapping food in aluminum foild and laying it into the coals.



Do you remember such strong feelings from your youth. What have you done to pass that along to some one. My parents and Grandparents were not perfect. They left may scars of lack, fear, anger --- but they gave me the ability to do things and the sensibility to know what things were worth doing.