A  Summer  with   Sister
1966  in  Alabama

All of us in the treehouse

Diary  Excerpts
From
Chris  Foreman


Dedication 
To Sister Jeanne:
Thanks for a summer of memories.
May these words transport you in time and space -- back to the summer of 1966, back to Alabama.
(Maybe you wondered what I was writing about 31 years ago.)

.
 
 

Notes

The following pages are a verbatim transcript of 45 days of a 365 day diary.  The diary excerpts begin when the Zelen family arrived in Whiting from Florence in order to attend Eileen’s wedding (June 25, 1966). 
They continue with Chris and Frank Foreman whiling  away a summer in Alabama. 
The diary excerpts conclude with the return of  Chris and Frank to Whiting (July 31, 1966). 
The double asterisk (**) indicates notes written in the margins of the diary page. 
Several margin graphics have been reproduced. 
The title picture “Zelens by the tree house” is mentioned on July 28th. 

Highlights

Terry and Eileen Wedding 
Getting a Driving License
Kiddy Land in Chicago 
To Alabama with the Zelens
First time in Mississippi and Shiloh
A Fourth of July
Crashing a Chevy
The Arsenal at Huntsville
Visiting a Cave
Leaving for Florida with Mom & Dad 
Visiting Shell Island
To Build a Tree House
Leaving Alabama 
Back Home in Whiting
June 16, 1966, Thursday

Got up at about 11:00 because I had to go.  Watched Andy Griffith, Jeopardy, then part of Bozo, while I ate some Whistles and Bugles for breakfast.  Mom was shopping all morning.  She got two hats.  Mrs. Z got one too.  She came home at 1:00.  Jim and Bates just happened to be walking by so she drafted them into carrying some packages.  I talked to Jim about that blind date he had yesterday with one of Eberly’s friends.  Soon as Mom hit the house she was running around trying to clean everything up.  She got mad at me and left to do some more shopping saying “you don’t have to do anything!”  But we did.  Me and Frank started to wash the floor.  Char came over and needed Frank to baby-sit CJ while she took Jimmer to his last piano lesson for a while.  Mrs. Z came over while I was cleaning.  Then Neen came over from work.  Then Mom came home and started to clean.  Dad came home at 3:30.  For the afternoon, me and Shelley played around.  I gave her a can of bug-killer and we went outside and killed a few sow bugs.  Didn’t do much for the rest of the evening.  At 9:00 we watched a special on ESP and at 10:30 there was a special on the Viet Nam war.  Terry’s brother Dick was on it.  Dad took his picture on the Polaroid and I taped him.  Watched a movie then till 12:20.  Meanwhile Mary Ann was helping Mom put up and iron new drapes.  Dad was fixing the light in the ceiling.

THEN!!! At 12:21 they hit us.  First Debbie, then Susie and Nancy, then Don and Jeanne carrying DJ.  You guessed it, the Zelens arrived one day early.  First they talked and talked.  We were swinging around the girls and DJ.  I called Frank down from slumber.  We took DJ in the attic and we saw his new dance to Zorba the Greek.  Char came over and left (12:40-1:30).  Neen came home at about 1:40.  Mom got out candy and fed everyone some.  Frank showed some films in the attic.  DJ played with the tape recorder.  Don grew his hair?

** Neen told me how Terry snuck a look at his ring.
** Braves beat Mets 17 to 1.  HA HA.
** It’s now 2:23:54 AM.  Good night.



June 17,  Friday

It’s 12:26AM on Sunday morning.  I just came upstairs from talking to Deb and Jim.  Friday morning I was supposed to wake up at 10:00 for Neen to take me to the House of Charles in Chicago Heights to get me a tux.  But I slept later ‘cause I stayed up so late the night before.  I got up about 10:55.  Watched TV til Zelens, Eileen and Terry came over.  Since Terry and Neen had so much to do today, with getting a new car, getting punch and ordering flowers, they asked Don to drive me out to Chicago Heights.  I helped Don shine up the car until 12:00for his long trip.  Then we went shopping—me, Don, Jeanne, Grandma Rose and DJ.  First we went to Hammond and got DJ some shoes (a whole size bigger) and a little suit.  Don left off Jeanne and Rose and we took DJ with us to get my tux.  The whole time there and back I played with DJ.  First, they measured me, then I waited a while to get it.   Don and DJ went to get a hot dog and root beer.  We were a little late picking them up in Hammond again because we hit a long long train.  We got home at 4:30.  Just watched TV until 7:00 when we had the practice for Neen’s wedding.  Jim came over at 6:30 and left at quarter till.  When I got there I met the best man, one of Terry’s friends.  We went through the thing several times.  The preacher comes out, then Terry, then the best man and then me.  When we are up in front Jimmer comes down the aisle.  Then Jan and Mary Ann, then the 2 flower girls Shelley and Nancy.  Finally Dad brings Neen down the aisle.  After the practice we went over Char’s (like everyone else).  Ate a few sandwiches and then Jeanne drove us home to watch Man from UNCLE, which was good for a change.  At 10:00 a few of us had another short practice with the preacher: me, the bride and groom, the maids of honor and the best man.

** Mom got her hair fixed up
** Hanky-panky is no 1 in Chicago / Beatles no 5
** Tomorrow’s Neen’s big day
** Jim’s real interested in Egypt now.  We read about it up here in the attic until 12:30.


June 18, 1966, Saturday

Mom got me up at 10:30.  I wanted to sleep later but Mom needed me to go help her get ready.  Watched a few cartoons and Dad got a little mad ‘cause as he said it was such an important day.  We started getting dressed at about 12:00.  I didn’t know how to exactly put on my tux.  A guy who was there taking pictures of Neen (in her cleaned-up room) showed me how to put it on.  The Szigenthallers? came over at 1:00  We took a lot of pictures on the front porch.  I left for the church at 1:15 in the station wagon.  When I got there I got a corsage to wear.  Then I found the best man and Terry up in the preacher’s office.  We stayed there for about 10 minutes joking about Terry’s misfortune.  At 1:30 we started to march out.  First, the preacher then following, Terry, the best man, and me.  Once we were situated, Jimmer in his cute little tux came walking up and stood on a small piece of paper we stuck up there.  Mary Ann came up slowly, then Janet, then the flower girls: Nancy and Shelley.  Did they go slow!  Dad and Eileen had to start before the flower girls were set.  George Butler sang before and during the ceremony (Because).  Immediately after the wedding we went downstairs and stood in line.  I can’t begin to name all the people there I knew.  I had a little punch, wedding cake and peanuts and then went outside.  I threw some rice on Terry and Neen.  When I got home there were mobs of people in our little house.  We had to fit some on the front porch.  A rough estimate of people there is 55.  After I ate some ham and polish sausage and drank up a gallon of punch, I snuck up in the attic and slept ‘til everyone was gone at 5:30.  We saw Terry and Neen off to their honeymoon.  They came back right away.  Neen forgot her radio.
 

Watched Saturday Night at the Movies.  It was Jerry Lewis in Rockabye Baby.  Me and Deb left with Mom and Dad in the middle of it to go to St. John panel room to see Dick Wetnight’s wedding reception.  Me and Deb left it ‘cause it was too loud.  We watched Broken Arrow on the late show.  Got to bed at 12:30.

**  Paul’s birthday / Paperback Writer is No.1
**  Eileen Zimmerman?
**  We taped the whole thing



June 19, Sunday

Slept over yesterday in Neen’s (used to be) room.  I got up a little late for church at 8:40.  I didn’t have any breakfast because I was still full from the food I ate yesterday.  I got engrossed in reading the paper so I got dressed a little late and they had to wait on me.  At church they gave out prizes to the oldest and youngest fathers.  Dave taught our class again.  There were a pretty lot in Sunday school and church today.  The rest of the Zelens came during church and sat by us.  Frank and Deb took care of DJ down stairs.  George’s sermon was on all the evil fathers in the Bible.  After church, watched the Rebel and took DJ outside.  For lunch we had beef left over from the wedding.  Jim Francis came over for a while.  At 1:30 the Cubs double header started.  I watched both games though I slept through most of the 2nd.  Got up when the game was over and turned on Walt Disney and watched the end of Galigar.  Dad went to church then.  I watched Branded, Bonanza and Wackiest Ship in the Army.  Jim came over at the half way point of Wackiest Ship.  When it was over, we played Frank an old tape of the top 3 requested.  Dad and Mom took a ride in Terry’s new car with Mrs. Z.  They brought back 2 shakes for me and Frank.  About 10:30 Frank found an old June bug on the attic stairs when going to bed.  I had a great idea.  I got one of our fire crackers and taped it to it.  Ca-boom! I got some more fire crackers and went over to Jim’s and lit a few.  Then walked around a while.  We talked about all sorts of things: Maltese crosses, motorcycles, Susukis, lawn mowers, and a dream Jim had about Linda Steen.  We talked a little about Len.  Came in the house at about 12:15 and talked about the Bible and if Jim wanted to be a preacher.  We ate a lot of candy that was on the table.  I showed him the Book of Mormon that I got from the attic.  He took it home.

** Fathers Day
** Cubs won their 1st double header of the year over Houston, 9-8 and 8-2
** Braves lost 7 straight



June 20, Monday

This morning I got up the latest I did all summer.  I got up at 11:30.  Watched Donna Reed and part of Bozo (just ‘cause it was on).  Jimmer called up and asked and begged me if I’d go over to Whiting Park and ride up and down the hills on bikes with him.  But since Don and Jim were going to Calumet Beach he went with us.  Me, Frank, Deb, Sue and her girlfriend, Shelley, Jimmer, Jim and Don all piled into Dad’s new Ford.  Nancy couldn’t go ‘cause she has a little chicken pox.  We all went in the water right away, it was all right once you got used to it.  We made a big deal of it when Shelley put her head under water when she slipped.  We said “Gee, are you good Shelley, you can already put your head under water.”  Jimmer showed then how he could go under water for a long time (naturally).  I laid on the beach for a while.  We left at 4:30.  All together we were there for 2 hours.  Drank a lot of water when I got back and out of by bathing suit.  Mom called up the Dept of Motor Vehicles and asked when I could take a driving test.  Any time between 9:00 and 4:30 was the answer.  Naturally Dad wanted to go at 9:00.  I’m waking up early tomorrow.  Watched a lot of crummy TV programs (Deb wanted them) such as John Forsythe and Lucy.  But I turned it off when she started to watch Hazel.  Went upstairs and studied a little more in my manual.  At 9:00 I got out the game of Risk.  Deb was pink and I was Red and Frank was black.  Since we didn’t have the right rules we played till before 12:00 and got nowhere.  I couldn’t sleep tonight because it was too hot and when I put the fan on it was too loud.

** Paperback Writer tied for No. 2
** Braves beat Phils 7-6
** No Pig
**  91ì



June 21, Tuesday (yesterday) at 3:32 summer arrived

This morning I got up at 8:00 to show Dad if I wanted to I could get up early.  I went downstairs and Dad and Mom got up 10 minutes after 8:00.  I had some cereal for breakfast. Then me and Dad started for the Hammond license bureau.  First Dad drove over to Yongstown to get his check then he went to Parkview to get it cashed.  I drove from there and was there at 9:30.  We went to the test and Dad filled out some forms.  Then I had a fast eye test on a machine right there at the test.  She gave me a test-form.   Then I walked to a long table and filled it out.  I missed one on it.  Something about reinstating a license.  Waited a while and a guy and me went out the back door to our car.  We rode around.  I had to back up once and parallel park once.  When it was over he said that I did one thing wrong.  I didn’t use my had signals. (I never use it anyway).  At 10:30 it was all over.  I drove home and showed my temporary license to Mom.  Zelens came over later.  When we were just sitting there Dad gave me and Frank $15 and Deb $1.  Dad was cleaning out the garage.  He brought out an old tent to let Char set up in her back yard.  Me and Frank volunteered to go with her and try to put it up.  We didn’t make it.  All the pieces wouldn’t fit and I think one piece was broke.  We waited and waited for Char to pick us up and take us home.  (She just stepped out to go to Parkview and get something).  Me and Frank played a little baseball with Jimmer.  But we finally got tired and walked home.  When we got home Mom said there was a fire.  In the alley part of our gate and Kokat’s gate burnt down.  Firemen came and everything.  For supper, Mom decided to make pizzas.  We all fixed them.  Mom mentioned to me that she had a class meeting so she sent me to the store to get some beans.  I got peas.  She sent me back.  This time I got a size too large.  Jim came over from Band Practice.  He said he was whopping it up.  Played records until past 12:00.  Jim went home.  When me and Deb were downstairs, Mom came home.  I ate some pie.  Nance, Deb and Frank are up here.

** Mr. Hoover helped Jimmer fix his bicycle chains
** Folded papers
** Dad and Don were over his mother’s fixing things
** 93@



June 22, 1966, Wednesday

I got up rather late this morning at 11:30.  Watched TV for a while.  Frank went to a baseball game about 12:00 ‘cause Stacy called up.  Frank had earlier cut his part of the grass in the front, so Mom told me to do my part and cut the side.  I did it in about  90 degree temperature.  I came in and drank about a gallon of ice tea that mom made.  Debbie made friends with Wendy today so Debbie and her just walked in the attic and started to listen to records.  Deb just bought Hanky-panky.  I went upstairs and sat around with em for a while.  I later drove em to Deb’s Grandma’s to get some stuff.  Let Wendy off at her house.  Deb and DJ both went over her house to play in her pool.   At 4:30 I went to the store (Parkview) with Mom.  She got a watermelon for 69 cents.  She took me along ‘cause she had to unload some rug cleaning stuff at Sandrick’s that shampoos for the church.  We left for Whiting Park at about 5:30.  We were there by ourselves for a while.  Zelens came, then Walkers.  I pushed DJ on the baby swings for a while.  Had ourselves a good old time.  Ate most of the watermelon.  We had to leave at 7:00 if we wanted to catch The Ten Commandments showing at the Paramount theater at 8:20.  When I got home, I hurried and took a shower downstairs.  I searched high and low for a pair of pants, finally I found some in the attic.  Jeanne left me, Frank, Debbie and Wendy off at 7:15.  We bought some food before the show started.  We all sat in about the 20th row just left of the middle isle.  Frank on the inside, Debbie, me and finally Windy.  Anyway she leaned on my shoulder a few times during the 3 hours and 53 minus of the movie.  (Question:  How much does Wendy like me?)  A really great movie.  There was a little confusion.  Frank called up Mom to take us home, no answer.  Called Char.  She said she would get someone.  Jeanne and Don waited for us outside so it worked out.



June 23, Thursday

Right now it’s 12:50AM.  The fan is on full tilt and still it’s warm.  I just set the alarm so I’ll get up at 9:00.  This morning I beat my late sleeping record (10:45).  I woke up several times but I kept having real cool dreams (one was about an inflatable motorcycle that I let Lloyd Birch ride.  How did he get in it? He drove it across the playground and killed a few people and I was in trouble).  Ate some salami sandwiches with chocolate milk for breakfast.  Mr. Aaron called up at 1:30 and said he needed help with the building of a canoe house.  We rode our bikes but couldn’t help.  We came home.  Then Jeanne drove me and Frank up there again.  It was all the way up to Wolf Lake on 118th street.  Mr. Aaron had an old steel-type house on the back of a Barsto Truck.  Me and Frank helped Mr. Aaron, Steve and his dad get it off the back of the truck.  When we got home after half an hour we were a mess.  Wendy came over about 2:30 and Don drove most everyone (Jeanne, Grandma Rose in front, me, Frank, Susie in the back, Wendy and Deb in the back-back).  We went to Shopper’s World and Topps.  Frank and me looked for a good chess set but found none.  We bought 2 arrows a piece at Shopper’s World for $1.05 each.  On the way home we stopped at Dairy Queen.  There I had the worst experience of my life.  I won’t try it again.  I ordered a large peanut butter sundae and almost puked when I finished it.  Got home about 5:30.  I saw a squirrel outside the window.  Don, Dad and I went on the porch and fed it some peanuts.  It’s the first time he’s come in the front of our house.  Later I helped Don and Dad move the piano from the apartment to the basement.  Watched TV for a while and when baseball was almost over at 9:50, Mom got a call from Char and said “Charlotte called and asked if you would baby sit for about half an hour”.  Three hours later at 1:00 AM, Char brought us home.  It’s was OK because Susie was with me.  We played a game of Clue.  She just got it today.  Susie wet on Walker’s electric chair.  Jeanne drove us home cause CJ was sleeping on the coach.  It’s 2:29:07 AM.

** 98 at Bank of Whiting today



June 24, Friday

Remember when I set the alarm for 9:00.  Naturally I turned it off before it went off and I slept until 10:00.  Watched TV for a while.  At 11:30 Debbie went to the chiropractor with Mom and Dad.  Deb must have promised Wendy she’d go to the beach with her cause at 12:30 she came over here waiting for her.  I invited her in and said “it’s better than sitting outside on the hot cement stairs”.  We watched TV for a while  She looked at an old album of pictures that was lying around and laughed at an old picture of me.  It was fun.  Mom, Dad and Deb finally came home about 2:00. A little while later, I drove Don, Deb, Shelley, Nancy and Wendy to Wolf Lake.  Lucky thing I brought my license with me.  Before I got to park a guy put a Wolf Lake sticker on the windshield.  He asked for my license to verify my being a resident of Hammond.  I left them off and took Jimmer home to get his suit.  No one was there so I drove him to our house.   Big Jim wasn’t there either, but soon as we started to go, I saw him coming down the street.  When we three got to Wolf Lake we had a little trouble finding the rest.  Stayed at the lake for about 45 minutes.  Came home and took a fast shower.  Went over to Grandma Rose’s house then and had some hamburgers and good cake.  Stayed there and played with DJ for an hour. When we got home, Don decided we should do to a Kiddy Land.  Don drove us to some place in South Chicago.  Believe this or not, but on a car in front of a gas station, I saw a license plate with my initials and the year I graduate:  "CF 1968".  We had lots of fun.  First, me and Deb and Frank sat in the same seat of some great big ride that went round and round and made Deb sick.  After 15 minutes a 15 cent root beer, I played miniature golf for the first time.  It was fun.  I beat Deb and Frank.  I couldn’t sleep so I watched the late movie and got to bed at 12:30.

** 98 at Whiting
** Braves beat LA 4 to 0
**  I bought this new pen at Gefferts
** We got Neen and Terry’s wedding pictures today
** Hanky-panky is still No 1.  Beatles went up to No 2
** Turpin got into a big fight at Wolf Lake



June 25, Saturday

This morning I got up around 11:00.  It was just a normal morning.  Ate a salami sandwich for breakfast while watching some TV quiz show.  The biggest event of the day was the water fight I had:  Debbie and the rest of the Zelens came over here about noon.  Wendy came in a little later with her bathing suit on wanting to go swimming with Deb, but her suit wasn’t here so I drove them both over to Grandma Rose’s.  (The other Zelens were there earlier)  We couldn’t find Deb’s suit there either.  So Debbie had no bathing suit.  It was so hot that she wanted to get wet.  So Deb just had her shorts and shirt on and Wendy had her bathing suit on.  To start out with I had the hose and they had some plastic buckets.  Who ever turned off the faucet of the hose got to use the hose, so we switched a lot.  Later Frank joined me.  Me and Frank versus Deb and Wendy.  Then Nancy and Susie joined and then Stevie their Cousin.  We had a grand old time sneaking around the house and pulling Wendy away from the faucet while she’s trying to bit your hand.  We finally quit at 4:30 when Wendy went home.  I was starving when it was all over.  Mom luckily made a big meal of pork chops, peas, potatoes and gravy.  Went upstairs to write when Don’s sister and Don and Jeanne came over here.  (They had taken Don and Jeanne out to lunch on their last day here).  Started to pack and record songs.  Don came over and got all the stuff to be packed at about 10:30.  Jeanne looked at Neen’s shower and wedding gifts.  At the last minute Dad said we couldn’t take the tape recorder.  Oh yeah #1: about 8:30 Dad took some film of CJ and DJ in action while passing a beach ball around.  Oh yeah #2: This morning Deb and Frank went with the Walkers to pick out a dog.  They got a female brown and white mongrel about 2 weeks old.   Shelley decided upon the name “Cookie”.

** 102 at Whiting.
** Braves beat LA in a double header 4-3, 5-4
** Beatles not in requested



June 26, Sunday

At this very moment it’s 10:27 PM, but according to where I woke up it’s 11:27 PM.  I’m in Florence Alabama (with a banjo on my knee).  Me and Frank are both sleeping on Deb’s bed.  DJ is sleeping in the crib at the front of our bed.  I’m very tired now.  I’ll write the rest tomorrow.

And it is tomorrow at 11:45.  Yesterday Mom got us up at 7:00 to eat and get a few odds and ends collected.  Ate a baloney sandwich.  Got on my new tennis shoes, shorts and a T-shirt. We were to leave at 8:00, but we finally shoved off at 8:25.  Don started out driving with me in the front seat with him, Deb and Frank and Jeanne holding DJ were in the 2nd seat and Nancy and Susie were in the back.  Before we got to Alabama this changed hundreds of times, due to someone being tired, or someone crying or being too hot or cold.  I went in the back-back once with Nancy who slept there for a while.  I think we stopped for gas about four times and we stopped once at a Dairy Queen and for hamburgers.  I wasn’t hungry when we stopped though cause I ate peanuts most of the way.  As soon as we entered Tennessee, Susie kept saying when are going to see the sign that says “you are now in Balahama”.  We finally got here at 7:20 and we all brought something in the house.  Me and Frank are going to sleep in Deb’s bed today, but after today we’ll be sleeping in Susie and Nancy’s room.  That’s just about all I have to say about today cause for 11 ½  hours we did nothing, yet we did most everything.  This grass is long and Don says we’ll have to cut it tomorrow.  I’m rambling to fill up the next 2 ½  lines.  I still miss that hour we lost. Although it is only 10:00 it seems like 11.  We watched Wackiest Ship in the Army and went to sleep.

** No Mom and Dad for 6 weeks
** No Wendy or Jim for 6 weeks
** No Neen for who knows how long?
** Thank goodness for air conditioning



June 27, Monday

I didn’t feel like getting up early but since Nancy and Susie were already up yelling and eating breakfast and DJ went walking around our room, I got up at 9:00, right after Frank.  Jeanne fixed us all bacon and eggs.  Watched some quiz shows and other stuff.  Went swimming at he local pool at 1:30.  It’s an Olympic size one.  Jeanne left off us off there.  I drove but had a little trouble with the power brakes. It was fun swimming.  We had a large beach ball and played keep away with some of the guys who were there (Me, Frank and Deb dove for a rock).  Jeanne came back with DJ at 3:20 to pick us up.  She was a little early.  We got home and out of our bathing suits about 4:00  We waited for Don to get home before we ate.  He got home at 4:20, a little later than expected.  Jeanne made chili.  I ate at least 2 1/2  bowls after waiting and starving after all that swimming.  After eating Don put us to work.  I watched DJ for half an hour and Frank cut the grass, then we switched.  I cut most of the back.  I earlier had asked Jeanne if I could get some fireworks so at about 6:30 we left.  Don got one case of pop.  Deb got some film.  Frank got batteries to listen to WLS and I got the fire crackers.  When we got home we met one of the neighbors that Jeanne wanted me and Frank to meet.  She has some Italian name I cant remember.  Anyway we met her.  We went outside then and lit firecrackers.  We threw ‘em all over the place.  Frank tied one on the end of an arrow and almost blew himself up.  The arrow stuck in the limb of a tree.  We lit a bug-bomb and a few sky rockets in the front yard.  We all had to come in then and play Clue with Susie.  Went to bed at 10:30 (I still miss that hour).  In the afternoon when I was chasing DJ around I mad the mistake of chasing him on my knees on this rug.  Now they are scraped.

** The pool water is real warm
** It got up to 99 here today
** The water from the faucet is warm



June 28, Tuesday

It’s tomorrow now at 11:40.  Nancy is sitting on the other side of the bed.  She just asked me what I was writing.  Yesterday, I got up early again about 9:30.  At about 6:00 I heard DJ crying and crying.  We did a lot today.  After eating puffed rice for breakfast and watching TV, Jeanne took us up to see if we could play billiards.  We couldn’t though because it was a private club.  Jeanne also went to a store to return something.  We went to the library then and I got a book about Germany.  Frank got one bout birds and Jeanne a book called the Jealous Child for Nancy.  We picked up Debbie on the way back at 11:30.  She’s been there since 7:30.  We got some donuts.  After we were home for a while we all went swimming at five minutes to 4:00.  Don was going to pick us up at 5:00.  Frank brought along a charm and we all dove for it.  It started raining at 4:35 and we were still in the pool for 4 or 5 minutes before we got kicked out.  When we got home Jeanne made hamburgers and we ate the rolls with it.  After we ate it was already dark out to we lit off a few fire crackers and flares.  Don asked me if I’d go out with him to fill his Chevy up with gas.  I drove and Don held DJ in the back seat.  I drove up to the Forest Hills swimming pool (I see why they didn’t join).  When I was still driving on a big highway the car stalled.  We switched seats fast and Don couldn’t even start it, so we pushed it off the road.  Lucky we didn’t get rammed.  We went to some far-out gas station. Because it’s outside the Florence city limits, the gas is much cheaper (6 cents per gallon).  When we got back, DJ was sleeping.  A guy was here to talk Don into buying a Bible.  He did and it’s $50 !  Listened to the Braves beat the Cubs 4 to 2 on Torre’s homer.  Beatles are still out of the top 5.

**  It completely slipped my mind but from 6:15 to about 7:30 we were all at the swim meet at the Florence pool.   Florence was against some other city.  Everyone took turns holding DJ.
** 95 today



June 29, Wednesday

After another night of DJ’s crying, I got up today just past 10:00 and saw most of Lucy.  We each had a bowl of cocoa wheats this morning.  Watched the McCoys then.  We were waiting all morning to go to the pool but it decided to rain at about 1:00 when the pool opened.  – Oh yeah, about 11:00 Jeanne drove us all over  to the park and we picked up Deb and her friend.  --  now back to the rain, what there was of it.  It was just a sprinkle but enough to keep us home.  I saw Nancers with a  piece of toast with strawberry jelly on it, so that’s what we all ate about 1:30.  I’ve listened to the Braves versus the Cubs since about 11:30.  The Cubs won with 3 runs in the 9th, 5 to 4.  Jeanne took all of us with her when she went to fill up with gas.  She went to a store then.  We lit fire crackers the whole time.  We got back at 3:00 and Don came back at 3:45.  Jeanne made real good pancakes for this meal.  After it Susie wanted to show me and Frank a bridge and tunnel out by her school.  I brought all the fire crackers we had left and lots of matches.  We lit ‘em everywhere.  I put one between two beer cans and Deb and Frank caught the top can when it came down.  Some of the fire crackers made loud noises in the big sewer pipes.  Deb cut her toe pretty bad.  When we got back we lit the rest of the fire crackers off.  All 400 of them are gone.  Don took us all to Bailey Springs then at 6:00.  It cost Don $90 to join.   Their pool is almost as big as the public one and it’s lots less crowded.  We couldn’t go swimming then ‘cause it closed at 7:00.  Don dropped off Debbie at the pool for a night practice on the way back.  Watched a lot of TV shows this evening for a change.  Don let me drive the car to pick up Deb at 8:30.  Him and Nancy were in the back seat.  Jeanne made some popcorn that we all ate at 9:00.  I don’t know but it still feels like I’m missing that hour I lost.  Herman’s Hermits is no 1 requested.  This is Chris Foreman signing out at 10:38.

** 96 again
** Don John broke two records today.  Jeanne will get us new ones.
** When I was driving around the area Nancy knew all the right places to turn and who lived where.  So I told her “That’s because you’re a resident”.  She said, “No ‘cause I live here”.
** Susie was going to show me and Frank a  tree house in a cow pasture, but there were cows right under it!



June 30, Thursday, The last day of June

I got up this morning with much remorse, only after being screamed at by Susie and Nancy holding DJ saying “sig em”.  When I finally got out of bed, Jeanne had gone to pick up Deb at swimming lessons and left me.  Frank took care of DJ.  I made my own breakfast of bacon and eggs.  Don told Jeanne to go on a lot of errands.  First we went to a place where Jeanne got the deed to their land.  We then looked around at a few places for an arrow target.  At one store Jeanne saw a swing set they might buy.  We went to K-mart then, the big chain of super markets down here.  Frank paid a dollar for the target and I paid the rest totaling $2.69.  We bought the new Beatle Album Yesterday and Today.  It has 5 new songs on it.  We went to some other places then and we got fertilizer and a bale of hay for a dollar.  Jeanne stopped at a McDonalds before we went home.  We ate the stuff when got home.  Once home we listened to the album after Jeanne’s sob stories.  When Don got home, Jeanne had already packed a lunch and other necessities and we shoved off to Bailey Springs at 5:30.  We planned to swim and go horseback riding and have a picnic.  But as it turned out, the second we reached the pool area the life guard was calling everyone out of the pool.  Frank jumped in.  Then about 3 ½ seconds later he came out at the life guard’s request.  It wasn’t raining or anything but just thundering a lot.  We came home after a little playing with DJ.  When I got home, I went outside with Frank and shot some arrows around (Oh yeah, earlier Deb and Frank spray-painted a man on that bail of straw.)  I stayed up the latest the whole time I was here.  It’s 12:45 and it really seems late.  Everyone else went to bed much earlier.  Jeanne was playing bridge with 3 other women in the living room.  I drank 3 bottles of Coke and ate half a bowl of daisies, whistles and bugle. Read a bunch of interesting stories in Reader’s Digest.

** I found a weird-looking beetle outside today.
** Me, Frank and Nancy lit fireworks off on some nearby road.
** Today at different times and places, I read about 100 pages in Up the Down Staircase.



Today is the 1st day of July on Friday at 10:56 PM

Right now Frank is reading a Batman comic book on the bed next to me.  I’m listening to a Braves vs. Giants game.  It’s tied 4 to 4 in the 7th inning.  I got up this morning at Jeanne’s insistence.  We just had cereal for breakfast.  I had Applejacks.  After breakfast Jeanne made us clean up the back yard.  I then cleaned up the patio part myself.  We worked all morning (the Braves just took the lead on Bolling’s hit), so we could go to Bailey Springs early.  We were all packed and left at 10:30.  We made up our minds to go swimming first, have our lunch, go horseback riding, then swimming again.  We all swam for an hour and a half.  Bailey  Springs has an Olympic size pool just a little smaller than Florence’s but much less crowded.  Besides our group of me, Frank, Sue, Nance, Deb, and Jeanne there were 4 other people.  We dove around a lot in the diving area.  At noon the skies opened and down it came for the next 5 or 6 hours.  We rushed in and decide to go to a cabin to have our lunch of salami and peanut butter sandwiches.  I got back at 2:00.  Read some books and fell asleep for a few hours  (I was beat).  Got up when Don got home cause supper was ready.  Jeanne had made chicken, mashed potatoes and peas.  At the table I was informed that I was going the show with the kids to see Bambi.  After supper, I hurried up and got dressed.  Jeanne and Don drove us there at 5:21, the exact time the show started.  It was pretty good.  Nancy said she cried at the part when Bambi’s mother got shot.  We left right after Bambi was over .  We missed the 2nd show (We didn’t know we were supposed to see it).  We waited in a drug store ‘til they came at Deb’s phone call.  Don was a little angry ‘cause we missed the second show.  Came home and Don wanted to play chess with a set he just bought (a plastic one for 76 cents).  I beat him the first 2 games real fast, but the 3rd game lasted from 10 min to 9 to 10 minutes to 11.  I finally beat him.

** Didn’t light a fire cracker today
** Caught a weird looking cricket this morning



July 2, Saturday

Got up today at the unusual time of 9:00.  Jeanne made waffles for the kids, but Don and I had bacon & eggs.  We had planned to spend the day at Bailey Springs today but all morning it had rained. So we had a little talk and decided to go to Shiloh National Military Cemetery today.  First I had to make up my bed and help clean up.  We left for Shiloh at 10:45 and it was a hour’s drive.  Along the way Don and Jeanne picked up some pottery at various places.  It wasn’t raining when we got there, so we drove around a while looking out the monuments.  We all got some souvenirs at the post office there.  I sent a post card to Mom and bought a confederate flag for 50 cents.  Frank got a confederate hat.  Frank, Deb, Sue, Nancy and I caught the 11:15 showing of the “Battle of Shiloh” that the museum shows (no admission, every 45 minutes).  Once out we went to the picnic grounds to eat.  All the picnic tables were cement and there were hundreds of them all up and down the surrounding hills.  I ate 2 lunch-meat sandwiches.  Soon as we got everything back in the car, it started raining hard!  We still drove around looking at the historical sites as: the tree where General Johnston was killed and then “the Hornet’s nest”.  All in all it was educational.  We left at 4:30.  We came back a longer route through Mississippi.  Frank and I bought 20 cherry bombs, 4 block busters at one stand.  Once home Don put us to work.  After testing a few whistling cherry bombs and a block-buster, Don made me run this thing over the lawn that puts fertilizer on it.  Came in and watched I Dream of Jeannie and Get Smart.  I ate chicken left-overs for supper.  After Jeanne finished baking a poppy cake she let me teach her how to play chess.  She catches on pretty fast.  I took a shower and shaved in Jeanne and Don’s shower for a change.  Right now it 10:47PM.  Frank’s been asleep since 9:30.  Jeanne, Don, Nancy and DJ just went to sleep.

** 1st time in Mississippi
** Susie gets mad when we call her F. L. at the C.
** When Nancy went to the bathroom at Shiloh she said she could tell which door to go in because “Gentlemen” is longer than “Ladies”. s



The Day before the 4th of July, Sunday

Right now its 11:50 PM.  I’m so tired I didn’t get washed up and I’m sleeping in my clothes.  I just finished beating Don 3 straight games of chess.  He lost his Queens right away.  When I came in here, Susie was sleeping on my bed and Don had to wake her up, take her to the bathroom, then put her to sleep.  Got up at 8:45 (quite early).  Laid around for a while and drank a big glass of OJ for breakfast.  Started getting dressed at 9:15 and we left at 9:30.  Their church, the Central Christian Church, started at 9:45.  We were a little early, but we soon found ourselves (me and Frank) in a high school class of about 15.  This class lasted from 9:45 to 10:30 and was on differences between and Protestants and Catholics, and Jewish religions.  I caught up with the rest downstairs then for refreshment.  The sermon upstairs followed.  It was given by a high schooler and only lasted to 11:35.  For lunch  Jeanne fixed bacon-lettuce-mayonnaise sandwiches.  We ate em up and when Don said the house was fit to leave, we left for Bailey Springs.  For the first time in my entire existence, I road horseback.  The first horse I rode didn’t co-operate.  It kept eating grass.  But the second one rode good.  When we were all hot and sweaty we went to the pool.  It was about 2:30.  I swam and swam and swam and swam.  It was more crowded than usual.  Had a lot of fun fighting with Deb and her girlfriend Paige.  Sue jumped of the diving board for the first time.  Got home weary and exhausted at 5:30.  Had hot dogs and french fires for supper.  I was starved and proved it – gobble, gobble.  Shot a few arrows after supper, broke 2 arrows.  Came in when Don, Frank, Sue and Deb went to a horse show that they never found.  Nancy went to a neighbors and got yelled at by Jeanne.  She can’t go outside the lawn tomorrow.  Watched a few TV shows.  Jeanne made cookies for our excursion tomorrow.  I guess the rest of the evening I played chess.  I’m undefeated: beat Frank 3 times, Deb once and Don three times.  (I’m tired now, 12:15AM. Good night, hey it’s the 4th of July!)

** This morning I collected a multitude of insects around the house.
** I wore shorts when I rode the horse and got scratched up.
** We were going to sleep over night in the cabins last night, but they were all taken.



Today is the 4th of July, Monday

Right now it’s  10:50 on Tuesday.  Frank is sleeping and Double Deej is crawling on my foot and the floor with a fire truck.  I’m up with him ‘cause Jeanne gave him a nap earlier so she could read the Bright Leaf.  Well, he’s not sleepy now.  On July 4th I woke up at 9:30 and ate 2 eggs and toast.  Don’s off work today.  We had to get the house ship-shape again before we left.  It didn’t take long so we left for Bailey Springs at 11:00.   When we got there it was crowded!  Someone later said “This is the largest crowd ever”.  Don parked the Ford by a picnic table close to the pool.  We started up the bar-b-q and got the food ready, but soon I found only Don, Jeanne, DJ and myself left.  Everyone else had snuck off to the pool.  I didn’t feel like going swimming to much.  I arranged some coals around 4 soon-to-baked potatoes.  Went swimming then, just to cool off.  I splashed around.  I was only in for half and hour.  Helped Don with the hamburgers. Ate 4 of them and 3 bottles of pop.  Then came the relaxation.  Everybody left.  I read a Dennis the Menace comic book, but couldn’t really sleep due to the flies.  Was by myself for a good 2 hours.  Then Frank came and I played some tennis with him.  Don came then and I played some, but first I cooled off in the refrigerated building.  Don taught me how to play, then beat me 4 straight times.  Was so hot then that I got on by suit and jumped in.  Did some dives off the board.  One, where I do a fling and land on my back, I call “my special”.  We left 20 minutes after I was in.  Since it was still light when I got home I wanted to explode some cherry bombs.  Me and Frank and Sue (Nancy later) lit off 5 or 6, 3 were between beer cans.  The top one went at least 250 feet high.  Frank caught the 1st two but missed the third ‘cause it was spinning too much.  Once home, we lit off the few rockets we had.  I guess Don wanted a blast, so we all drove over to a fireworks stand in Florence and bought about $5 of rockets.  We had quite a show in the front yard with a few cherry bombs mixed in.  I couldn’t sleep so watched a whole assortment of movie ‘til 1:30AM.  That’s why I didn’t write.

** It started to rain as soon as we got there, but it soon stopped.
** At least 99 today
** No fireworks display down here
** Me and Deb went to check, but no one was there for horse back riding
** Was I perturbed at Frank.  When we were in the back yard he lit a cherry bomb and got excited and threw it in the neighbor’s yard.  The guy came out and said “please don’t throw no more in here.  My Georgie might be playing in the bushes.”  Was I mad at him.



Tuesday, July 5

Now it’s 11:40.  DJ walked into Don and Jeanne’s room quite some time ago.  This morning I got up in time to see the end of the McCoys at 8:45.  Jeanne made eggs again.  I ate mine and part of Nancy’s.  Today we planned to do nothing, but we anyway.  Jeanne told me to watch DJ so I went in the back yard and read about 90 pages of Up the Down Staircase.  It’s about a woman school teacher and her problems at a NY school.  While out there I was sticking records in our record player with only half an eye on DJ.  Deb soon relieved me, so I came in and read.  Nothing else happened much the rest of the afternoon.  Frank tried to get WLS on the big radio but all I got was static.  I did some arrow shooting this afternoon too.  I’m getting pretty good.  It hit the heart twice in a row at 30 feet.  When Don came home at 4:30 we ate our supper of glumpkees. (Frank didn’t have any).  We had pudding for desert.  At the supper table, Don decided to go to Bailey Springs.  Don and I threw Nancy back and forth in the pool.  When we left but before we got in the car Nancy asked Frank if she could borrow a dime and she’d pay him back when she gets her allowance (30cents).  Frank refused and Nancy called him selfish and said she’d hate him for the rest of her life.  I drove home and about a block from home I saw what I supposed was a piece of wood on the road.  As it turned out I stopped fast and Nancy picked up a big box turtle.  Watched a few TV shows before Don and I and DJ drove to a store in Florence to pick up some ice cream.  I made the ice cream cones for everybody.  Later in the evening I played chess, 2 games with Don.  Needless to say I won them both.  That makes 8 straight games over Don.  Played to 10:30.  That new song is number one requested “There coming to take me away, ha-ha” by Napoleon the 14th.  Braves won 9 to 4 over Houston.

** The bale of hay we use for the target has a plastic dish that’s used for its heart.
** I’m listening to WLS



Wednesday, July 6

Right now it’s 10 to 1:00PM.  At 1:00 we’re going to Bailey Springs.  Me and Nancy were playing hide and seek with DJ.  This morning I slept very late ‘til nearly 11:00.  Got shaved and washed in Jeanne’s bathroom.  Ate too many French toasts for breakfast and almost got sick.  Just walked around playing with DJ and Nancy to now: 12:54.  Jeanne just yelled “Bailey Springs here we come”.

? It’s about 10:30 now.  Frank is sleeping.  I just finished seeing the Braves beat the Astros 8 to 1, their 8th in a row.  Jeanne let me drive to Bailey Springs.  We all (except Jeanne and DJ) jumped into the pool right away, because horse riding doesn’t start 2:00.  Swam ‘til 3:00.  I don’t know but there doesn’t seem much to describe about being in a swimming pool.  Frank has used my spare bathing suit since yesterday.  I think (I’m sure) that I left mine in the dressing room today.  After coming out of the pool, I beat Frank one game at chess and this other guy who works there twice.  It was after 4:00.  I went to check about the horseback riding.  I got on a horse and rode him a piece, but it was too hot for him to cooperate.  Came back and bought a 2 dip cone, one pineapple-peach: the other lime.  Drove home, got home at 5:00.  Jeanne made spaghetti for supper.  Deb was on TV for 2 ½ seconds with 25 other 11 and 12 year old Florence swimmers.  Read a little after supper and played the Beatle album.  Don got home from work at 7:30.  When I was watching the Braves game in Jeanne’s room (‘cause Deb was watching that corny Patty Duke) I smelled pop corn so I came out and ate a few bowls.  The whole evening DJ was running around playing with everyone.  At 8:30 or so, it got real dark outside and it looked as if it might be a bad storm.  But it just rained a lot.  When I went out a little later and opened the back door, the smell reminded me of Mr. Powell’s humid terrarium in biology class.  It must have been about 85 then.

** Got 2 post cards from Mr. and Mrs. Z today
** Near 100 today.  Got a good tan.



Thursday, July 7

Frank is sleeping now cause it’s 10:43.  I’m listening to the Braves vs. Dodgers game.  Braves are up 2 to 1.  This morning I got up rather early, nearly 9:00, cause Nancy insisted that we go to Bailey Springs.  Had oatmeal for breakfast.  We left at 10:30 after listening to the Beatles Album.  We couldn’t go horse back riding cause it’s only open from 2 to 5.  We just went swimming the whole time.  I made a comment to Frank “this is the clearest water I’ve seen anywhere.  They must have cleaned it.  With the goggles on I see all sides of the pool.  I played with Nancy a while.  We left at 12:00 to have lunch.  I drove there and back.  I made a variety of sandwiches for lunch.  Watched TV for a while.  We were supposed to go back to Bailey Springs right after lunch, but we waited ‘til Don got home.  For supper at 4:30 Frank said the prayer.  I have it tomorrow.  Jeanne made some conglomeration of green beans, gravy and meat in a stew.  After supper, Don drove us to Bailey Springs.  When we were going there the weather looked very threatening and Don said “the chances are 10 to 1 that we won’t even swim”.  But we did.  (Jeanne was home with DJ).  It was just a usual swim at the pool, except a little less crowded.  The life guard called us out of the pool when the thunder got a little too noisy.  Soon as we got in the car, it started pouring.  Once home, everyone with a bathing suit one ran in, but Don and I waited ‘til it slowed down.  There was a mess of thunder and lighting.  Watched a few TV shows in the course of the evening.  Don decided to have a game of chess at 9:00.  We played one game to 10:20.  I finally came out on top.  Nancy was crying all evening for practically not reason.  It was either Sue hit her or that her birthday was 11 weeks away and that’s not fair.  It’s now 11:09.

**This morning Jeanne found 2 beetles floating in the baby pool.  She summoned me and my collection got bigger.
** Was I worried.  This morning I thought I lost my class ring.  But Deb finally found it in her bedroom.



Friday, July 8

It’s almost 1:30PM.  The Beatle Album is on (Act Naturally).  Frank’s reading a comic book.  Susie is in the kitchen.  She just asked me and Frank “Does anyone want to play Clue”?  I just stuck on Susie’s favorite record You’ve Got to Hide Your Away.  Nancy just came in from playing outside.  Jeanne and Deb are shopping and DJ is sleeping.  I got up this morning a little late at 10:30.  Everybody else was up a long time.  Jeanne made me two eggs, 2 pieces of toast and a slice of bacon.  All were very good.  DJ was found in our bedroom this morning chewing on some firecrackers.   Jeanne locked the door but we couldn’t even get it open, so Frank had to climb through the outside window.  Don yelled at us to clean up the branches in the front yard, so I picked up some stuff in the front.  Nancy helped me a little.  Watched TV.  Talked with Frank about his book of requests ‘til now.   ? It’s 10:45PM.  Believe it or not, I’m in a cabin on the outskirts of Bailey Springs in the deep woods and are those crickets loud.  I’m writing by the light of a Coleman Lantern (Don’s)  About 2:00 me and Frank picked up the sticks and garbage in the back yard.  Jeanne called us in to make pizza at 3:45.  Each person made their own.  Nancy made one even though she doesn’t like em.  I ate 6 of them ‘til Don got home at 4:30.  When Don and Jeanne finished their meal of steak and peas.  Don drove all of us (except Jeanne) to Bailey Springs.  We got to swim for 1 ½ hours.  Two guys who I knew before slightly splashed around with us.  They are both about 12 and one’s named Ben.  I played with DJ a little while in the baby pool.  Went home at 8:00 and then as it turned out me and Frank are going to sleep in the cabin tonight.  (Don and the kids were supposed to).  Got everything packed (sheets, pillows, food, water, records, record-player, chess set, radio, lantern and a few others).  When we got to the entrance, it was locked so Frank and I jumped over the fence and here we are after hauling all the stuff ½ mile.  Played one game of chess and listened to the radio.
** The cabin is 30 feet by 10 feet with 2 bunks.  Most of the sides are screened in.



Saturday, July 9

It’s tomorrow.  Last night I stayed up too late to write.  This morning I got up at 4:40AM for a while, then dozed off and on ‘til 7:45.  Frank and I got up then and started to eat our breakfast that Jeanne packed the night before.  The cocoa in the thermos had soured.  I had 2 baloney sandwiches.  Frank had two jelly ones.  We left all our stuff in the cabin and left for the pool at 8:50.  We sat around there ‘til some guys who worked there opened it up.  I went swimming right away, but Frank got a long insect-catching net and walked around the sides of the pool scooping out the beetles and June bugs.  The Zelens came to get us at 11:00.  We went to the cabin and picked up our stuff, then left for home.  Came home at 12:00.  The rest went back to Bailey Springs after lunch, but I was so tired I fell asleep on the couch then and went to sleep.  Got up when they came back at 3:30.  For the next 2 or 3 hours I sat around the house reading all kinds of comic books, they had laying around (Richie Rich, Hot Stuff, etc.).  I didn’t do too much for the rest of the day.  About 8:00 we all took Deb to a birthday party (her girlfriend Paige with 30 others).  Debbie danced with some boys??!!  On the way home we stopped off and got some ice milk that was on sale.  We also went to a bookstore where Frank got two 25 cent marvel comics.  Got home at 9:00 just in time for Frank to listen to the requested (Hungry was no. 2 requested)  Don turned on the TV and the East-West college All Star game was on (West 24 to East 6).  Nancy and Susie gave a little show for me.  Each played the piano and sang Over the Rainbow together.  DJ learned a new trick.  He can put a record in and take it out of the record player.  I listened to the Braves beat Kolfax.  Aaron hit one home run.  I read Frank’s two comic books ‘til past 12:00 midnight.

** Got Jimmer a birthday present of a bathing suit.



Sunday, July 10

It’s Monday.  It wasn’t that I was tired yesterday nor  that I forgot just that I was too lazy.  Got up at 9:00 and Nancy and Susie were watching Mighty Mouse.  Had some toasted raisin bread for breakfast.  Left for church a little late at 9:35.  When we got there, our high school class was in progress, but there wasn’t any teacher there the whole time.  After refreshments of one do-nut and 2 glasses of orange punch.  Went up to hear the minister’s sermon (he’s back from his vacation at Panama City).  After lunch went to Bailey Springs.  Don took the air mattresses to test em for our camping trip.  Brought our record-player, that was a mistake.  DJ was playing with in and bouncing it around.  When I was over there I guess I was pinching Nancy and Susie’s pookas too much cause Don told me to stop.  We stayed there a pretty long time, ‘til 4:00.  There isn’t much you could describe swimming the pool.  The water is as warm as the air and when you are under it’s a different world.  Don told both me and Frank to lay in the sun half an hour to get prepared for the heat of Florida.   Watched TV once I got home.  I was resting in bed then when 3 of Deb’s girlfriends looked through the window at me.  I hid under the covers, but Deb came in and tried to pull them off.  So I ran out of the house and they chased me.  They finally got me cause I wanted to back to the house.  Debbie and one of her friends, Pamela, were going to sleep in the back yard in a tent, but it was too hot so they just used their blankets.  Most all  the arrows we bought are broken.  The batteries of the record player are dead.  That’s just about it today.



Monday, July 11

I think I’m in the most trouble I’ve ever been in.  It’s 3:25 and Don gets home at 4:30.  I drove the Chevy down in Colonial Court.  I went down in DRIVE and tried to come back in REVERSE (like on the driving test or something).  Anyway, I lost control of the car and went over the curb and down an embankment.  I tried to get it out by gunning it, then I put bricks under the back tires.  At the time Frank, Deb and Nance were in the car.  Am I in trouble.

Not as much as I expected. --  It’s tomorrow.  Yesterday night I stayed up late reading.  After I couldn’t get the car out of the ditch, Frank came home and asked Jeanne “Would you come with me, Chris is stuck”.  So Jeanne came with a rug to get me out.  When she saw how far the car had fallen she called Don and for two hours I just sat and worried about his reaction.  He wasn’t to angry (not at all).  He called up Lancaster (He has a truck) and asked him if he could borrow it.  After  supper of tuna sandwiches, the truck came.  Don tied a rope from it to the car but the rope broke.  He called the towing truck.  It came and pulled it out.  They guy said if the car would have gone an inch farther back we might have tipped over.   The muffler of he car was torn off and the back bumper was a little squished.  We started to the cut the grass then and I got as much as I could ‘til dark.  Debbie brought 2 of her girlfriends over.  Pam is one (she is about 10 but she looks a lot older).  Kathy is blond and about 14.  Me, Frank, Sue and Nance, Deb, Pam, Kathy, were on the pack patio listening to the Hi Fi and eating popcorn that Jeanne made. We blew off a few fire-crackers.  Pam for some reason kept lighting a piece of paper on the oil lamp and stamping it out with her bare feet.  We had a fast game of Clue then for Sue.  Deb moped around all evening cause “she’s 11 and un-kissed”.  Before my mishap, Frank and I washed the Chevy.

** 104 at St. Louis for the All Star game
** Jimmer’s birthday



Tuesday, July 12

Right now it’s 10:23PM.  Frank is almost asleep.  Jeanne just took Sue and Nancy to the bathroom before bed.  They begged Deb to sleep between ‘em so she is.  This morning I had to get up bright and early to do a list of chores before Don got home.  Got up at 8:30.  After breakfast and the Lucy Show Frank and I went outside in the hot sun to carry bricks from  an empty lot two houses away from this one, to the back yard.  Don got permission yesterday to cut across this yard.  We worked straight from 9:30 to 11:30.  We alternated one had a wheelbarrow of 25 to 30 bricks and the other carry 6 or 7 in his arms.  When we picked up the ground bricks we found all sorts of roaches, spiders, ants and other insects.  We both took a shower when we went in to watch the All Star game.  Didn’t miss any of it.  In 10 innings, the National League won 2 to 1.  The game was over at 2:30, just in time for Jeanne to see The Edge of Night.  Frank and I carried a few more loads of bricks, ‘til the wheelbarrow broke.  Watched TV then.  We were supposed to finish shining the Chevy, but Jeanne took it for it’s new $17 muffler.  When we weren’t looking  DJ climbed upon our cabinet and threw records, clothes, papers and chessmen all the floor.  He was trying to open a case of razors.  Don got home at 4:00.  We had our meal of chicken then.  After we got the house in good shape, we all went to Bailey Springs (Sue, Jeanne, and DJ stayed home.)  Deb invited Pam and Kathy to come (the 2nd and 4th Tuesday is guest day).  We had a blast.  At first Don, Frank and I were playing keep away from everyone else.  Splashed around ‘til 7:15.  Got home and went with Don to pick up the Chevy.  I drove it back (forgot my license).  Once back Jeanne left with Don for the remainder of the evening.  Had some ice milk.   Frank listened to requests at 9:00 as usual.  About 10:00 Don and Jeanne came home with some stuff for sick Sue.  Later, I drew a picture of Sue, Nancy and Deb on a blackboard.

** Susie stayed in all day with a 103 temp.  Most likely mumps.
** NL 2, AL 1



Wednesday, July 13

Frank is on page 61 of Goldfinger.  He told me.  I’m writing early (8:00) so I could sleep tonight.  Jeanne got me up at 9:30 cause she said she didn’t want to make 2 breakfasts.  Me and Deb were late sleepers.  She made eggs and toast for us 2.  We got the house on the clean side and left for Bailey Springs at 11:00.  On the way there we stopped off at two stores.  At one Frank got a white bathing suit.  We were there a little long, from 12 to 3.  Only Deb, Frank and I were there cause Jeanne had a dentist appointment.  Sue has mumps and Nancy stayed with her.  She said that she was sick too?  Frank and I messed around with Ben and Marty, the two kids that work there.  Went in the air conditioned building and almost froze so I went outside to get a tan.  That’s when Jeanne came to pick us up, a little early at 2:45.  I hung my suit out on the line and watched TV.  Jeanne put out some baloney and bread to make our own sandwiches.  Didn’t do much after that.  Don came home at 4:00 per usual.  Hand hamburgers and french fries for supper.   Frankenstein 1970 was on TV.  Sue was scared.  I helped em put a puzzle together.  Sat outside watching Double Deej running around for about 15 minutes.  Helped Don put some water in the Chevy then.  Was looking at the Zelen’s picture album before I came in here.  Now it’s 8:40.   ? Now it’s 11:42.  Everybody’s asleep except me, of course, and Jeanne who is playing bridge someplace.  After 8:40. I watched a little TV and finished off some cold french fries left over from supper.  Played with JD a lot this evening, bouncing him up and down.  He ran around with only pajama tops on for quite a while cause everyone was too lazy to put his diaper on.  Finally, I got tired of him and stuck him in his crib with a bottle (he soon went to sleep).  Deb and I stayed up ‘til 11:30 drawing stuff on the blackboard.  Jeanne came home when I was writing and took Sue and Nancy to the bathroom.  They were already wet.  It’s Thursday at 12:04.

** Jeanne got a letter from Mom and Dad and from Jack.  Mom sent Frank and me $2 apiece and told us about Karen Davis.  Jack told of his car accident and his marriage plans.



Thursday, July 14th

It’s 10:15 in the morning.  I’m sitting on the bed listening to the record-player waiting to go to Bailey Springs at 11:00.  Besides us Pam and Cathy are going.  Jeanne hates to drive us there cause she has to use the Chevy.  (The Ford is getting a 3000 mile check-up) and the Chevy has no air conditioner.  Got up before Frank when DJ came in and terrorized us.  Watched Lucy then ate my own breakfast of 4 pieces of toast and hot chocolate.

-> It’s tomorrow, up too late.  Went to Bailey Springs and stayed there most of the day.  Got there about 11:30.  Frank and I swam right away but Deb and her girlfriends didn’t go in for quite a while.  Laid in the sun for a while.  Went swimming again.  Then it was 2:30, the time when Jeanne was supposed to pick us up.  Frank called at 3:00 and Jeanne said that DJ was sleeping and she’d be there in half an hour.  She finally got here at 4:00 after another telephone call.  While waiting I read an old Reader’s Digest and sat in the hot sun.  But most of the time I was just bored.  Got home and I was starving, but we couldn’t eat ‘til Don came home. Luckily, he got home early at 4:30.  He said that Reynolds was on strike.  Watching the news, I heard that “8 nurses were murdered in Chicago”.  It’s termed the crime of the century.  We had corn on the cob and steak for supper with tapioca pudding for desert.  Watched TV for a while ‘til Don called me and Frank outside to help him build his extension for the patio.  He lined up the bricks and chiseled part of the ground away and put most of the bricks in place.  Frank carried the bricks from the pile to the sandbox.  We quit when it got dark.  Jeanne and Don left for shopping.  Nancy came in then.  We watched TV for a while, then Mysterious Island came on.  Nancy was scared and sat on my lap.  They came back when it was half over.  Nancy, Sue and Deb each had a bowel of Life cereal.  I hid it so I could finish it tomorrow for breakfast.  Jeanne stuck an apple pie in the oven.  Stayed up to 11:38 watching the Untouchables.

**Sixth consecutive day with 100 or more temp.  101 today
** Braves win.  Bucs in 1st by 2 percentage points.



Friday, July 15

It’s 11:40.  The radio is on (WOWL).  Don’s sitting up waiting for Deb to come back from a dance.  Jeanne let me sleep late this morning, ‘til 10:30.  Fixed the Life that I hid yesterday for breakfast.  Jeanne left some place at 11:00 and didn’t come back for a while.  I think I was outside today for about a minute or 2.  Watched TV ‘til Jeanne came back at 1:30.  She put us to work cleaning floors.  Had a little trouble working the floor scrubber, the liquid stuff wouldn’t come out when the button was pushed.  Susie adopted the DeFauseo’s dog today.  She’s called Helga. She has been in and out since morning.  Sue fed her a couple of times.  Nancy played on the new house they’re building in the lack lot.  Jeanne yelled at her and told her not to do it.  (Deb just got home: 12:01)  Didn’t have any planned meals.  In fact I would term this day the deadest since I’ve been here.  When Don go home, Jeanne left with him somewhere.  This was at 4:30.  They didn’t get back ‘til 9:00 and what a time we had in between.  Deb left somewhere right away, so Frank and I were automatically in charge of DJ.  A couple of times there I thought he’d never stop crying.  I stopped him once by bringing him outside in the sandbox and once by giving him part of an ice cream cone I made.  As instructed earlier by Jeanne, Frank made some spaghetti, but he didn’t leave it in long enough.  Needless to say, I only had one bowl of it.  Helped Sue put together two puzzles, one of the Munsters and one of a bunch of monkeys.  Don and Jeanne got home just at the start of U.N.C.L.E.  About half way through, Jeanne asked me to have a game of chess.  I showed her how to play and when I beat her I played Don, of which I also beat.  An Atlanta-Astro game was postponed in Atlanta because of a fierce rain storm.  It thundered and lightninged outside but not rain yet.  Tomorrow up at 7 AM!  (12:15)

** Vacation is 1/2 over
** 102 today



Saturday, July 16

Woke up this morning quite early, at 7:30.  Hurried up and ate eggs and toast that Jeanne made. Left for Huntsville and the NASA arsenal at 8:30, 30 minutes behind schedule.  It was a longer trip than I expected.  It took an hour and a half.  Deb fell asleep and so did DJ, but I couldn’t.  Got to the guard at the gate a little after 10:00.  We saw the large rockets outside first then went in the museum for a while.  Nancy ran to the drinking fountain right away because for half the trip she complained, “I’m thirsty”.  We saw a short movie on space travel in the museum.  We drove around for a while looking for two domes.  After asking a guard we finally found it.  First we looked at some missiles.  Then we went in the domes and looked at the various displays.  What an echo is in there!  Sue and Nancy were yelling and Frank would clap his hands.  I found out today how those things work that the weatherman uses on TV.  You know, the ones he takes on and off and flashes off and on.  They had a display that used this kind of rotating light.  Because Don swiped his medal off the shoulder of a soldier mannequin, I took the other one.  I felt so awful I’m going to return it.  On the way home, we stopped off and ate at a place called Pizza Inn.  Frank, Don, Jeanne and I had a large sausage-cheese pizza.  Don had to go to a nearby Jacks (a Southern hamburger place) to get hamburgers for the kids.  We got home at 3:45, got our bathing suits on and as soon as we hopped in the car, a loud clash of thunder rang out.  Needless to say, we all came back in the house.  But I was so hot I went outside under the hose.  That is ‘til it started raining.  I tramped around in the rain and washed Don’s Ford in the process.  Came in then and watched TV the remainder of the evening.  The Miss Universe pageant was on.  Miss Sweden won, but I watched an horror movie on Jeanne’s TV.  Got to bed at 11:30 after reading Mad magazine.

** Deb bought Hungry



Sunday, July 17

It’s 11:25 now.  Just watched Jesse James and Burke’s Law.  I was woken up at 8:30 by the pitter patter of little feet and stayed in bed until 9:00 when Jeanne would officially get me up.  I constantly looked at my watch, 8:35, 8:41, 8:48, 8:50, 8:59, finally Jeanne yelled that breakfast was ready.  Had eggs and toast for breakfast while watching Top Cat on TV.  We got to church late; at 9:55.  No teacher in our class again, so the other guys in or class talked about caves and Frank seemed real interested.  After our refreshments we went in the sanctuary and heard the sermon.  On the way home I asked Frank a mathematical question  “How many times as fast as usual does the minute hand have to go for the hour hand to keep up with the second hand?”   He didn’t guess 600.  After a snack for lunch we went to Bailey Springs, but the gates weren’t open.  It was 3  minutes to 1:00, so we rode down to Shole Creek.  Came back and swam in the pool.  As soon as we got there, there were not life guards as Frank and I swam in the  deep diving part.  I caught some kind of weird-looking butterfly there.  At 4:00 went to the stables, but I didn’t ride any horses cause I had only my bathing suit on.  The kids rode in a horse-drawn little carriage.  We got home at 5:00 and I was totally starving at 6:00 when Jeanne announced the meal was ready.  It was veal, potatoes, peas and cherry pie for desert.  I went in the room and layed down then, ‘til Don called me outside to do some work (helping him with his brick laying).  Went back in almost fell asleep.  Then Don yelled “Want to get some gas?”  Everything went wrong.  First I couldn’t start the car.  Then I turned a corner and I rammed the bottom, then at the next corner I started to turn right instead of left.  That’s when he started yelling at me.  But I drove it there and back without further incident.  Watched TV ‘til past 11:00.

** Don was ready to checkmate me, when he stalemated me instead.  I’m still undefeated.



Monday, July 18

It’s 10:42.  Frank and I are having a discussion on Marvel People (Spiderman, Hulk, X-Men).  Deb is lying on the hall floor reading a Romance book.  All else are sleeping.  Got up at 10:00 (I was still tired).  Jeanne said she had the pancakes ready.  Jeanne told us something Don wanted us to do.  First we were to cut the lawn, then clean the garage.  But we tried and tried and still we couldn’t get the lawn mower started, so we started cleaning the garage.  All we did was sweep it.  Came in and watched TV a while.  Jeanne called up Don, and he said for us to put in some more bricks.  Frank and I did it for a while, then Frank cut his finger and went in so I worked alone for a while.  Came in to eat my lunch.  It was ground up baloney.  Deb ground it up when I was outside working.  Played records for a while.  Then we all went to Bailey Springs except Frank of which took care of DJ.  When we got there half the pool was roped off.  So we didn’t have munch fun.  I threw Nancy real high in the air, ‘til the lifeguard told me to stop.  We left early at 2:30.  When we got home, Don called and said he wouldn’t be home ‘til late.  Didn’t do much ‘til Don got back.  Sue tried to guess some records I played.  Frank wrote a letter to Char and today he also joined the MMMS or the Merry Marvel Marching Society.  When Don got home, he told me that he got the mower started so I went outside and cut the back yard.  There wasn’t much to cut because most of the yard was dried up.  I also got a hatchet and cut a lot of trees that were just starting up.  Frank was playing catch with the little guy next door.  I called him when the front needed cut.  When I was cutting the grass, I had the transistor up to my ear.  Came in and watched TV.  Before going to bed, I drew a lot of animals on the chalkboard.  I even drew a picture of the X-men for Frank.  Got to bed at 11:30.

** Kolfax lost and the Braves won 9 to 8



Tuesday, July 19

It’s tomorrow again I was too lazy to write.  I got up a little after 10:00.  Jeanne had a bunch of pancakes made and I was stuffed.  Jeanne must have come in to some money because at about 10:30 everyone except me and DJ went shopping.  I was too tired so I stayed home with DJ and watched Donna Reed.  During Father Knows Best, DJ was getting tired so I took him in on Jeanne’s bed in no time at all he was fast asleep.  I slowly creeped out to watch Ben Casey ‘til 12:30 when all came back.  A few seconds later DJ woke up.  Jeanne came home just in time to watch her sob story.  Did she buy a lot of stuff.  Nancy got a new 2-piece bathing suit.  Susie got a granny pajamas and Frank bought Don’t Bring me Down by the Animals.  Everyone had planned to go to Bailey Springs this afternoon but during lunch, it started coming down, so we sat home.  It was a short rain and since we had our bathing suits on Susie wanted to water fight.  We did, but it didn’t last long.  DJ was out there and he’d cry, then laugh when we squirted him.  Once when I had the water on, Nancy kinked the hose so it wouldn’t work.  I stopped her and warned her not to do it again.  So when she did it again I yanked the hose. She ran in the house and told Jeanne that I tried to strangle her.  Don got home again after working late ‘til 5:30.  After supper we went to Bailey Springs.  Frank said this was about the best time we had.  Don borrowed a set of golf clubs and we played 4 holes.  We quit when Don lost his ball at the 4th hole.  Frank had 24 and so did I.  There was complete darkness when we went swimming.  For a while we were the only ones in the pool.  Frank and I played catch with a rubber ball.  Left at 8:00.  At 11:30.  DJ wouldn’t sleep, so I got up from a Marvel and joined in search for his bottle.  Got to bed at nearly 12:00.



Wednesday, July 20

Got up at 10:30 in time to see Dick Van Dyke.  Jeanne offered to make eggs for breakfast but I wasn’t too hungry, so I just ate some toast and milk.  After searching everywhere, I finally found my bathing suit in the back of the car.  So we left for Bailey Springs at 12:00.  Jeanne stopped off at Florence first to get some spaghetti for lunch.  We were swimming at Bailey Springs by 12”20.  It was kinda boring.  Frank and I played golf at 2:00 but we quit when we lost the ball.   Didn’t have anything to do then, so took Don’s suggestion and read a book in the freezing building about Bailey Springs.  Left at 3:30.  Jeanne made the spaghetti just before Don got home.  After we all ate, we hunted around for some flashlights.  After a half hour lapse we left to find a cave.  Jeanne brought along a bag and wouldn’t tell anyone what she had in it (it was her surprise).  Don had a crude map on how to get there.  But it took four stops to talk to 4 different colored families before we arrived at the cave entrance.   To get to the cave you had to go down a steep rocked hill.  The entrance to cave was just large enough to crawl down.  Once in the cave, the temperature dropped 30 or 40 degrees.  As soon as we were in the cave we viewed a large auditorium-type structure with names and dates written all over the cold walls.  The floor was made of small boulders.  To the left there was an inclined path just wide enough to get up.  At the top, about 15 feet farther, the cave stretched in may directions.  To the left was a deep pit and another cave entrance.  Straight ahead after about 20 feet, the floor finally hit the ground.   On the right the cave struck off in two directions.   To the right but farther back, a small path went very far ‘til it went straight down.  I wrote this in the cave on a piece of paper:

Right now, I’m in the back of a cave.  Frank and Deb are talking to each other below.  It’s so cold I can see my breath.  What fun, Huh!  At the end of this, there is a hole.  Frank tried but it’s too small to fit down it.  When I turn off this flashlight, it’s total darkness.
When I got home, it was pitch dark.  I took two showers.  Watched TV and read a book to real late.

** Once out of the cave Frank said, “and these are white levis”.
** Once when I was in an unfamiliar part of the cave, I struggled through a small opening only to find myself in the main chamber.
** Started reading Catcher in the Rye.



Thursday, July 21st

It’s 11:15.  Frank and I were just arguing about certain facets of the cave we visited yesterday.  We just finished a flash-cleaning job of our room for Mom and Dad tomorrow.  They’re supposed to come around at 6 or 7 in the morning.  (I hope I’m conscious by then).  I know I got up at 10:00 because Andy Griffith was just starting.  Jeanne fed us pancakes for breakfast for again and Susie ate one.  We made a big deal about her eating one, because about 2 hours earlier she had her breakfast of cereal.  We shouted “Susie has 2 breakfasts”.  Don had given everyone work to do today.  Jeanne had to weed the yard and garden.  Nance and Sue had to help (they didn’t).  Deb had to watch DJ (biggest job).  Frank and I had to put down some more bricks.  It only took us to noon (about 45 minutes).  Came in a while, then started watering the lawn for want of something better to do.  I played a lot of singles on the record player.  Jeanne couldn’t watch The Edge of Night and Nancy couldn’t watch her cartoons because the astronauts landed today.  Read about 40 or 50 pages of Catcher in the Rye.  It’s a good book (by good, I don’t mean holy).  I was still reading when Don got home at 4:30, but I came out when supper was ready at 5:00. (no lunch).  Jeanne fixed hot dogs and beans and sugarless ice tea (ran out of sugar).  After Don and Jeanne argued about who was going to take DJ, Don won.  We had to be back by 8:00 because Jeanne had to go to play bridge.  Got there at 6:15. [Jeanne just got home.  Deb, Sue, Nancy and Helga all woke up to meet her.  Jeanne just said “what’s all this?”  Nancers in the pancers replied “I’m hungry”.]  It’s 12:00 midnight.  [just had a discussion with Jeanne and she brought DJ in here].  Back to Bailey Springs now.  Stayed ‘til 7:15.  Don and I threw the ball back and forth, then Frank and I did.  I read more of the Catcher in the Rye.  Read in the bath tub, while watching the Braves lose and while watching a John Wayne movie Don had on.   Finished it.  [Frank is playing The Last Time for Deej.  Naturally DJ is dancing or a reasonable facsimile thereof.]

** Gemini 10 came down today!
** No idea of what’s number one in Chicago
** Braves dropped 3rd in a row 7 to 4 to St. Louis
 


Don, Deb, Chris, Frank, and Nancy by the entrance of the cave



Friday July 22

It’s 10:45 and all peaceful at Zelen household.  Deb is writing in a diary she just started.  I’m in the living room.  Sue and Nance are asleep on the floor on the two mattresses that Mom and Dad brought.  Early this morning, I heard Don leave for work.  That’s all I heard so I knew Mom and Dad had not arrived.  Got up at 7:30 and layed on the couch a while.  Ate some Life for breakfast.  Then watched a few TV shows – you know all the regular stuff.  Jeanne finally announced their arrival at about 10:20.  We helped carry some stuff in.  (Boy! It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 4 weeks already).  Frank saw his surveys right away.  Paperback Writer didn’t make number one and Wild Thing by the Troggs was number 2.  We took a fast look at our yearbooks and at some wedding slides through this portable-type gadget.   Mom and Dad went to sleep, being up all night and such.  Jeanne took us to Bailey Springs a little while later at 2:30.  She left us there ‘til past 5:00.  I played catch with Frank first, then everyone tried to catch me on the air mattress.  At the end, I was playing with Nancy, teasing and playing with her.  We all went to get this foot-long hotdog and a shake for a dime a piece  (grand opening), but the line was so long we went to a McDonald’s next door.  Had a hamburger, shake and french fries.  Went to K-Mart then.   Don was astonished to see a colored girl with light blue hair.  After that, we went to Andersons (a book store) and got a Mad Magazine.  Sue got this troll she was pestering Don for.  Got home at 7:00 or so and sat on the couch and read Mad. After that, I didn’t feel like doing much.  So I went in my room and looked over the surveys and the Powder Horn..  Came out finally and it was past 9:00.  Ate some watermelon that we got at K-Mart, but was interrupted when I had to go to the car three times to get pillows.  First the doors were locked, then I didn’t get them all.  Helped Susie and Nancy put together new  puzzles.  Mom got them at K-Mart.  They also put the other ones together.  Later I casually asked Don if he had any more good novels because I had finished Catcher in the Rye.  He went out in the garage and looked through all sorts of boxes.  Jeanne said “He wouldn’t have done this for me”.

** I plan on reading 3 books.  I’m starting with Caravan by Mitchner right now.
** Deb is reading some old Archie.
 



Saturday, July 23

It’s Sunday morning now, at 9:00.  I’m in the back-back seat of our station wagon with a wonderful view of the Gulf of Mexico.  We’re in the end camp site at Panama City, Florida.  Got up Saturday morning the latest I ever did.  It was 11:45.  I was hungry, but I waited for lunch ‘til 1:00.  We had steak and noodles for lunch.  Most of the afternoon I read Caravan.  It’s a darn good book about this Mark Miller in Afghanistan.  I read from 12:30 to 3:30 stopping only to eat.  I put down my book when we started to pack.  I helped them move the Apache trailer down the steep driveway and pack my own personal junk.  Deb & Sue got real interested in the tape recorder, so I let them sing all kinds of songs and recorded DJ’s baby talk.  Deb got her own tape and I think Sue and Nance used it more than her.  We planned to leave at 8:00, but an oddity happened, we actually left a half hour sooner—at 7:30.  Don took the lead and Dad kept right behind him.  We pulled over to a Jacks after a little while.  I ate a hamburger, fries and a chocolate shake.  Right after that we made for a gas station and filled ‘er up. We drove for about and hour then Dad pulled over and let me drive.  The whole time since the start, I was reading Caravan and was now well over half done.  I used a 6-volt light that plugged into the cigarette lighter.  I took over at 12:30 and went through Montgomery, Troy, and Dothan and finally here at Panama City at 4:45 AM.  We stopped once at a gas station in Dothan.  (that was the longest stretch that I ever drove).  Along the way I saw a few shooting stars, saw a magnificent sunrise, listened to WLS ‘til nearly dawn (4:32).  Once here we had to get in a long line of cars.  Frank and I jumped out and I beat him on a 100 yard dash over white sand hills to the Gulf.  The sand was whiter that I have ever see.  I said it looked like an enormous ash tray.  I was quite sleepy so I slept in the back on the station wagon (Zelen’s) and that’s where I’ll end the day with a 3 hour nap.

** First time in Florida



Monday, July 25

It’s 10:00 exactly.  I don’t feel like writing much. It’s too hot in this stupid pup tent.  I’m in the same campsite I reported yesterday.  I wanna read a little when I’m done here.  Mom and Dad are sleeping in the station wagon right outside my tent opening.  Mom just said “Chris, is the tent big enough?”   Frank is sleeping in the Zelen’s station wagon.  And all the Zelens are jammed in the trailer.  After my nap from 4:30 to 8:00 we drove to this camp site.  Dad thinks it’s the best around because it’s on a corner.  Set everything up right away.  I had Life for breakfast.  There’s a water faucet near, but the water’s putrid.  Went to the beach at 9:30 or so.  It was saltier than I had expected, blah!  Susie and I dug a big hole on the beach.  Mom and Dad showed up a little while later.  Mom said it was the 1st time she’s been in water for years.  Before we left we took showers in these things in the open air.  Got home around 1:00.  Ate 2 or 3 sandwiches, then read a little in the car; fell asleep in there.  Then came out and slept on a mattress for a few more hours.  It was 4:00.  I had a doctor pepper on ice as soon as I woke up.  Then went in the lagoon (20 yards away).  I picked up crab after crab after crab, all small and in shells.  Before the day was over, I had 90 crabs (counted them) and a lot of snails.  We fried hamburgers for supper and I had to wake up Sue and Nance who were sleeping in the trailer for 4 hours.  I had 3 of them and a few rolls for dessert.  About dusk we all got in Don’s car and went to see the city.   We brought a few things at some stores.  We saw all sorts of shell shops and places for renting Hondas.  I’m thinking seriously about getting one.  We saw literally hundreds of hotels, motels and carnivals.  Frank commented that so far "Florida is a drag”.  We didn’t go to any places, only located them for later on.  When Back, I put on the Coleman lantern.  After a snack of donuts, I prepared for bed getting an air mattress, blanket, flashlight, book, this thing and pajamas on.  I hear the waves at 10:25.

**No reading today



Monday, July 25

6:16. I better write while it’s still light outside.  I’m on a white dune.  It’s the highest in the area.  It’s something like the sand dunes but the sand in white al all the trees are conifers.  Bye.  Sue just yelled “We’re going to Miracle Strip”.

It’s tomorrow.  I was too tired when I got back yesterday.  Because the air mattress I was sleeping on all night was deflated, when dawn came around I didn’t feel like sleeping much.  So believe it or not I got up at 4:45AM.  Took a bath in the gulf because it’s a lot closer.  I spent an hour or so starting a fire.  Then Mom got up at 6:15. And Jeanne up a little later.  Then Don, then Frank, Dad, Sue, Nance and finally sleepy head Deb. After breakfast I slept in the station wagon till 9:00 when Sue woke me up and said we were going to Shell Island.  The ferry boat we caught was close by and we got here just in time.  It left at 9:30.  It was about a 20 minute ride to Shell Island.  We had ‘til 11:00 to find our shells.  Found a pretty lot about 10 feet out into the water.  Mom, Dad, Sue and DJ left at 11:00, but the rest of us decided to stay ‘til the boat came again at 2:15.  Soon as it left it started raining and Nancy started crying.  We went under the dock for some protection.  We got a few shells on the hill there, then hiked to the other side—about 200 yards.  There we swam in the big waves and I found a ton of shells.  While there we also caught a blue crab and a sand crab.  We saw a real jellyfish and some sort of lizard with a long tail.  The boat came with more passengers at 2:00, but it left at 3:15.  The pop on the boat costs 16 cents! We all got back safe and sound.  We had chili for supper.  Was up in the hills when I was called to go.  We all went in Don’s car as usual.  This Miracle Strip is one long street with thousands of hotels motels and amusement parks.  First we stopped off at this place where we played baseball.  It pitched, we hit.  Then Frank, Deb and I went on these go-carts.  We went to the amusement park across the street then.  First on the roller coaster, then a lot more rides.   Before we went, we went to Jungle Land.  It’s mainly this large volcano with a path through it and lots of animals.  When we got back, I had lots of hot dogs.   Dad said that I should forget about my trip to Europe and I said I’ll get the money if I have to quit football.



Tuesday, July 26

I felt like quitting, but as long as I have time, I’ll write.  It’s Wed at 3PM.  I have trouble writing because I’m riding in our car. Got up late at 7:30.  Most everyone else was already up.  I had 2 eggs and laid around a while longer.  Don went to the beach right away with Deb and Frank.  He came back a while later to get the air mattress and to get a dollar to rent a surf board.  I went with him this time, but I didn’t go surfing.  The waves were big today.  They were fun to swim in.  I laid on the blanket a while to get a tan on my stomach.  Nancy and Sue showed up then, so I splashed with them a while.  Frank came back from surfing and said what fun it was.  Swam a while longer, took our showers near the parking lot, then left.  It was about noon.  I didn’t do much in the afternoon.  I got interested in Caravan again and before the day was over I read the last 100 pages.  The ending of it wasn’t too great.  About 4:00 we decided to go to town for the last time.  The first thing we did when we got there was to play a short baseball game.  I played twice and the 2nd time I hit all but the last ball.  Went to one of the amazing places in my life.  It’s a miniature golf course, but just not an ordinary one.  Each different hole had some kind of monster or house or something by it.  We took some pictures of the scenery and of the family.  We played 2 different games of 16 holes each.  On the 2nd course Nancy joined me, Frank, Sue, and Deb.  Frank beat me by two shots each time.  On the way home we went to a few stores.  At one time Frank went in and won a case of root beer, but Deb had a conniption fit so he had to put a Pepsi in it.  As you can guess, Deb doesn’t like root beer.  [We just stopped the car at a gas station between Montgomery and Birmingham].  Got to bed late after sitting around talking to Don about college.  Jeanne almost had a heart attack when DJ ran out in front of a car in the dark.  It just missed him.  When sleeping in the back of the station wagon, the mosquitoes were terrible.

** Mom said at a nearby bank it was 120
** Last night our land crab escaped



Wednesday, July 27

Today nothing much happened since we traveled most of the day.  Got up at 8:30.   I was still in the back of the car when Jeanne drove it to the store.  I had Kellogs korn flakes for breakfast.  I noticed a putrid smell then saw that the can the crabs were in was stinking.  It must have become polluted.  So I dumped them out in the lagoon.  It took us a while to get everything packed and cleaned up.  I dug up a few plants for Jeanne.  Took some films of DJ trying to dance.  Left for Florence at about 10:30.  Dad drove and Mom was in the front seat with him. Frank and I  were in the back seat reading comic books and Sue was I the back-back sleeping.  It was this way ‘til we got to Dothan, Alabama.  At the Florida/Alabama border, Dad took pictures.  He also took pictures of  “Vulcan the Iron Man” at Montgomery.  Just before Birmingham we stopped off to eat.  Everyone had a hamburger, french fries and a drink.  I was still hungry so I sat in the back-back and had a sandwich and a root beer.  I wrote Tuesday back there.  We stopped when I was just about finished.  Jeanne drove in their car then I drove.  Going through Birmingham wasn’t too easy, especially at 4:00.  It must have taken us an hour.  Something weird happened while driving through some high hill country.  You could see the rain falling about ¼ mile away and how you drove right into it.   While driving I put the car in low gear for the first time.  We stopped outside of Birmingham.  Jeanne gave us DJ.  She said he was pounding on her head and wouldn’t let her drive.  About an hour later we stopped at a store in Florence.  Got home and everyone was happy at 7:00, because Lost in Space was on.  Don turned on the air conditioner cause it was 90 here.  Helped unload a little bit.  Mom cut open a watermelon, but it was rotten.  All but one spot.  I ate that spot.  I took a very welcomed shower then.  I went to bed the earliest in a while at 9:25.

** Sugar and Spice was no. 1 requested



Thursday, July 28

It’s Friday, but I didn’t write because I was tired.  I read 4 new Marvel comics that Frank bought.  Thursday there was only one major topic:  the tree house.  Woke up  at 9:30 and watched TV for a while.  Had eggs as usual for breakfast.  I saw Dad and Don working outside and I wondered what they were doing. I went outside to find they had two 2 by 4s nailed between the two trees 8 feet over the wood pile. This was the beginning of the tree house.  Don finally started to do it when Sue and Nance nagged him and Dad said he’d be glad to help and Jeanne said that he never did anything for the kids.  I went out there and slowly but surely we got it up.  The floor was done before lunch, then after a lunch  of watermelon and pop, Don and I went in the woods across the street and cut down trees of about the same size.  We used these for the braces with three live trees.  It was a big job digging five 2 foot holes to stick them in.  I had to make mud and stick it in the holes with rocks.  We put up some more braces and then started on the roof.  Frank, Deb, Sue and Nance came out to paint then.  They used the color of blue as the house is painted.  We planned on stopping at 6:00 but after supper we turned on the back porch light and I brought out the Coleman lantern.  We finished most of the roof and the trap door.  I went over to the house being built next door looking for a lot of usable pieces of wood.  We got all the wood and most of the nails from the being-built house.  Came in all 9:30 and Mom said “I thought the police might come to the door.”  Stayed up to watch part of the movie but I got bored and went in our room ‘til about 11:30 reading Marvel.  NOTE:  Well, this marks one month of being away from home.  The things I miss are: color TV, Jim the Pig, sidewalks, the attic, cooler weather, people who talk normal, a radio station that plays good songs.  I miss swimming in a real lake and every other person that you meet knows you.  I miss the Walkers: Chrisie laying on my shoulder, Shelley’s pot and voice, and Jimmer wanting to go everywhere.



Friday, July 29

Right now it’s 11:40 and Frank is sleeping next to me.  I’d like to write the rest of the page but I have to get up tomorrow at 7:00 to look at some caves. Signing out!

Now it’s tomorrow at 12:42PM.  Yesterday was just a normal day.  Got up around 10:30.  Don was up then and he looked out the window and said “I thought Johnny was still sleeping.  That’s why I was laying around”.  Had the normal eggs for breakfast, then Don and I went outside to finish up the tree house. Painted for  a while until the paint was gone, then put the last part of the roof on.  We did plan on going to Bailey Springs today, but all of a sudden it got real dark and the wind started blowing.  Although it got that dark and windy, we only had a few off and on showers.  I hardly got wet since I was in the tree house or working under it. Dad was on the roof for most of an hour.  I didn’t know what he was doing when he came down he said he had asphalted the roof.  I know he did, because for the next few hours everyone was full of tar.  Don and Dad went to Sears then and went in the house for a while for a pop break.  They got the wire and rope we needed.  It was a hard job putting up.  Don put the rope ladder together and after a few adjustments on the trap door, it was finished at 4:00.  George (the 5year-old next door) came over and Sue brought over a few of their friends.  I was up there watching DJ when Jeanne sent up a pizza on the pully-basket we made.  Then Deb was there to help to put up all the furnishings as the table and chairs, stove and refrigerator, sink and cupboard.  Jeanne, Don, Mom and Dad went out shopping so Deb, Frank and I took care of DJ in 15 minute shifts.  Was I glad when they got home.  Got to bed after Man from UNCLE at 10:00.

T H A T’ S   A L  L  I   C A N   W R I T E.

** Summer in the City by Lovin Spoonful is no 1.



Saturday, July 30

We’re getting ready to go home now.  Mom’s packing everything and everything we’ve spread over the house over the last five weeks is being collected.  Frank is trying to work a puzzle I gave him: “Tails to Astonish”.  We’re  all ready to go.  Goodbye Alabama. “sob”.

?I’m home now.  It’s tomorrow night.  This morning everyone was up early to go to the cave.  Dad, Don, Frank, Deb, Nance and I went in Don’s Chevy.  On the way there the fan belt came off the car so we had about an hour delay.  At one place we stopped Frank bought a lot of old comic books.  Don didn’t exactly know where the cave was so we went way out of the way getting there.  The cave was after you pass the Tennessee River on the left about ¼ mile.  We finally found it.  I brought the Coleman lantern this time.  This cave was a lot bigger than the other one was.  Dad, Deb, Frank and I went way in the back of it.  After half an hour we didn’t come to the end so we came out.  This cave wasn’t as exciting as the other.  Took some Polaroid pictures around it.  Got home at 12:00 or so.  After lunch we went to Bailey Springs.  For a while we had it all to ourselves.  Dad went in, but Mom didn’t.  After a good swim we went golfing (Dad, Deb, Frank and me).  I did pretty good.  I had a big meal of ham and potatoes when home.  We started packing after supper, but we kept procrastinating.  I painted a sign for the tree house:
 

Completed July 28, 1966 by the Zelens and the Foremans
We had to tie this chest of drawers on top of the car for Mom.  It was full of White Cloud. (Don gets it for free).  Took some pictures of everyone in the tree house.  Jeanne showed the wedding pictures to Dad and Don because they didn’t see them. Parting was such sorrow.  Nancy was crying and I played with DJ to the last second.  Jeanne said she just got used to us.  We left at 8:30 after a long good-bye.  Dad started out driving and drove until he was about 50 miles in Tennessee.  Mom drove for an hour then I drove for a few hours until the Nashville city limits.  Dad took over to northern Kentucky.  I drove 3 hours about 30 miles past Evansville.  Dad took over and I slept the last thing I remembered is 37 miles to Terre Haute.

** Frank’s spoiled.  He doesn’t want to swim in any old lake any more
** Deb said it was her Catch us if you Can.    ** Bye-bye Alabama



Sunday, July 31

I got up at 7:00 about 60 miles from home.  Everything started to seem familiar.  Someplace in Hammond we stopped for groceries. We pulled in to good old 1750 Lake Avenue at 9:00.  Big Jim was watering the grass.   Carried some stuff in the house.  I was shocked at how tall the flowers were in the back planters.  Then I was equally shocked at how our new bedroom looked.  Char drove up then and we greeted and talked to each other.  I went up to the church (with Jim the Pig who came a little earlier). I picked up Jimmer and Shelley.  Was I happy to see them.  I gave them their drums that mom bought and a lot of shells.  Jim and I talked.  He said that he had a girlfriend named Jeanie Grinstead?  He said old Buckner got his right hand blown off with fireworks.  We talked and talked ‘til about 2:30.  He left then and I went on my new bed and slept ‘til 6:30 when mom called me and said to get ready for church.  Frank watched the Sox vs. Yankees game when I was sleeping.  I lasted through church (I was still sleepy).  After church, Char invited us over her house (now 2 months old).  Shelly and Jimmer ran to the door to greet us.  Char fixed us some ice tea.  Jimmer showed us his new speedometer and that he could go 20 MPH down the ally.  He also showed me “Cookie” and how big she was.  We left at 9:15 and tried to stop of at White Castle but it was too crowded so we passed it by.  Came home and watched TV for a while.  I didn’t feel like staying up so I went to bed at 10:30.  But at 11:00 Jim tramped in the house and said “You’re not going to sleep yet, are you?”  So we talked a while down here until Frank got up.  So Jim and I went upstairs to talk all night.  I brought up the Beatle Album to play it.  He talked about his girlfriend again.  He read a Mad magazine.  He finally conked out at 2:30, so I went to sleep also.  It seems usual yet it seems different for me to be up here writing.  I feel like I’m still in Alabama.  I’m counting the days to Football practice starts on August 15th.

** Bye-bye July.  Hello August
** Last Tuesday our refrigerator conked out and everything melted all over the floor.  Char cleaned it up.
 
 



Debbie holding DJ by the wood pile

Debbie and Nancy by the mailbox

Nancy by the tree house

Mom and Frank with the kids in the driveway

In the backyard

At the foot of the treehouse.

in the driveway on the way to church.