Memory Monday....

I won't go so far as to link this to others doing Memory Monday, because I am not doing it "officially".  I do like the idea of posting a memory on Monday (or any day), though, because it is a way to let folks get to know you/me better, and our memories are (mine are, anyway) very special and helped to form who we are today.  Okay - enough of that!

My friend, Karen, posted about her dad and growing up on Buckeye Lake in her blog today. Karen and I have been friends since 5th or 6th grade, and I think we both are blessed to have stayed in touch through the years. We have visited back and forth a few times, even though they were in Ohio (and now Virginia), while we were in the Metro DC area and now Florida. Facebook, email, and blogs keep us close!  Her kiddos are all grown up and out on their own now, and she is also a grandma many times over (but we won't go there...that grandma word! LOL). Seems like yesterday that we were 15 years old and having so much fun.

I grew up at one end of Buckeye Lake, in central Ohio.  Buckeye Lake is 30 miles or so east of Columbus, right off I-70.  If you have traveled I-70, you have seen the signs for Buckeye Lake, though my little town is called Millersport.  Karen lived at Fairfield Beach, also on the Lake, and had to ride the bus in for school. My house was only a block from school (K-12 all in one facility).

Millersport had and still has one traffic light. In "our day" the hang-out places were either the local pizza place (Romano's), Weldon's Ice Cream Factory, or (if you could drive or knew someone who had a car) the 76 Truck Stop at I-70 and SR 37.  In the summer, we could boat, ski, swim or just hang out at Weldon's Ice Cream Factory (where I worked for 2 summers during high school - and met my first husband). In the winter, it was ice skating!  We had the entire lake at our disposal, and 'back then' it would freeze solid and stay that way for a few months! At night, if you knew someone who had lake-front property, the dads would start fires right on the ice and we could roast marshmallows or hot dogs. Moms would have hot chocolate ready - then we'd be off skating again.  The fires never seemed to burn through the ice - it was that thick!  There were even motorcycle races on the ice at Lieb's Island!! (Click on photo to enlarge the map.)

I've spent many, many enjoyable hours on Buckeye Lake.  I took swimming lessons in the pool at what used to be the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park. Went all the way through life-saving classes, and was qualified as a life guard.  Trouble was, the State of Ohio would not hire girls (back then) to work at the public beaches, and Millersport didn't have a swimming pool at the time. I never got to work as a life guard.

The Buckeye Lake Amusement Park has quite a history, going back to the big-band days, with two ballrooms.  All the big names  played there.  The park was "the" place to go.  If you would like to learn more about Buckeye Lake, they do have a museum and historical society now.  Here is the link, which I am putting here as much for me, as for any of you who might be interested:  http://www.buckeyelakehistory.org/home.html   It is interesting to see Donna Braig's picture when the page opens.  She was my high school health & phys ed teacher, making her my track and basketball coach, as well (late 60s). Gosh - has it really been that long?!!

Hope you are having a good Monday!  Thanks for reading about today's memories!  Thanks to Karen for the subject matter of today's post!!  Peace, love & hugs.