NEWVILLE FOUNTAIN FESTIVAL

Some people consider growing up in a small town boring and back woodsy. But it was a wonderful experience. The town fountain is in the center of Newville and we grew up about a block away. The fountain provided a lot of fun but it also got us in a lot of trouble. When we were kids, there were goldfish in the water during warm months. It was great fun to take a swim in the fountain or go fishing for the gold fish. What great memories that thought brings back.
All good things come to an end. There was a group of older ladies who took care of the fountain, the fish and the flowers in the big urns. It was their mission in life to watch the fountain and chase off any one caught there. And boy, did we get caught!
One of the problems with living in a small town is the fact that everyone knows everybody else. Mother would get a phone call about her three boys playing in the fountain. She knew before we got home where we had been. Being the oldest, I got more blame than my two younger brothers. If calling Mother didn't work, Dad got the news. He worked in the post office and knew everybody within miles. Since he walked to work and went right by the fountain, it was easy for the guardians of the fountain to stop him and tell on us. Dealing with Dad was much worse than dealing with Mother.
About fourteen years ago, it was discovered that the fountain would soon be one hundred years old. Having a celebration sounded like a good idea and thus the fountain festival was born. It becomes a reunion for those of us who grew up in Newville. There are people I only see once a year and that is at the festival. Some old friends show up every couple of years and it seems that someone I haven't seen in a long time always shows up every year. It is a nostalgic event that I enjoy very much.
Newville may be boring to some people but I am glad I grew up where I did, when I did.

WEEKEND AT CAMP

A lot of people seem to have a favorite place where they go for peace and quiet. My favorite is the hunting camp I belong to. The camp is north of Snow Shoe, PA. I describe it as being 18 miles from nowhere, which is fairly accurate. The camp is about a mile from the state road, down in a hollow between two ridges. No electricity, no running water, no telephone, no cell phone service. Absolutely peaceful. Being so far from civilization, the night sky is full of stars. The modern world has so many lights burning all night that stars are hard to find. At camp, it is amazing to see how many stars light up the night sky.
We normally have two work weekends a year, thus my reason for being there recently. We painted two sides of the camp, cut the grass, cleaned the living room ceiling and installed a shower. We did what? No electricity and no running water, we put in a shower. Are we nuts? No, there are creative people in our midst. There is a tank that we can pour hot water into, then turn on the pump to get water in the shower. Power is supplied by portable generator. One of our projects for the fall work party will be to find the spring that is on the ridge behind camp. One of the members who is in his 70's says he thinks he knows where it is. I sure hope he remembers. Having to carry more water to supply the shower, will keep two guys busy for hours.
The northwest corner of the camp is the end of a bear's territory. He marks it every year with claw marks and we paint over them every summer. The marks weren't too high in the beginning but now they are as high as I can reach and I am 6'2". Do we ever see him during bear season? NO! He showed up during deer season several years ago and found some left over pizza, then sat on a big rock about five yards from camp and had a meal. There was fresh snow on the ground, so it was easy to track his movements, including his seat on the rock.
We can sit at camp and watch a variety of wildlife pass through our open area. Bear, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupine, skunks, fox, coyote. There are elk in the area but we haven't seen any at camp yet. I have heard some bugling, though.
At some point during our stay in camp, we manage to find ourselves in a local town at one of the clubs. A lot of the people remember us, even though we don't get to town very often during the year. What did we do on the last visit that we are remembered so easily? If it was something embarrassing, I'm glad I forgot what it was. One of our camp members has an addiction for larger women. The bigger, the better, according to him. He isn't all that big, himself, so I'm not sure that he couldn't get hurt by the NFL sized women he chases. If anyone in the club is up dancing, it is him. Guess he has found his mission while at camp.
Is camp remote? Is it quiet? Is it peaceful? Three yeses. I sleep more soundly in my bunk at camp than anywhere else. Even if I don't go there to hunt, I will go there to relax and keep the fire going and the camp warm.

RELAY FOR LIFE

This past weekend, the Cancer Society held their annual relay for life at Carlisle High School stadium. This is an event to raise money for cancer research. There were people of all ages and sizes there, doing everything from attending as a survivor of cancer, walking for money, helping in various stands or just being a cheerleader for others. The whole event took on a carnival atmosphere. There were tents all over the stadium, campers, people coming in carrying coolers, sleeping bags, blankets and cots. The relay lasted for 24 hours, hence the need for a place to put a weary body. There were walking teams from businesses, churches, schools and families. People were seeing old friends and hugs were plentiful. The crowd kept swelling as time neared for the start. Survivors were first on the agenda.
As a survivor, we were asked to state our name into a microphone, what type of cancer we had and how long we had survived since discovery. There was a lady I remember being a survivor for 29 years and one who had survived three different types of cancer. There is always someone else who has things worse than we do. After the survivors were on the track, all the people in the stands rose to their feet and cheered for us. Talk about getting a lump in your throat!
The walk started with the survivors and people came out of the stands and from the sidelines and joined everyone on the track. People were in a festive mood and spirits were high. I wondered how festive everyone would be in 24 hours from then?
There were former co-workers, old friends, neighbors and family there. There were survivors there who I had no idea they had been diagnosed with cancer. This was the first time I had attended this event but it won't be the last.
There was a dinner for survivors and a guest. My highlight of the meal was getting my cap signed by channel 27 weatherman, Chuck Rhodes. The second highlight was chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. UM!
At 9 pm, the luminaries , which circled the entire track, were lit. The name of each survivor whose name was on a luminary, along with all those who had lost their fight with cancer was read over the pa system. Quite an impressive ceremony, considering how many names were read aloud.
What impressed me was the amount of people who were there walking to raise money for a cancer cure. They may or may not have known anyone with cancer but that didn't dampen their enthusiasm for walking.
Thank you very much to all of you who took part in this event or pledged money for walkers or a luminary. Your kindness is appreciated.