Aunt Grey and Lane

Aunt Grey helping Baby Lane stay upright beside a huge crinum at his Granny's house nearly 70 years ago. I don't think Aunt Grey meant to be in the photo, but it's priceless. You can see the profile at far left of a proud father coaxing a smile from Baby.

Another Reunion

My High School classmates have a planned a reunion. Less structured than previous meetings, we expect to have a grand old time.

This time it's a randomly odd number rather than a decade year. It's approaching time to see old friends before it's late for some of us, not wait for a year that ends in zero. Already too late for more than I'd like to count. Time has been kinder to some of us than others. Life's been harsh to some.

Some I've seen infrequently over the years; some who never came to any reunion have promised to be there. Maybe there'll be surprises -- happy surprises, like Sandra and Billy, for whom it was 'love at second sight' decades after high school.

Dotty Tie

Aunts Grey, Ruby, Ella and a dapper dotty tie.
About 1975.

Reunions

It's not summer unless you go to a couple of reunions. Saturday night we went to a family reunion of the best sort, where you meet cousins you never saw before and see others you've not seen in a spell. Dinner was at a restaurant, superb. Dessert was down the road, graciously provided by one of the cousins. I had caramel cake, didn't look to see what they urged on the Cowboy who doesn't need sweets. Maybe just one slice for old times sake, as close to what he remembers at his Aunt Ella's as can be provided. We looked at ancient photos, read obits and histories, and found relatives and relationships in common that surprised us all.

Vowing to do it again, we said goodbyes and drove away. We eased down the lane to the road and saw a grey fox bound away into the weeds.