Thanksgiving at the 4-H Camp

Close to the 4-H Camp and the right season.

While we were living in Ames, Iowa in the late 1970s and early 1980s I became pretty good friends with the Iowa State University 4-H Camp Director. He was a graduate of our program at ISU and I periodically took classes out to the camp for field trips. One year during Thanksgiving break he suggested that we “camp-sit” while he was out of town. We thought about it for a few minutes and decided what a great experience it would be. Thanksgiving at a camp in a large cabin and while not necessarily rustic, it was older and had a certain flavor to it. We had a full kitchen, more bedrooms than we knew what to do with, several hundred acres to run around on, no telephone (this was pre-cell phone days by a long time), and a chance just to be together.

Everyone was excited. We made a list of everything we needed to take, including a television (none were there and we did like some amenities - this was also pre-cable), a rug for the floor, bedding, books, food, and on and on. As you might guess, the list got quite long and before it was finished I found myself making 2 trips out to the 4-H Camp. One to take everything we needed and another to bring the family. We had an 8 passenger station wagon, which we filled. It was about 40 minutes each way to the camp and most of the time the weather was okay. It was an Iowa fall, so that meant it was cold and the chance of snow and ice was always imminent. We had 4 children, and maybe Mike (but we can’t remember - that’s a function of aging) who went with us to the camp.

It was a great time of running around outdoors, watching Thanksgiving specials on television, watching movies on the video recorder, playing games, eating - all in front of a roaring fireplace. It was about being a family. We would usually stay 3 or 4 days and have a great time. For JoAnn and I it was a special Thanksgiving with our family. We did this for 3 or 4 years in a row and had a great experience each Thanksgiving.

As I think about my memories of Thanksgiving I have many, others I will share next year and beyond, but our time at the 4-H Camp was special for us and most of the kids remember it with fondness. It was different, it was just us, and we bonded. For most of the years the children were growing our family lived far away from relatives and so almost every winter holiday were immediate family affairs, absent from the extended family.

Thanksgiving with the McLean family in Idaho. The whole family was together
for this Thanksgiving. The photo is the right season, even if not the 4-H Camp

Since we moved west our holiday seasons have changed. We have the Bradley’s with us in Las Vegas, the Dunn’s are in Sacramento, the Hansen’s & Bake’s are together in Idaho, the Allen’s are with friends in Colorado and holding together our old tradition of family time, and the McLean boys are together in Iowa. We may be spread out, but we still like to get together as often as possible, it’s just more difficult to do it in the winter. What we lose in being together we make up in blogs, phone calls, and photos. Even though we are apart we are together in spirit and love.