Saturday, July 28, 2012

Memories of Crimson Dawn

"History and mystery beckon from atop Casper Mountain in the heart of central Wyoming. Trails wind gently among the pine and aspen while the log cabin museum provides a warm step back in time. Crimson Dawn Park and Museum welcomes you to the enchanted world of Neal Forsling's creative and inspirational legacy." This is the description from Crimson Dawns web page of a hidden log cabin found on top of Casper Mountain Wyoming. This post doesn't have anything  to do with the history of the place but of a visit we made in summer of 1987. Cindy and I were in our seventh year of marriage and had two tag-a-longs: Jeremy 5 and John 19 months. That summer was a hot summer if I remember right, similar to this summers heat wave. We went to the top of the mountain with my mother and of course my camera to cool off and inspect the museum. Upon arrival my boys ran to this unique looking bench made from twisted tree limbs. Wow, what a photo op. There were not digital cameras at this day and age, so film had to be developed. The day of taking multiple photos had not yet arrived and also you could not preview them. Fortunately one photo turned out well as you can see below.
I had to take another image of the original photograph as we do not have a negative. It tuned out well, however. John probably spelled Koolade or something on himself and took his clothes off . Hee hee. It is definetly our favorite picture of the boys.

On the trip this summer we wanted to go back to Crimson Dawn and possibly relive some memories. Mother had a little difficulty finding the correct road. After finding the right turn, I had visions of finding the same bench and taking a photo of Cindy and I sitting on it.
Twenty five years later and little worst for wear, the bench is still there. However, like us, it is a little worn and aged. A unique patina I suppose. The bench was not strong enough to sit on, so we just enjoyed the fact that it was still there and provided fond memories.

21 comments:

  1. BOy, those were the days, weren't they? I actually fought switching to digital.....why, I have no clue. I love being able to "SEE" that I have gotten the shot. I remember plenty of times waiting for a roll of film to be developed only to have half the photos no good. Some things do improve.

    Glad you were able to see the bench again. It is a beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Helpful post, I will be adding your news feed
    to my list.
    Also visit my blog post Check out my blog

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gosh, we have come a long way with the digital age haven't we? I remember anxiously waiting for the many rolls of film to be developed to see if anything came out. That is a very cool bench. I bet you were thrilled to see that it was still there. Adorable photo of your boys!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cindy and I had a discussion on who actually took the photo. It was me...she was busy keeping the youngest one on the bench. The bench is special.

      Delete
  4. I am glad you got a "good" film shot. No thumbs or camera strap. What a nice story. I am glad you all got back and the charming bench was there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is great! Awesome shot of your boys and so neat to find the bench again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The photo is framed with weathered wood and takes us back to those days on the mountain.

      Delete
  6. That photo was meant to be. How wonderful that even back in the old days of film, we sometimes managed to capture the moment perfectly. Your boys were so cute. Great post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the photo was meant to be. Still blessing us 25 years later.

      Delete
  7. Great post! Greggo-I am nominating you for the One Lovely Blog award! I follow your blog regularly and feel it is wonderful and LOVELY so Congratulations-I am passing the award along to you! The rules to accepting this wonderful award are on my site at http://landscapedesignbylee.blogspot.com. If you feel you cannot comply with the rules of the award please accept this nomination in the sincere spirit in which it is offered.

    Best, Lee

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a picture-perfect shot. Your boys are adorable. They'll definitely break a lot hearts when they grow up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh how marvelous Gregg. What a wonderful memory. That bench has stood up well and I think it is so nice that it was even still around.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow - not too often can you revisit a spot and find something from 25 years earlier ! Wonderful post.

    Nice to meet you - thanks for visiting my blog. I spent some time here looking at/reading a number of your posts - very interesting ! (I think I could learn a bit here)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I bet you TRIED the bench didn't you? It seems to only be missing one piece. I hope you frame the old photo, so cute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No I didn't try it...it was too weak unfortunately. Yes the photo is in a weathered wood frame.

      Delete
  12. What a great memory. It's amazing as parents which photos are so special to us. Pictures of my Army soldier son snuggling puppies, chickens, etc are my favorites.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving any comments, they are always welcomed. Sorry I had to add word verification as spam was becoming a huge problem. Greggo,