You don’t have to take a long trip to have a grand adventure – especially if Cousin George is at the wheel. Hey, just riding in one of Cousin George’s trucks is an adventure. He has enough stuff packed into his truck to fill a small room. You might not be able to see the seat, but you can sit up pretty high in his truck.
When we would go to Montana, Cousin George was often our transportation to and/or from the mountains. We usually piled into the back of the truck. That’s the best seat. It was better than looking out any window. We had the whole world before us and behind us – the sky, mountains, streams.
We would take off down the road, taking turns to open the gates. Up and down we’d bounce and slide sideways and frontways. I marveled that his truck even made it to our destination. One time, he took off across a field along the river. It had rained, so it was plenty muddy. Mud splattered and splashed on the windshield, through open windows and in the bed of the truck. His windshield wipers didn’t work. He sure couldn’t see out the front window, not that it would have made much difference. His driving was the same with or without seeing. Right hand on the wheel, he hung out the window and used his left hand as the windshield wiper. We bounced on through the field for a bit then got back on the road (of sorts). It wasn’t long before we drove through the creek, and the mud slid right off.
Our destination was my grandmother’s place in the heart of the mountains. We’d traipse off into the mountains with our backpacks and camping gear. After a few days we would head back to the cabin for the night. The next day someone would come pick us up and haul us out of the mountains.
One time, Cousin George came to get us on his birthday. I baked him a birthday cake in the old wood cookstove. It was that trip that Cousin George gave me my first dip – snuff, that is – Copenhagen. And, I should add, it was my last dip as well. He had a good laugh, and I might add, I turned a bit green.
Through the years, Cousin George has continued to give us grand adventures. He seems to always take time to drive us up into the mountains. I think he likes adventures, too!
Printed with permission