I promised more camping stories from the family adventures so here goes.

Another favorite campsite when I was young was Milk Lake. There used to be a lean-to type building at the lakeside with a fire pit built in. This is where Mom would work her magic over an old Coleman white gas stove. Most stoves and lanterns at the time worked off white gas and had to have the pressure pumped up by hand periodically. I can still almost smell fried potatoes, chops, and milk gravy!

When we were young,most of our activities centered on the outdoors. Jeeping was a big part of it with family and friends going on trail excursions with their own rig while Dad drove our 57 CJ5.

We went over most of the trails in the mountains and there used to be quite a few lookouts. Ones like Big and Little Bald had actual towers while Jumpoff, Miners Ridge, and Timberwolf just set on the edge of cliffs. It was fun to visit with the forest service people manning the lookouts and hear their stories. Timberwolf actually had mountain goats on the cliff below it.

Today’s rambling is about various other non rattlesnake pets Steve and I had.

I don’t know how many of you remember Layman’s Market in Union Gap. They had special events like Hawaiian days and there were usually animals involved.

For instance, at Hawaiian days they might have goldfish for the kids. On Easter events they had bunnies to sell. Of course my brother, cousins, and I all got pet rabbits.

Nerve spasms so here’s another jewel.

I should mention that nobody reading any of this should get the idea that it’d be good to try and emulate any of the stupid and dangerous things my brother and I got up to. Not only are they dangerous and likely illegal by today’s standard, but I’m fairly certain we only got away with them because they had not invented the consequences for that level of stupidity yet.