One of my blogs directed to family members. Hope others aren't bored.
Murphy’s Law
has an interesting post up on Arizona’s Petrified Forest.
That dredged
up an old fart memory. Around 1955 my parents took a driving vacation and
brought along her Wyoming rancher parents. My grandfather was an avid rock
hound.
At the
Petrified Forest, there were signs everywhere forbidding any removal of
anything, with large fines promised. My grandfather collected several small
specimens and stashed them in the bumper guards of my father’s 1951 Ford,
assuming the rangers would be searching every car as it left. That didn’t
happen.
After
clearing the area, my grandfather tried to retrieve his loot, but couldn’t get
the specimens free. Once back in Wyoming, he and my father spent the better part of a
morning removing the bumper guards. My father had a few, respectful, choice
words to say on the subject.
During our
next visit, my grandfather presented him with a well crafted petrified wood
bolo (string) tie.
Grandfather Era Burtis, Grandmother Hattie Burtis nee Latham, daughters Virginia, Lois, Harriet, and son Ray. Both men had to turn slightly sideways when they went through a doorway. My grandfather always wore bibs. Here he is wearing his "business at the courthouse" hat.
5 comments:
Great pic! 1930s???
Thank you. I believe my father took it, probably around 1948 or 1949. That area of Colorado, (North Park, Walden) didn't have paved roads until the late 1950's. The building they are standing in front of probably looked like that in the 1930's.
Loved the pictures too.
It was 61 or 62 when my parents and one of my brothers and I took a trip from NY to California to see family. We did it in a 1960 Chevy Impala convertible BTW. The petrified forest was one of the stops on the way.
I've still have the piece of a petrified tree that we got as a souvenir.
Convertible? Bet that was an interesting trip.
Yeah....it was. Down, the pretty much defunct, Route 66 ultimately to San Diego.
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