Mom and Dad with new car at Beach

The summer came and Dad surprised us by buying a new car.  He had been talking about it for a while when one day he came home with a brand new Mercury Comet station wagon. It was bright blueish green with a white roof.  Wow, what was a big change from the white Valent station wagon he traded in.  Few cars came from the factory with air conditioning at the time, so dealers offered an add on air conditioner option, a big hulking unit hanging under the middle of the dashboard.  Dad got the V8 engine option, proudly opening the hood and showing me the 289 V8 engine telling my how much more power it had than the old straight six in the Valent. One of our first trips in it was to St. Augustine Beach.

In July we to "our cabin" in North Carolina for two weeks.  Betty, Billy and their kids Janice, Karen and Timmy drove up with us and stayed the first week.  The trip up was more pleasant this year with the new car having air conditioning.  After Betty, Billy and their kids left, Mom’s uncle Bob, his wife Ellie and their kids Jack, Sally and Jill drove down from Michigan and stayed for the second week.  It was great fun having all the kids there.  We went to several things twice this summer, once with Betty and Billy’s family and then again with Bob and Ellie’s family.  Mom got a new camera that took color pictures, we all couldn’t wait to see them when we go home.

The kids at Far View cabin, Timmy, Janice, Beth, Karen, David, Brenda, Larry

The Mixsons and Yawns

David and Larry at overlook

David, Timmy, Larry, Janice, Karen at waterfall

Larry and Timmy on chairlift up to Tweetsy Railroad

Arriving at the castle

Larry and Timmy getting off chairlift

Downtown Tweetsie Railroad

Brenda on horse, Dad and Beth in Stagecoach driver seat, Mom and Betty by door, Janice and Karen inside

All Aboard! All except Dad taking the picture, he better run!

Train was attacked by bandits who got away with money box

Arriving at Fort Boone

Which was under attacked by Indians

But we made it back to the future and raced cars. David in foreground, Dad with Beth in right car, Bill with Timmy driving.

Getting water from roadside mountain spring, Mom, Billy and Beth

Dad, Mom and Beth, Craggy Gardens on Blue Ridge Parkway

Larry, Brenda, Beth, David, Karen, Janice, Timmy atop the Mount Mitchel tower

The Schwander’s arrive at Far View, Sally, Jill, Jack in front, David, Bob, Larry, Dad, Beth

The Schwander’s at Tanbark Ridge on Blue Ridge Parkway

Cookout with the Schwander’s in the “backyard” of the cabin

Picnic lunch with the Schwander’s on Blue Ridge Parkway, Aunt Ellie hugging me

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Just before the football season Dad bought Sears Silvertone radio that had a whopping 10 transistors and cost $25.95 ($230 today) it was only AM but that wasn’t a problem for there were few FM radio stations at the time and he wanted to get the University’s radio station WUFT which broadcast all the Florida Gator games.   After Dad died, I found the radio out in the garage and put new batteries in it, and it still worked.  The football season started in September with Dad and Billy going to the first game which the Gators beat Illinois 14 to zero which made Dad optimistic about the season, with Steve Spurrier gone he had his doubts.   It was a fairly good season with the Gators winning five of the next seven games and then loosing to Florida State in Gainesville which was played Thanksgiving weekend.  They still had a good enough season to play Miami in a playoff game in December which they lost

10th Grade