Our family began heading for the lake on weekends during the summer in the early 50s and at a time when drives were long, means of travel was on two-lane roads, and smoke-saturated fabric headliners in cars with no air conditioning often led to intense car sickness. Our clothes were stuffed into cardboard boxes, and we were easily identified as visitors in our wrinkly clothes at Sunday Mass. No running water, an outhouse, a one-room cabin built by our parents.
But did we have fun! Boats were small, outboard motors were slow, docks were homemade. The days were spent in bathing suits. When it rained we stayed in and played poker with match sticks for chips. Along our portion of the shore were scattered cabins and a total of 29 kids our age. Several of us had August birthdays. A big fire summoned dozens of people to gather down by the lake for the party. Laughter would linger in the darkness for hours.
One of our “lake gang,” one of the 29 kids, passed away this week.
In a dim light... 
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