Thursday, April 9, 2015

Musical Memories: Humming Bird


My theme is Musical Memories:  The Memories that music brings rushing back.


"Humming Bird" is just one of the Seals & Crofts hits 

from the 70's.  Every time I hear any of their tunes, I am transported back to Dam B and Head Acres where I'd go camping most every weekend with my best friend and her brothers at her parent's camp.

We were teen girls and their camp was in the same alcove as three teen boys from our hometown.  Many nights down by the water, listening to tunes from a truck radio while we watched a fire burn. CB radios were the rage then and many times we'd be taking turns conversing with people from all over on the boys units.  Once or twice, they snuck us into the the local VFW hall for beer and dancing.

And then there were the local boys.  Joe & Mike. We met them in Sunday School class at a local Baptist church where Mrs. Seaman taught.  She sold fireworks down our way every season.  She was a hoot and truly loved young folks.  We cruised all over the dam with the boys.  And always, a Seals and Crofts 8-track cassette was the background for our adventures.

Lots of afternoons and evenings hanging out at the Sportsman Lodge, shooting pool or playing Foosball.  I remember one time a group of boys picked up the back end of Mary Lou's orange VW Bug so we couldn't leave!  Warm summer days shimmer in my mind. I can still smell the lake water.

There was times her dad took us out skiing and times he took us with him to run his very private and guarded catfish lines. He would often be sitting and visiting around a fire at their camp with a co-worker and friend of his.  Her mom would priss  around in her nonchalant way and make up awesome chocolate treats or roast pecans in the oven.

I miss those carefree days.  But above all, I miss the people who inhabited those days.  

What is your favorite Seals & Crofts tune?
Where was your favorite teenage water hangout?
Have you ever run trot lines?

38 comments:

  1. It wasn't my teen years, but my family used to stay cabin on the lake in Maine while I was younger. Those memories of being on the water everyday and playing in the woods are some of my all time favorites.

    You can find me here:
    ClarabelleRant

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  2. Loved Seals and Crofts. Our next door neighbor's granddaughter would visit from California in the summer. I was impressed that she babysat for Jimmy Seals. I'm funny that way.

    We never had just one hang out. The focus seemed to change from summer to summer.

    Thanks, Barbara!

    Cherdo
    www.cherdoontheflipside.com

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  3. I think I missed out on all of these things growing up... I do remember sitting in a group of 20 friends singing "I wear my sunglasses at night" and telling ghost stories in the house for sale next to mine.. does that count?

    Jeremy [Retro]
    AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]

    There's no earthly way of knowing.
    Which direction we are going!

    HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
    Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

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  4. You seemed to know all the good spots. I didn't hang out in such cool places. Unless you count concert halls, because I did spend a lot of time there.

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    1. No, concert halls would definitely be cool! Upper-crust kind of cool. :)

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  5. I remember as a young kid we had an eight track tape of their greatest hits. That's right. Eight tracks. Now there's a blast from the past!

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    1. Yeah, did you catch my G post? If the eight track messes up, take it out, lick it, and stick it back in.

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  6. the best tunes are always listened to near water. Something about the sun and splash and golden voices. Good stuff

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  7. Summer Breeze may be my favorite by Seals & Croft, but they had a lot of good ones. Thanks for sharing your fun memories, I really enjoyed reading this post.

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    1. I love Summer Breeze! I see an old wood frame house with hard wood floors. Windows and screens open. Lamp and candlelight. Flowers in beds near the windows with their scents wafting in. Supper on the stove. To me it depicted the perfect end of a day for a couple...especially a young married couple.

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  8. Summer Breeze was my favorite. I grew up in the seventies, too. I have a lot of good memories of our youth group at Lake Iola or at the gravel pit.

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  9. It is magical how music can stir not only the memories but also the feelings associated with them. I guess my favorite Seals and Crofts song would also be 'Summer Breeze' but only because its the only one I can think of. I do remember liking them, but my memory doesn't serve me well until I hear a tune. Did love the beach growing up and still do. Thanks for your treasured memory and for stopping by to say hello. Maria @ delight directed living.

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    1. Thank you for visiting Caneyhead, Maria! I work with a lady who sings in a band. Tell her the title of the song and often she doesn't know what you are talking about. But let her hear 3 chords and she instantly recognizes it.

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  10. I missed out on all these great things growing up. I was into tree climbing though and jumping off buildings with my mates. In those days we thought we were superhuman.

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    1. Oh, that sounds like it could lead to broken bones! LOL I used to jump of our old well with an old baby blanket tied around my shoulders and I know I DID fly!

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  11. Never ran the trout lines. Wasn't much into fishing. I love all the Seals and Crofts songs

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    1. I wasn't into fishing then, either. But Selvin, Mary Lou's dad, was cool. And it was just fun to hang with him sometimes.

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  12. Ok if I have to chose, "Diamond Girl", then Meadowbrook Pond, but I don't know what a trot line is lol. You're right about the memories it's always the people in them that count most. Wonderful story, Barbara :-)

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    1. A trot line is a line you put out in the water, with lines hanging from it with hooks and baits to catch fish, especially catfish. Thanks for visiting Caneyhead, Cathy!

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    2. Ah I see! A fishing pole with many lines, I've never seen that - learn something every day, yes? About the comment on my last post here (Facebook stole me lol), yes a "leap of faith" is surely needed for many things biblical and I find if I don't get literal I can appreciate more. We talked about these things and I never forgot that - and your help. I think sometimes that leap looks dangerously far for me, who cannot fly. 4 of my 7 siblings are ill - cancer, MS, just jolly things like that. I've asked God to unburden them yet I know this is Divine Will, not human, and it's frustrating. I ask too much. Deep in my heat I just concentrate on LOVE and it feels like God to me, but the eternal question can never be answered: why must we suffer so?

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    3. The best answer I have found for that is just simply that death, sickness and sin are part of this fallen world. Our hope and our rest is before us in Heaven. And the Bible says that God is Love. So perhaps you are experiencing fellowship with Him in the act of concentrating on love. I'll be adding your siblings to my prayer list. And you, dear friend, as it take a toll on the family to see loved ones suffer.

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  13. Geeze you're so much younger then me. The only thing familiar to me is trot lines. lol

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    1. That's okay! Trot lines are how you get to eat good....that's what matters most!

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  14. I love Seals and Crofts, and "Hummingbird" is my favorite song with Summer Breeze 2nd and Diamond Girl 3rd! They harmonize so beautifully. My favorite teenage water hangout was right here in my home town. It is Lake Dardanelle which is right by the Arkansas River.

    I have so many happy memories of music like this and times like you described. I also enjoyed the Eagles and the Steve Miller Band and so many more. :)

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    1. That sounds like a great hangout! I'd say those were my top three Seals and Crofts tunes as well. Glad I could dredge up some good old memories for you! Hint: A Steve Miller Band tune is featured in a post in the last week of the Challenge!

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    2. Oh my goodness! I am filled with suspense. Hmmm I do recall a song title that begins with "W". :)

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    3. Oops! I was wrong. I went with the second word in the title and Steve Miller is up in tomorrows post for April 11th!!

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  15. How music can be the soundtrack of our teen years. Sounds like you had a great time.

    Liz A. from Laws of Gravity

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    1. Yes, we did! It seems in so many ways music has been a soundtrack for much of my life beyond the teen years.

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  16. Sometimes, when I think to my teen days - like you do in these posts - I'm shocked of how different they were from what kids nowadays are experiencing. And it was only a few decades ago...

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    1. In many ways I think teens now days are being cheated. Or at least that's how I feel it is here locally. So few thing to do in their home town.

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  17. Thank you for this lovely picture of the past. I loved Seals and Crofts. I think my favorite was "I'll Play for You." Definitely part of the soundtrack of my youth.

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    1. Glad I could bring you a blast of your past! That's what this theme is all about.

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So glad you stopped by! Come 'round any time. ~ Barbara

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