Lake Anita adventure

          I realize I have been writing a lot of Journaling as I am working things out and it is heavy content and not always fun to read. I want to lighten things up with a story of My Cousin Michael and I quest to get our Motorcycle License. We were going to attend a weekend session of AMA riding training at Anita, Iowa. This began a long and eventful weekend that I will always laugh at and cherish.

 

   The beginning of this trip started the day before when 16 year old Michael made the perilous journey from Afton to Marne, Iowa He was driving an Orange 1970 Dodge Aspen vinyl seats and just UUUGLY car. Michael to this day argues that the color of the car was Tan I assure it was an Ugly sun baked Orange car.    

                       

    The night was an adventure in itself as we took off to see some local sites with a friend from Marne. We went to three different sites and at the last one the car started acting up and then died. The car would not stop so we were on a gravel road somewhere near Wiota and really with no clue how we were going to get home. At that time Cell Phones were not common nor did we have one.  

   We walked to the nearest farm house and to our amazement a local Wrecker service was there. He brought out the truck and gave us a super jump and we made it back to Marne.

   The next day we packed up all the camping gear and cooler and were on the road. We made it to Anita and to the site where we were to attend the AMA safety course for getting our motorcycle license. Michael and I were excited to do this and on time and waiting. Wayne the Course instructor came up to us and said they could not do the class as not enough people had showed up.

   It was like offering a Bowl of Ice cream and then yanking it away from us before we got any to eat. Both of us were bummed but as Michael always looks on the brighter side of things he looked at me and said “We can still camp out this weekend.”

  Off we went to the lake talking away and discussing what we were going to do. First we were off to get a Campsite and really needed to find some Ice for the cooler as the meat and food was thawing. We arrive at Lake Anita Campsite and we are reading the registration sign and the fee as all of the sudden the Mighty Aspen died.

   Michael kept trying but the car would not start and left us in a pickle. We had to push the Aspen to a spot off the side of the road. We located a Campsite near the Car and started setting up the Tent. With no Ice and no car to go get supplies we were concerned about how we were going to make it thru the weekend.

    The DNR decided to stop by and visit as the Car was not in an appropriate area. Picture an old old white guy in a hat and coughing dust. Michael did not look like he was sixteen at all he looked Maybe 12 years of age. He was 4 feet 5 and a half as he would say all the time. Long Blonde hair blues eyes and still with Baby fat on his face.

     The DNR guy did not believe Michael was legal to drive and when handed the license he looked at it and Michael for over 5 Minutes. Let’s say Michael was not tickled with amusement and was about to start name calling when the DNR guy finally gave up and said we need to get the car moved.

     Moving the Clunker up the hill was not that fun with the other person barley pushing. The Aspen made it to the campsite parking spot and then we went off to find a phone. Two calls one to my uncle Randy to say we made it and that car died and AMA Class was canceled. The other call was to my uncle Donald to talk about what was wrong with the car thru the conversation it was determined that the Starter in the car had died.

     Michael and I went and found firewood and took a look at the layout of the lake. The excitement of camping was still good and we were winding down as dusk came upon us. Since we had no Ice we had to cook all of the meat we had that night and pigged out on it. We were unprepared when it came to food and the car dying killed the plan of going into Anita to get supplies.

      The First Night

As we ate all of the meat and then sat around our fire talking. We both started to get tired so into the tent to crash out for the night. About an hour into sleeping there was a sound of a car pulling into the campsite next to our campsite. I was awoken to the headlights and then you could hear what seem to be two people arguing muffled sound. When they opened the door the Daughter yelled “I’m waiting on you mom!” and then proceeded to slam car doors. 

     They apparently had a wounded animal or a puppy as it was wining and they kept yelling and slamming the doors of the vehicle trying to set up tent in the dark. I and Michael were awake so went to sit by the fire and really just make fun of this dramatic scene going on beside us.

   About an hour later and things were back to quiet and Michael and I went back to sleep. A Few hours later something you never should hear camping was being yelled. “THE TENT THE TENT! YOU’RE GOING TO HIT THE TENT!!!!”  I snapped right up and went for the door to see red taillights. I unzipped the tent door and could literally kiss the license plate of this suv. BOB SCARED meanwhile Michael slept right thru it who the hell knows how.

   The suv retreated away and I woke him up and he was like WHAT? Then I had him look at the tire tracks leading right to the tent door and his eyes got big. We both went back over to the fire and did not go back to sleep the rest of the night just on a scare.

The next day we got up and going at dawn to do some Fishing. Like bass pro’s we thought we were we did not catch but I small bass that I brought to shore and tossed back. After hours of fishing and just roaming it was hot so we thought why not walk to the beach and go swimming.

   Well the idea was a good one too bad the beach was 3 miles from the campsite made for a long walk. Just as we got to the beach it started to look like it was going to rain both of us had the attitude that we don’t care we are going swimming. As we were swimming sure enough a thunderstorm started and lightning and thunder was going strong and rain but since we had to walk all the way to the beach. There was not a shelter over there so we just kept swimming saying if lightning gets us so be it.

  After the swim and the storm passing we go lucky and caught a ride back to campsite. We had to find firewood and then assess how the crazy people in the campsite were doing. We did not have anything really to eat so it was a stomach growl and stare at the fire night.  With all the events from the night before we were both tired so we crashed with the hope we would not be killed in our sleep.

Sunday

   Slept in and then hung around the fire talking about how hungry we were. We called to confirm Randy would be bringing a new starter for the car and by mid afternoon our hero’s had arrived. They had a bag from McDonald’s it was like the best food we had ever eaten and they laugh at us for eating so fast. We changed out the starter of the Aspen and then packed up the campsite up.

   When we got back to Marne we took a shower and then went with Baxter’s to the movie “Waterworld” It was a good and exciting time with Michael that I will never forget he never let us get down and always kept optimistic thinking at play. I am Happy to share this with everyone.