The Summer of '69

Friday– July 25

Had a delicious breakfast of French toast, cereal, stewed fruit and milk.

Finished the symposium this morning and heard a man speak on environmental pollution.

For lunch there was tuna salad on lettuce, Cheez-Its, pickles, lime jello, cake, ice cream and grape drink.

We went on a field trip around the campus in the afternoon. We looked at the different kinds of rocks in the construction of the buildings. Saw a movie about Surtsey*. Dr. Rommey's wife and son were in class to see the movie, too.

It started raining.

We had fish, boiled potatoes, carrots, cottage cheese, cranberry sherbet and grape drink for dinner.

Went to the floor library to listen to records, but both record players were broken. Carol went with some girls to see the movie “Sinful Davey”**. She came back disappointed – the movie wasn't what she had expected.

*Surtsey is a volcanic island near Iceland. More about it here:
Surtsey - Wikipedia

**If you want to know:
Sinful Davey - Wikipedia
 
Two days since they are short entries.

Saturday– July 26

Slept through breakfast. Didn't get up until 11 am. Had pancakes, sausage, cherry jello, ice cream and lime drink for lunch.

Parents arrived in the afternoon bringing lots of goodies. It rained so the picnic was canceled. They went out for supper, then went directly home. I ate in the cafeteria. Had meat loaf, mixed vegetables, baked potato, cottage cheese, brownie and lime drink.

In the evening, there was a showing of the Marx Brothers movie “Horse Feathers” in the auditorium.

Sunday– July 27

Slept through breakfast. Didn't get up until almost lunch.

For lunch they gave us chicken, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, orange jello, cottage cheese, roll, pineapple juice, sundae and lime drink.

Watched TV most of the afternoon. Nothing much else happened. Didn't sleep well during the night.
 
Monday– July 28

Woke up bright and early for a change because we're going on an all-day field trip to Little Falls. Started out with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, cereal and grapefruit juice.

We went to Little Falls on the Thruway stopping at some unusual outcrops of dark shale. They are very earthy and we got very muddy. It rained almost constantly and many kids got soaked because they didn't bring raincoats. One place we stopped was the Barge Canal locks and watched a large barge go through.

We ate lunch at a park there and had deviled ham sandwiches, potato chips, apple, chocolate chip cookies and soda. The deviled ham was in cans, but we hand no can openers, so Dr. Rommey opened them with his pen knife.

There were wild blueberries growing on the island and some kids got more interested in the berries than in geology. For a change, Ed Shay drove the van back and Dr. Rommey drove station wagon.

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We got back late (5:30 pm) but in time for a supper of ham slices in raisin sauce, baked potato, apple sauce, cottage cheese, chocolate pudding and lime drink.

Carol is going on a starvation diet, so she only eats lunch.

Floor meeting tonight at 11 pm to discuss the banquet next week. Got a letter from mom and Donna DeVito*.

*Donna was another high school classmate. She is still with us as far as I know.
 
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Tuesday– July 29

Woke up at 7:30 am, but dropped back to sleep and didn't get up until 8am.

They gave us pancakes, bacon, cereal, orange juice and milk for breakfast.

Worked in the lab correlating the rock samples we collected yesterday and making a stratographic map. Heard Al Blow's seminar on the Champlain Basin. It was 1 hr 20 min. Dr. Rommey said to be back at 1:30 pm.

Got a postcard from Dan Denny*. Carol got 4 letters.

I ate turkey slices with lettuce and tomatoes, orange jello, 2 candy bars and lime drink for lunch.

In the afternoon we heard Sue's seminar, goofed around and saw a geology themed movie.

Veal patty, mashed potatoes, corn, coleslaw, cottage cheese with a watermelon wedge, cookie, ice cream and lime juice were served for dinner.

Somebody walked by our window at night and threw a liquid through it. I told Terry about it and she came and smelled the bed where it had soaked. She said it was soda pop.

*Dan was a high school classmate. He became a professional musician locally, but was killed in a car crash driving back from a gig in a snow storm in January 2014.
 
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Wednesday– July 30

I felt so sleepy this morning I thought about not going to class, but after I ate breakfast, I felt better. We had eggs, toast, cereal, pineapple juice and milk.

This morning, Dr. Rommey talked about moon rocks and showed slides of where we were on Monday. We also talked about Little Falls and Onondaga Lake and heard another seminar.

They served roast beef Charlemagne, lime jello, ice cream and cider for lunch.

Got 2 pen pal letters and a letter from mom, Grammy D, and soon-to-be Aunt Audrey.

In the afternoon, we looked at “fixed” outcrops in the lab, took their dip and strike and heard Bill Abramoff's seminar.

Didn't eat supper – instead had a cream horn and Korkers*. Finished the roll of film in my camera.

Went to the observatory again tonight and finally got in. We looked at the Moon and it took an hour for everyone to have their chance. Dr. Rommey escorted us back to the dorm since it was 11:30 pm and after curfew. The girls were thinking (jokingly) of getting him a pair of Swiss suspenders because he was wearing shorts and knee socks.

*Korkers were a snack of spiral-shaped corn chips popular at that time (1969 -74).

korkers.jpg
 
Thursday– July 31

Another all-day field trip. We are going to Theresa, NY. Munched on French toast with bacon and drank grapefruit juice for breakfast.

We made 6 stops at outcrops. Some were composed of metamorphic rocks and some were sandstone.

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We ate lunch in the van and has “potted meat food product” on a hard roll, oranges, corn chips, brownies and soda. The kids were joking about how the meat looked, smelled, and tasted like dog food.

In the afternoon we meandered southward and found mostly sandstone outcrops. The bugs were so awful and it was so hot, we headed back by3:15 pm. we stopped at Carrols in Watertown. It seems when I bring money we don't stop for refreshments and when I don't bring money, we stop.
 
Friday– August 1

Sleepy again this morning. Had trouble getting to breakfast, but had orange juice, cereal and milk. We had Mr. Shay holding class since Dr. Rommey had gone to Washington, D.C. We heard 2 seminars, and worked on the Theresa problem.*

For lunch there was macaroni and cheese, lemon jello, fruit cup and cider.

In the afternoon class, Mr. Shay said we'd be going on an all-day field trip on Monday and wouldn't get back until after supper, so we're going to eat at Dr. Rommey's home.

Tonight's dinner consisted of broiled fish, mixed vegetables, fruit salad, cottage cheese, cake and milk.

I saw a poster on the dorm bulletin board that Ike and Tina Turner will be in concert soon somewhere near here.

Carol got a letter from a student in Venezuela whom she is going to have in her home for a year starting in September. She is an exchange student and is taking part in AFS**.

*Don't ask.
**American Field Service
 
Saturday– August 2*

Slept until 11:20 am. Took a shower and washed my hair and did other toiletries. Did laundry and set hair.

There was tuna salad on lettuce, Cheez-Its, jelly donut, lemon jello and cherry drink for lunch.

Goofed around until parents arrived. They brought soda and Korkers. Dad and I played chess (I won), then we watched part of a ball game. Went to the Red Barn** for supper. I had fried chicken, French fries, root beer and apple pastry. Parents left. Later, I went to the cafeteria and had ice cream and cherry drink.

Played solitaire and had a can of soda and cupcakes. Carol and friends went to a dance and a midnight movie.

*Starting the last week here

**The Red Barn was a restaurant chain. More here:
Red Barn (restaurant) - Wikipedia
 
Sunday- August 3

Carol and friends didn't return until 1:00 am and they stayed until 4 am just talking, laughing and making a lot of noise. Terry finally came down and told them to be quiet, so Carol went to another room and spent the night. I slept until 11 am.

Had lunch of ham slice in raisin sauce, boiled potato, broccoli, cottage cheese and ice cream.

Went up to Thorndon Park and walked around for a while, then came back and went to the picnic at Green Lakes. I tried the diving board and did some general swimming. I rented a boat and rowed around the lake for an hour. Got back in time for the barbecue.

Thorndon Park1.jpg

Green Lake.jpg
 
Monday– August 4

Breakfast was cereal and cantaloupe.

We were underway for the field trip by 9:05 am. Traveled most of the morning and didn't stop until after 11am. We looked at 2 outcrops before lunch. There were gneiss and schist at the first outcrop and garnets at the second. For an added attraction, we stopped at Pig's Snout* where we found tourmaline.

We ate lunch on the Melody Lodge** porch with permission since it was raining. There was a scenic vista although it was hazy. We ate deviled ham sandwiches, potato chips, apples, cookies and soda.

Nothing much eventful happened afterwards except we found black feldspar (moonstone) in some central dome boulders. Reached a maximum altitude of 2300 feet. Returned by way of Eighth Lake and Old Forge. Didn't get back until 8 pm.

Went to Dr. Rommey's house for a very late dinner. Mrs. Rommey served chicken, potato salad, tossed salad, sweet corn, milk, iced tea and cake. Then we all sat around telling funny stories until 10:30 pm. We gave Mrs. Rommey a box of candy, Mr. Shay tiger eye cuff links and tie clasp, and Dr. Rommey an “Old World” globe. We got back to the dorm around 11 pm. I took a shower.

*Pig's Snout (or Pig Rock) is located on Rt 30 about 6 miles north of Speculator, NY.

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**Melody Lodge in Speculator, NY. Research indicates it is temporarily closed and undergoing renovations. Unknown when or if it will re-open.

melody lodge.jpg
 
Tuesday– August 5

Had an uneventful day of lab work that began with French toast, bacon, pineapple juice and milk for breakfast.

We heard a lecture on salt deposits by Dr. Prucha and had a general discussion on the Adirondacks.

For lunch I had baked goodies and Fizzies* since I didn't eat at the cafeteria.

In the afternoon we heard 2 seminars on continental drift. Dr. Rommey entertained us with slides of Norway and we looked at thin sections of metamorphic rocks.

Lasagna, broccoli, cottage cheese, date bar and grape drink for dinner.

*Fizzies were like fruit-flavored Alka-Seltzer. A tablet that was placed in a glass of water and it made instant soda. Several flavors were available. More about them here:
Fizzies - Wikipedia
 
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Wednesday– August 6

Another all-day field trip today. We're going to Watkins Glen.

They served orange juice, sweet rolls and cereal for breakfast.

Nothing of importance happened in the morning except we went through the Cornell campus and the town of Ithaca. We climbed up the Glen gorge and it took 2 hours. We had lunch at the top which consisted of deviled ham sandwiches, pretzels, apple pastry, peach and soda.

I took a wrong trail and ended up in a campsite. Dr. Rommey had to rush us back because he had to return to Ithaca tonight.

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For supper there was turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, black cherry jello, fruit cup, cookie and cherry drink.

A note was on the dorm door that a Jo-Jo called at noon, but I don't know anyone named Jo-Jo. Probably someone for Carol. The girls in class stayed up until 1 am writing and practicing a song we wrote to perform at the graduation banquet.*

*Now I can only remember these lines:
I'm just a typical American girl from a typical Syracuse dorm.
I believe in blokes and practical jokes and raising quite a storm.
There's a man on the floor when I open my door and I'm only wearing my bra.
So I bow real low and giggle, “Hello”, and run real fast real far.
 
Thursday– August 7

Our last field trip today.

There were pancakes, bacon, and pineapple juice for breakfast.

I saw so much of glacial till today, it isn't worth mentioning, but some rocks were loaded with fossils. We stopped and ate in the boondocks near Tully on a dirt road, but it had a scenic vista. We had potted meat product sandwiches, potato chips, apple, cookies and soda.

In the afternoon we went to a park with an interestingly formed lake.

syracuse16.jpg

Carol is crying and very sad because she got a letter today saying that her high school principal died.

Went to the graduation banquet at 7 pm. They served shish kebab, peas, rice, tomato juice, crackers, milk and sundaes. The art kids got awards. We saw the movie that the photography class made and the geology class girls performed their song.

I lost my change purse and a Flair pen.
 
Thanks, debodun. That was fascinating.

Has geology continued to be a big part of your life?

I come from Long Island but we studied upstate NY extensively in 8th grade. Many of the places you mention are familiar. A few I have visited.
 
Friday– August 8

Last day of class. I started out with grapefruit and All Bran for breakfast.

At class we heard the final seminars – they were about glaciation. Dr. Rommey wound up the session with a few poignant comments about rock strata, maps, books and offered advice. He also showed slides and handed out our certificates. He said the class was officially over, but that the rock cutting rooms would be open in the afternoon. I went back, but only a few kids were there (Holmes, Lane, Lopercio, Ewing and Blow). I made 2 thin sections of garnet matrix.

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For lunch I had a grilled cheese sandwich, black cherry jello and orange drink.

Some of the art class kids had an exhibition of their projects in the dorm courtyard. This is one of them:

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Paula's brother came and brought a kitten for one of the girls. The cat is gray on top and white underneath.

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Carol said she is going to Woodstock because, “That's where it's happening.”

A surprise for supper – roast duck! They also offered fish, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, cottage cheese, cream pie, fruit and milk.

Leaving for good tomorrow. Syracuse is a pleasant place to go to college, met a lot of nice people, but it cured me of wanting to become a geologist!*

*After almost succumbing to thirst, getting sunburned, eaten by bugs, wading through polluted water, smashing or cutting my hands and just plain getting dirty climbing cliffs and scrabbling through rock outcrops and quarries.

This night, the infamous Manson murders occurred.
 
You started and ended with vivid memories eof my summer of ‘69.

I first heard of the Manson murders by reading from a newspaper I was distracting myself with standing on a queue in Stratford Upon Avon. Waiting for tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream starring the Royal Shakespeare Company.
 
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