As we age, our memories will occasionally fail us. That’s nothing new. Even so, sometimes a name from the past will instantly trigger memories. If we’re lucky, they will be fond memories. So it was this week when I heard that Pat Diener had passed away. Though I had not seen him or been in touch with him for about 30 years, I was very sorry to hear of his passing. He had the kind of personality that always put a smile on my face. And, I remembered the many great times we had camping together.
Kathy and I loved to go camping and we often invited friends to join us. Pat was one of those friends. We visited state parks, squeezed as many cars, tents, and people into one site as we thought we could get away with, and had great times. Those great times usually consisted of eating, drinking, hiking, swimming, playing cards, and sitting around a campfire. And, there were two other things that we almost always did: (1) make Group Soup*, and (2) take a Group Shot. When Pat Diener and his friend Bill Pilgreen purchased some wooded land near the Wisconsin River, we began a series of camping trips to “Pat’s Flats.”
Fortunately for me, I can help my memory by digging through my old photographs. So, in memory of Pat Diener and the many good times we had camping, I thought it would be nice to post some of those old photos. Hopefully, they will help others drift back to those times.
The photos above were all taken on weekend trips to Pat’s Flats. They will give you an idea of what a typical trip was like. Pat and his sheep dog Arlo were always the stars of the show. The VW microbus with the sunroof was great for hauling people to the river for a swim. That was usually followed by a stop at Larry and Isabelle’s Pub and Grub for a beer or two (or three …) and a game of pool. After dinner at the campsite we would enjoy a campfire. I don’t think we ever did figure out if smoke went towards age or beauty. Dessert often consisted of s’mores. I suspect some people washed them down with beer!
The photos above are mostly group shots from our decade of camping trips. In case you don’t have total recall, here’s where and when they were taken:
- Black River State Forest, May 1972
- Pat Diener and Arlo, Black River State Forest, May 1972
- Crestwood Campsites, Waupaca, July 1972 (Remember the Crystal River trip?)
- High Cliff State Park, August 1972
- Pat’s Flats, June 1977
- Pat’s Flats, August 1979
- Campers’ Chronicle Christmas Party in Racine, December 1979
- Mike Ogrodowski wins the highly-coveted “I read the Campers’ Chronicle” t-shirt at the Christmas Party
- Pat’s Flats, July 1980
- River outing on a Pat’s Flats weekend, August 1980
- Farewell Campout in Racine, May 1982.
We moved to Portland, Oregon in June 1982, bringing 10 years of group trips to a close.
So, even though the news was sad, the memories were happy. Thanks, Pat.
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* In case you don’t know the recipe for Group Soup, here it is. Every camper must bring a can of soup without a label. Each can is opened as people stand around trying to guess what it is. The many soups are then mixed together in a big kettle and heated up to produce a memorable melange of Campbell’s mmm mmm goodness.