The Three Indian Princesses have moved to a new summer camp-down in the Stamey Branch. A few days ago they were kind enough to give The Deer Hunter and me a tour.
They have worked hard on the creek camp. They've made trails that lead through the creek to different areas of their new summer home.
This trail leads to the museum. Along the way you can see where they have been excavting the creek bed in search of treasures.
Here the old hoe is used to unearth white rocks-which are used for money.
You can see the old paint brush they use to uncover delicate treasures.
In the museum there is an old bottle, a saucer, plate fragments, and pieces of glass-all valuable when you consider who it was that first held them in their hands.
As the trail moves farther down the creek ....
You can see one of their office areas. Who wouldn't want a desk like that? With your feet in the cool mountain creek and your eyes in the tree tops.
As you're about to enter the entertainment area-you have to stop-I'm not sure why.
This trail along the side of the creek leads to..
The Library. I'm happy at least one of the Princesses thinks a Library is entertainment.
And last on the tour-the dart room. They use the high creek bank to throw rocks and sticks at-to see how many they can get to stick in the dirt.
The Stamey Branch holds such memories for me. It was a favorite place to play for my brother, my cousins and me. At one place in the creek there was a small island in the middle-we loved that area-because it made it seem there were 2 creeks one on each side.
Indians were always high on our list of pretend games. We were forever in search of 3 Indian Graves our Papaw told us lay just beyond the other side of the creek. When Papaw first came to this country someone told him about the graves. As kids we just knew we'd find treasure if we could find the graves. I don't remember which one of us finally decided if white men buried them-they would have taken anything of value the Indians had.
I wish I had pictures of the days we played around the creek when I was little-but I cherish the ones in my mind. Oh the days when nothing was more important than where we were going to build the new dam or where we were going to hunt spring lizards. But time goes along just like the water in the Stamey Branch.
In this picture you can see the remnants of Guitar Man and Mandolin Man's Stamey Branch days. They were really up town and built their own tree house overlooking the creek.
As I think of my play days along the Stamey Branch and those of the Princesses, and my nephews it makes me wonder how many other children have found solace in the water. It also makes me thankful the girls have such a safe place to play, explore, and dream.
Princess 2's dog Bill is always on guard against danger.
The only real threat to the Three Indian Princesses-are crawdads pinching their fingers or their piggy toes.
I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Stamey Branch. Have you ever played in the creek?
Tipper
I never lived near a creek, but whenever I visited my Nanny, my cousins and I would spent countless hours wasing there in the summer, and pretend skating (sliding in our shoes) in the winter when it froze over.
I've often felt bad for my own kids that they never lived near a creek.
Posted by: Renna | August 04, 2008 at 05:19 PM
Oh my goodness! I grew up playing in a creek. It was usually near the house of some friends, but sometimes on Saturdays or Sundays my family would drive around in the way-out country and look for creeks to play in. We loved to dam them up and have water fights. At the friends' we just played. Once we found an old cement mixer that has washed downstream and used it for a boat. What memories this post brought back!
I actually hate it that my kids can't be in the country and play in the creek. But they don't know any better and are making their own "city girl" memories. (Not my favorite, but what can I do?) They LOVE to visit my dad, however and play outside. But there is no creek.
Wonderful post!
Posted by: Louise | August 03, 2008 at 12:07 PM
These are the days...
Love the pictures--especially the first one of their feet. I love watching their imaginations blossom.
Posted by: Jessica | August 02, 2008 at 12:06 PM
That was quite possibly the most awesome post I have seen in ages anywhere. Those girls are just wonderful! I want to be young again reading this. When I was their age, I played with boys in our area, and we would go onto the trails in the area and always do things like this. We often got in trouble (well, I did) when we went to the creek because it was down a steep hill, but we did play there sometimes. (I just didn't DARE let my grandma know I had been there, which meant I HAD to stay dry!)
I loved this post so much.
Posted by: Pam | August 01, 2008 at 08:20 PM
Oh Man! Can I come play??? There is a creek that runs through the park by the house I grew up in. (my parents still live there) We used to spend HOURS in that creek, and usually some old fogey would come by and tell us kids to get out of the creek because it was dirty water... it probably was, but we did plenty of fishing, swimming/wading, and catching crawdads in there! I really want to come to your girl's summer camp - it's open this weekend right?
Posted by: Em | July 31, 2008 at 09:46 PM
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Posted by: Razor Family Farms | July 31, 2008 at 02:34 PM
I loved this post.
and am far too guilty of loving my 2.5 year old and being EAGER for her to me thatmucholder that we can interactplay more!
Posted by: MizFit | July 31, 2008 at 11:20 AM
what wonderful memmories they are going to have. how lucky they are!
Posted by: christina | July 31, 2008 at 09:21 AM
Great images --- and what wonderful memories your article brought back. Playing in the creek was a favorite past-time in my childhood.
TERRY
Posted by: Terry Thornton | July 31, 2008 at 08:41 AM
ahh from one creek dweller to another, the memories the are many...and wet.
Crawdads!
Posted by: brit | July 31, 2008 at 12:49 AM
I loved playing in the creek as a child, although I didn't get to do it that much. These are great photos. What a great way to spend the summer.
Posted by: madge | July 30, 2008 at 10:25 PM
That's a wonderful continuation of the princesses' story. I love it, Tipper.
Posted by: SandyCarlson | July 30, 2008 at 05:56 PM
Awesome pictures! Reminds me of playing in the creeks in my backyard in Connecticut. We used to race sticks under the streets. Not so sanitary...
Posted by: runner girl | July 30, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Oh Tipper, there is such beauty and love in your stories and pictures!!
When I was young, several years ago, I loved the woods and creek. My family lived in Charlotte NC for about a year. We were in an apartment building but there was woods and a creek behind it and that is where I spent my time.
One day I found a basket of kittens that someone had left. And you know what I did don't you---I took them home with me!
I also lived in south Texas and we used to catch crawdads in the bijou with a piece of bacon on a string. My friends mother cooked them!
It might have been a long time ago but as I was reading your post it was yesterday!
Love ya!
Posted by: Miss Cindy | July 30, 2008 at 03:28 PM
AWESOME!! You rock, you know?? I'm super busy and I'll catch up on blogging later, but I HAD to pop in and see what was new!!
The searching for the Indian graves, the creek...I can relate so well to these images. My sister and I would go to the Cochise Stronghold (the name the Apaches gave their mountain hideout) near our childhood home in Arizona, and search for the legendary Indian graves there - I think we were looking for either Chief Cochise or Geronimo - I can't remember, but one of the major Apache chiefs was supposed to be buried there. What fun, what memories.
I can almost feel the cold water of the creek and the cool of the stones we hopped along through the creekbeds up there. I LOVED those mountains.
Posted by: Jennifer in OR | July 30, 2008 at 12:07 PM
We always played in the creek when we went to our grandpa's in the summer. It was big enough in places to swim and what fun it was.
Yes our memories are what keep us going.
Posted by: Shirley | July 30, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Tipper: This brings back so many memories of the times of playing in the creeks of my childhood. I naturally associate fishing and smimming with creeks but other times we spent times just playing.
A friend of ours had a cabin and we built a dam across the little creek from rocks and made a swimming place in the creek.
My son has a creek across his property and I'm sure his 2 boys will remember growing up near the creek and all it has to offer.
Posted by: Fishing Guy | July 30, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Oh how fun!! I want to be the 4th Indian Princess and come play with the girls.
Yes, we spent many days on the banks of a little creek that ran through our property. It dried up by late summer, but what fun while it lasted! We also had a pond full of catfish that provided many hours of entertainment for us and the other Cricket Flat kids. Fishing and swimming in the summer and skating in the winter. So much fun!
Posted by: Paula | July 30, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of playing in the creeks at The Farm and riding in the back of Grandpa's truck as he drove through them and splashed our sunburned skin.
I love this post and the pictures!
Blessings!
Lacy
Posted by: Razor Family FarmsRazor Family Farms | July 30, 2008 at 09:08 AM
I'm working on a new poem about fishing in a creek. Creeks were a big entertainment venue when I was growing up. We swam there, fished there and like you, and the Indian princesses, we explored there. When visiting the country in the summers, we sometimes bathed there. Great memories. Thanks, Pappy
Posted by: The Texican | July 30, 2008 at 05:44 AM
I love the pictures and the trails that the princesses have built. We have springs that flow from hillsides on our farm and we have discovered many treasures sifting through the creek bed. Aren't you glad your girls have the opportunity to grow up like that!
Posted by: Farmchick | July 29, 2008 at 10:47 PM
When I was 5 we lived with a creek just across the road from our front door. I would always swim with my rubber boots on. (didn't have extra tennis shoes in those days) One day I came up to the house crying. Crawdad's had gotten in my boots.
Thanks for retriving those memories out of my bank.
Osagebluffquilter
Posted by: Osagebluffquilter | July 29, 2008 at 10:40 PM
That makes me want to go play in our creek. I can remember in the fall of the year making houses out of the leaves. We would rake them into the shape of rooms, and we would have mansions going on in the front yard. :)
Posted by: Valarie Lea | July 29, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Great post! Brings back a lot of memories. I spent most of my childhood in creeks catching crawdads and lizards. Still would if I had time!
Posted by: Beckynsc | July 29, 2008 at 07:47 PM
CRAWDADS!!!!!! I haven't seen a crawdaddy in its natural environment in years. Oh how I miss the creeks I used to play in.
We live on 12 acres but no creek.
But lots of other things to teach my daughter. I stopped on the driveway ( late to an appt.) the other morning to catch a rat snake so she could touch it.
Thanks for the memories.
Posted by: wkf | July 29, 2008 at 07:15 PM