MY SUMMER OF LOVE

The summer of '69. I had just turned fifteen.

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In July my family drove from northern New York to Coeur 'd Alene, Idaho to pack up my Grandfather's house on his Bing Cherry Farm. He was in a nursing home & had sold the old farm were my mther & I used to climb the trees & eat the cheeries until we had our fill. We also set up a sign that year, "PICK YOUR OWN CHEERIES-25 CENTS A QRT".

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Boys were noticing me for the first time.

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Neil Armstrong walked on the moon while we were in Coeur d'Alene-With my last name being Armstrong, at last I was never to be asked again if I was related to Louis Armstrong. Not that that's a bad thing, there just wasn't a minor resemblance to this blonde, blue eyed girl.

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And the summer of '69 I went my first Big Adventure HUGE. We had been back from Coeur d'Alene for a week or so. My father worked 3rd shift and went to work at 10:30 pm, Sunday thru Thursdays. My mother, a nurse, worked 2nd shift and didn't get home until almost midnight. By this time I tried to stat away from the house as much as possible. Didn't get hurt if I stayed out of the way.

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There was a concert that weekend & I knew if I left Thursday evening. Mom would think my father knew where I was. And father would think my mother knew where I was. Or they just wouldn't notice.

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Yes, I was 15. Yes, I hitchhiked to Bethel, NY ~ 100 miles away with nothing but a 2 Man pup tent rolled up in a blanket. And a water bottle.

Why? The Woodstock Concert.

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I started out Thursday evening and my plan was to get there early to find a camping spot. I did & met up with some friends. Twenty four hours later, 300,000 people were there & there was no going home. Traffic on the thruway was standing room only and I was stuck. People were walking in & later we found out the number of people was closer to 400-500,000. It was a sea of people. It an ocean of people. It was a small country of people. *Hehee ~ Stoner/Hippie people

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I had pitched my tent stage left in a wooded area on the hill. it wasn't raining yet. I just like out of the way places. Good thing I picked the hill, I didn't get mudded up. And it did rain. Heard great music and met lots of musicians, smoked a lot of pot and hash. Went hungry and used "the woods" for a few days. AND it was so worth it!

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I was there from when Ritchie Havens started playing Friday evening to after Jimi Hendrix played Monday morning. What a weekend with Folk, Blues & Psychedelic Rock. Those of us that hung on to the last note hung around a while hoping for just one more "surprise".

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Maybe the Beatles? Maybe the Stones?

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I read that the Beatles didn't come because John Lennon set a stipulation that Yoko Ono's band also had to be on the bill. And the Stones I think we told that not very many people would be there and it would be a bad career move. HA!!

Give me Janis Joplin. Mountain, CCR, Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Winter, Blood, Sweat and Tears and JIMI!

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It was late Monday afternoon when I packed up & went home. My plan worked....Ma and Pa Armstrong never missed me.

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AND it was....

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