Life is good in Nebraskan hometown

Every year about this time, I get a hankering to head “home” to eastern Nebraska.

I was born and raised –; an ongoing process even now –; in Columbus, the county seat of Platte County. Even though I haven’t lived there since 1960 and have no plans to move back, it’s still home. When I was growing up, it was a big deal when we got our first traffic light, and I remember in my very early years the milk was delivered in a horse-drawn vehicle and we had gravel roads. The population was about 10,000, and we thought we lived in a city. The population is now more than double what it was in the olden days, but any way you slice it, it’s still a small town.

The trip’s highlight will be spending time at the lake and seeing many of my family members, including two of my great-grandsons. Our mom inherited the farm from her grandfather so the property has been in the family for more than 100 years. There was a very small sandpit where my dad taught the four kids how to fish. We also learned to hunt and shoot guns.

Dad and Mom decided we needed a cabin so a small lumber mill was set up down by the river where huge cottonwood trees could be turned into planks for the new building. The lumber was stored in the hayloft of the big barn so it could season, and the next year “we” started building. My two brothers and I “helped” with construction. We actually thought they couldn’t have done it without us.

In this age of political correctness and overwhelming concern about children’s safety, my parents would surely be reported to child protective services. We climbed on scaffolds, on the roof and even in the rafters of the cabin, which had a cement floor. One of our favorite things was to hang from the rafters and drop to the beds below.

Our parents had the sandpit expanded over the years, and I think it now covers about 80 acres. It’s a beautiful lake with peninsulas, coves, islands and huge trees. My brother –; who along with my sister-in-law still live on the farm –;and my sister now own the farm and lake and generously share it with me and my family, who all look forward to visiting at least once a year.

Another lake is being created with a third to follow at some point in the future. My sister and her family have built a large boat house and are restoring the cabin which hadn’t been updated since it was built.

In addition to lots of very good fishing, we will spend time boating, water skiing, wake boarding, swimming, having fish fries and bonfires, visiting, eating, playing games and enjoying being with people we love. Many family members will be camping out. I will not be among them. My Girl Scout days are behind me and I consider “roughing it” to be staying at the local Ramada.

Life is good.

It just doesn’t get any better than that.