On Sunday, Cutie and I went to my Fair Oaks Bungalow Colony reunion. It was great to see everyone. People looks the same just 35 years later. It was so nice to see everyone. I was at the bungalow colony for 2 years with my family in the mid seventies. Everyone at the reunion reminisced about the great times we had and how our children would never have the opportunity to know such summer freedom of running around unsupervised at such young ages. (I was 12-13). People remarked on how they watched my younger brother (and me) on "Queer Eye" and were upset he wasn't there. He didn't want to go because he said he didn't remember anyone or anything. They remembered him.
The reunion idea started with a visit in 1975 to the now run-down place. Renee rock still existed with LEE spray painted on the top. You could see it from the highway. I remember Renee rock as the make out place.
I had my first boyfriend that summer. He wasn't at the reunion, but his brother was. I inquired about him. Did he become a Brain Surgeon? No, an Oncologist - but now he plays Texas Hold-em. It's funny. 27 years later I married Paulo. Paulo is very similar to the first boyfriend I had. Paulo has a PhD in Astrophysics and in now into telescopes. I liked to compete in sports with the first and I can't wait for Paulo to recover from is seemingly never end of sports injuries so we can compete once again.
Cutie was so patient as I played Volleyball that day. She is ready to watch Paulo and I do sports. With the Olympics on TV this week, we are teaching her the value of sports. And it's working.
Color War song sung to Scarbourough Fair.
The summer is over the war is all done
Green and Red teams united as one.
The mountains are round and the waters so clear
Fair Oaks Camp we'll see you next year.
Listen to laughter of children at play
They enjoy their last summers day
Good times had we tranquility
Fair Oaks Camp how far can you be.
The reunion idea started with a visit in 1975 to the now run-down place. Renee rock still existed with LEE spray painted on the top. You could see it from the highway. I remember Renee rock as the make out place.
I had my first boyfriend that summer. He wasn't at the reunion, but his brother was. I inquired about him. Did he become a Brain Surgeon? No, an Oncologist - but now he plays Texas Hold-em. It's funny. 27 years later I married Paulo. Paulo is very similar to the first boyfriend I had. Paulo has a PhD in Astrophysics and in now into telescopes. I liked to compete in sports with the first and I can't wait for Paulo to recover from is seemingly never end of sports injuries so we can compete once again.
Cutie was so patient as I played Volleyball that day. She is ready to watch Paulo and I do sports. With the Olympics on TV this week, we are teaching her the value of sports. And it's working.
Color War song sung to Scarbourough Fair.
The summer is over the war is all done
Green and Red teams united as one.
The mountains are round and the waters so clear
Fair Oaks Camp we'll see you next year.
Listen to laughter of children at play
They enjoy their last summers day
Good times had we tranquility
Fair Oaks Camp how far can you be.
5 comments:
I went to Fair Oaks with my parents in the mid 60s for five years - some of the best summers of my youth. Played softball against other camps, hours and hours in the pool, archery, shooting a .22 rifle at the rifle range and learning to dive off the diving board. Watched the adults play hi-low poker for more cash than I’d ever seen before at the social center. I think of that place whenever I’m going upstate on Rt. 17, as I am tomorrow, which prompted me to search “Fair Oaks Bungalow Colony” on Google ... hence finding your blog!
I forgot I had a blog. The casino, archery, .22 rifle. I think I won best markman or something. The lake, the pools, camp. A few months before corona I saw a fair oaks sign and turned off the highway to see if I could find the bungalow colony. No luck. Thanks for posting.
Since the passing of my grandparents, Philip and Betty Fishbein, my siblings and I have talked on a regular basis about Fair Oaks and all of the qualities that we experienced there. I went to F.O. As a newborn in 1968 and every other summer until I was 14. My grandparents had the unit at the top of the stairs that went down to the pool, the casino and the lake. We shared a building with Irving and Jonathan’s family. Next door lived the twins, (I think Greg and Eric). The Lusthause family lived in the unit on the other side. I distinctly remember a ton of Davids: Kaplan, Kasow, Altman. The Matcheroli twins (Mark and Lynne?), Cindy, Craig and Allison Price, Pamela Kaufman, I was always enamored with the trumpet recording to awaken all campers in the morning, crab apple wars, paddle ball, jumping off the roof of the camp pool building into the pool, archery, rifle range, lanyards (box stitch, cobra, and barrel), pledge of allegiance, and playing softball against camp Neshopa. Renee rock was legendary and tetherball goes without saying. Ring-O-Leveo as dusk set in.
Time stood still, in that very isolated and beautiful period of our lives.
Thank you for your blog,
Adam Fishbein
Hey Adam I think I remember your family. We were there from 78-81. I started a FO group on Facebook a while back. If you are on FB look it up. You will find the all the names you mentioned are meeber along with over 200 more members. There are tons of pics as well which u may be in. You can even upload your own if you have any.
Larry Cooperstein.
My family Howard & Ruth Bayer and their two daughters Yvonne and Ilene (with a little white dog named Lollipop) went to FO late 50's to 60's. I sent a request to join the FO Facebook Page!
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