Friends From Earliest Days

This is a picture of myself at a very young age. The young lady on my right arm is my young cousin, Marlene. I visited recently with her and her brother and we confirmed that we remain very close after all these years. The photo was taken on Spencer Rd in Vernalis, Ca. circa 1951. I told Marlene that, even though my memory of that day is gone, the picture confirms to me that I have been her buddy and protector from the very beginning. She later goaded me and others into playful adventures during country visits with feats of daring and shrieking, gleeful stunts. Our common trait is the knack for inventing fun on the spur of the moment. My laughter likely comes from Marlene's easy laugh and sense of everything being fun. It's still that way for us.