GOING HOME: Happy Birthday, Trona



 How do you say GREAT TIME in 100 different ways?

 

 

 

Being part of the Trona Centennial Celebration was like going home for both Andy and I.  Memories on top of memories, meeting friends we hadn't seen for . . .well, years and years.

 

 

Good Friends  David and Ed are two of the old friends I met at the Trona History Symposium Friday. The path to the Trona High School auditorium where the lectures were held went right past our book signing table, so we were in prime position to spot those we knew.   

                                                                     During our teenage years, Ed and I were known to pull some thunderous pranks--literally. That story is for another blog.  Stuck in the middle of nowhere, Trona was the perfect place to roam and explore and we ranged far. 

1st Date: As a junior at Trona High, I asked Patty to Prom. She is still as fun a person as she was then.  

 

 

 

Football teammates, former babysitters, dynamite buddies, you name it—Trona was rich in memories both Friday and Saturday.

 

 PARADE Drew, our driver, met us behind Trona High School on Saturday morning with THE CAR.  Sweet!  1968 Ford  Galaxie convertible.  


My son and his family also arrived, ready to be parade crew.  And what a crew they were.  During the parade they passed out 750 PITCH GREEN bookmarks. 

Who could refuse a face like this?
                                                               We gave Drew a signed hardback copy of PITCH GREEN as a thank-you for the car, the driving, and the great company.            

In the background you see the Trona Chemical Plant.  The plant is a big part of Trona and figures in PITCH GREEN and its sequels.  

                                                                                                       



CELEBRATION

Finally! Street fair fun. Grandkids got a well-deserved shaved ice. Passing out bookmarks is thirsty, hot work.

 

 

 

 

The whole crew boarded the bus for the tour of the Trona and Argus chemical plants.  A great opportunity! Andy and I had never toured the plant before, even living there in Trona for so many years. 

We were forbidden to take pictures as the bus drove us through the area, but the commentary by the plant spokesman was intriguing. 

 

The plant plays a role in PITCH GREEN as well as the other books coming out in the DIMENSIONS IN DEATH series.  The plant tour gave us some interesting ideas for Book Three.

 

We drove out to Pioneer Point (also in PITCH GREEN) to see our old family home. It didn’t have this kind of greenery when we were kids.  The front yard was mainly mine tailings.

 

When a huge dust storm would dump inches of sand on the mine tailings adorning our front yard, my chore was to sift out the sand. I would dump shovel-fulls of sand and mine tailings onto a homemade screen set on top of the wheel barrel.

Imagine sifting out a whole front yard.  

 

But I never had to mow grass. Grass doesn’t grow in Trona.

One thing that hasn't changed about Trona is its small town friendliness and loyalty. As I visited with old friends and new acquaintances we all agreed:

 

TRONA was a great place to grow up.

Absolutely no place like it.