Dear Myrman Family, I am so sadden to hear of the passing of Nick. I first met him when I was in the 3rd grade and we moved in next door to each other. We used to spend hours together. Long days of playing Monopoly, Aggravation and Parcheesi. Building huge dirt dams to block water in the gutter, when that got old we took the hoses up on the bank and slowly eroded the dirt there. We used to see who could stay on the hot, soft asphalt the longest, barefoot and then watch our footprints disappear. The two of us used to hike all over the hills around Collegewood where we lived. Sometimes we would let my brother Mike and Joey Peterson tag along. We built many tree houses and spent days and days hauling up lumber to build a Swiss Family Robinson tree house up one of the canyons. We lost so many hammers, saws and other tools those summers. Our dreams were large for that tree house, but our skill never matched our vision.
We once built a huge Indian village up the hill, using the dry wild mustard plants that had grown over 5 feet in a wet year. There must have been 10 huts. It was grand.
I remember spending long hours splitting rocks to find fish and plant fossils across the street from the Blankenship's house. Searching for trap door spiders, and tarantulas, getting stung by bees when we poked a stick in their nest. Bike tricks on the handle bars of our bikes, riding wagons down Wake Forest Drive, and then tearing the wagons apart to make our own. When skate boards were invented, we rode those down. We were so brave! We would hike over to the Martin pond and catch pollywogs and guppies, sit on the bank until their mean old swan would chase us off. On the way home we would climb the walnut trees and sit there while the cows passed under us, daring each other to sit on the back of one but never doing it. When he moved to upper Collegewood I lost a very good friend and as we grew older and we grew apart.
He contacted me a couple of years ago and we traded news of what we were like as grown ups.
It was good to hear from him.
I was very lucky to have such a good friend when I was young and am deeply saddened to hear of his passing. I am a better person by having known him.
With sincerest sympathy,
Robin McMullen Landgren ##imported-begin##Robin McMullen Landgren##imported-end##