Summertime in the Okanagan. Kelowna….
in the 1970′s, when I was a teenager with long sun bleached hair, tattered denim short-shorts my Mom forbade me to wear in public….I had “fabric painted” sailboats and palm trees all over these threadbare Levi’s and they were my fave. Paired with ragged Flintstones sweatshirt and a pair of well worn Adidas, I was ready for summer. Oh, yes, not to forget the yellow bikini, always worn under the shorts and ready for the beach!
Kelowna in the 70′s was a small town, yes, much smaller than now – and Bernard Avenue a place to “cruise” on Friday and Saturday nights looking for something to do, friends – and the location of the bush party. City Park had a large parking lot that we as teens used as a “base” and a turnaround point to do the loop around Bernard again. Misspent youth comes to mind. Also, how little some things change. (Not that I go to teen bush parties any more, praise be.)
The music – Boston, Kiss, Supertramp, Peter Frampton, Elton John, Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Bachmann Turner Overdrive, Three Dog Night. Just an Old Fashioned Love Song. Memories. Cassettes were just becoming popular as the latest way to listen to your favourite band. Taking over from 8 tracks. Friends and I spent hours recording mixed sets of music from record players to tinny little tape recorders. Press Play and Record at the same time. Imagine taking your music with you in your car? Far out, man.
Fashion from the 1970′s that I remember best – halter tops, halter dresses, Levi Jeans, Earth Shoes, canvas runners, chevron pattern blouses in polyester, bikini’s and big hair. Like Farrah. We 70′s chicks really dug that big, blond streaked look. Only the luckiest few could achieve that hair, and I sure was not among the fortunate in that way! I was able to “flip” the hair back on each side for some effect. Shows in my Grade 12 yearbook as the truth.
I recall these 70′s summers as the “hazy, lazy, crazy days of summer”. Heading to the beach was an everyday occurrence, we were all baked brown from sunshine exposure from dawn to dusk. There’s a little tunage coming to me……
“You’ll wish that summer could always be here”.