Our old family photos are full of stories. We just have to look and ask.

My Nana (Irene Nora Everett Johnson) was born to a well-off family in Springfield, Missouri.

Her mother died when she was 12. So she was sent off to St. Louis and later Kansas City to finish her education.

Clearly, she was not raised for outdoor endeavors. 🙂 Yet she fell in love and eloped with my great grandfather, a man who was happiest outdoors. They promptly moved into a tent on Turkey Creek in Hollister, near Branson, Missouri. They eventually moved into an actual house but not until after my grandmother was born.

I called them “Nana and Banddad.” Here they are, floating in their flat-bottom boat. I love how Nana looks lovely and poised, working on her sewing while Banddad fishes! ~shared by @kcarson11