MISSING CLIMBERS ON MT HOOD, OREGON…

This headline is not new news. These guys have been missing for several weeks. The three climbers, from Texas and New York, were experienced at conquering mountains much larger than Mt Hood, at 11,243 feet elevation. It was unusual that they should attempt to climb the north face of Mt Hood in December, as we frequently have many ice storms and high winds on the mountain in December. One man has been found deceased. Apparently he had dislocated his shoulder and his two buddies left him in an ice cave about 300 feet below the summit, to strike out for help. They have not been heard from or found. It is an unforgiving mountain.

This Wednesday afternoon, my son and grand-daughter-of-the-heart made our way to Timberline Lodge to go skiing. Timberline Lodge is a beautiful place, located at 6000 feet elevation on the South slope of Mt Hood; www.timberlinelodge.com.

At a place less than 4000 feet elevation we had to stop along the road and install tire chains on my 4WD, 2004 Dodge Crew Cab, before we could proceed. The traffic was heavy. Apparently, most everyone else had the same idea to ski that we had!

As we neared the top, the snow was falling heavily. The wind had picked up on the upper East side of the mountain and was whipping up the snow so bad that we could barely see the road. The parking lot was crowded, but we managed to find a spot as far away from the Lodge as we could. We put on our ski pants, sweaters, coats and gloves to protect us from the cold. The ski goggles came in very handy because the hard blowing snow stung our faces like tiny needles.

The near “white-out” conditions made it difficult to see very far. At times, visibility was only a few feet. Naturally, we chose not to ski under these conditions as we could become disoriented or “lost” (it’s hard for a guy to say that word!). Instead we walked up the hill to the main Lodge and went inside to look around, opting to “wait out” the storm until it cleared a little or to go back home without ever skiing at all.

The white-out got me to thinking about the missing climbers and how the search parties looking for them could have been within only a few feet away and never saw them. The conditions were much worse on the North face, with 80 MPH winds blowing into their faces. The searchers must have been roped together in order to not become “lost” themselves! What courageous men they were to confront the odds and brave the elements in order to help strangers!

We did manage to find a window of opportunity and ski for a couple of hours before the lift closed for the night. We had a great, but short, time skiing!

After turning in our rented equipment and hiking back down the parking lot to the ice covered black Dodge truck, we proceeded to warm up and clear the windshield. As I started the motor and warmed the heater, I looked up and noticed my outside temperature gauge read 18 degrees. No wonder Alyssa’s cheeks were rosy!

What can you say about the “DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS”?

* It’s GREAT to be back to work!

* We can stop listening to Christmas Music and go back to the same old beer drinking, trailer stealing, bar hopping, divorce dealing, gutter girls and who done me wrong songs we so much love to hear!

* Huge sales on valuable stuff we forgot to buy last week!

* Standing in lines to return valuable stuff we got for Christmas presents!

* Saying goodbye to all the visiting relatives!

* Recovering from “O-D-ing” on Fudge, Peanut Brittle, sinfully chocolaty layered cakes, stacks of pies, brownies and sweets of all colors and flavors!

* Preparing for the annual New Year’s bash!

* Getting a head start on our New Year’s Resolution List!

* Dieting………seriously dieting!

* Trying to figure out how we’re going to pay for last week!

* Dreading the arrival of the 4th of July when they start playing Christmas Songs all over again!

Yes, it seems like it comes earlier and earlier every year. I dread to hear the first advertisement of the Christmas season when they start singing their products to the tune of Christmas Songs! Fortunately, there is much time to pass before we reach that day and it’s time to focus in other holiday directions!

But, it is UNFORTUNATE that much time will pass before we can get another paid holiday off! Valentine’s Day, for some reason, just can’t muster the clout needed to become a National Holiday! Totally a Bummer (to mix two generations of slang).

For now, all we can do is pray for a deep snow where everything closes down for a day or two!

All I want for Christmas is a Root Canal….

Wednesday afternoon I reclined in the Dentists’ chair while a masked man with noisy tools began working inside my mouth. He kept saying, “Open wider….wider….wider” as if I could actually DO that! It appeared that my lower jaw tooth was “dead”, as he had previously tested it with an instrument that did electrical prodding. He wasn’t certain his prod tool was working until his lovely masked assistant told him to try it on a good tooth; which he did! As I came down off the ceiling I said, “Yes, the tool is working!”

So with the tooth being “dead” the masked man thought he would try the drilling part without pain killer; which he proceeded to do. We were fine the first couple of inches; then he struck a nerve! Yes, a live nerve! He said, “Okay, so there’s some life left in that one…but I can’t understand why”. At the same time, his lovely masked assistant was preparing a syringe of Cobra venom, or something, which would paralyze my face.

The needle was looooong and ominous. He began telling me to do the “open wider” part until it cut off the air supply to my lungs and I had trouble breathing. He went away and soon returned to inquire about the tingling feeling. I could still feel my face but my ear was beginning to hurt. As I rubbed my ear he asked if it hurt and what about my lip. I told him my lip still had feeling, but I had lost it to my ear lobe. I told him that the needle went so deep that it came out in my ear. He didn’t think that was possible. I told him I had no feeling in my ear lobe and asked if he could go ahead and pierce my ear and sell me an earring.

After more drilling, the masked man struck another nerve and, of course, I jumped like the weenie that I am. He said “whoa” and removed the drill, only to pick up a small sharpened probe and poke the uncovered nerve. Another, more serious, jump this time confirmed his suspicions that a second nerve occupied the “bad” tooth. At that point the lovely masked assistant handed him another syringe of Cobra venom and we waited some more.

By now my face was so numb a rat could chew it off and I wouldn’t feel a thing! A few more days of drilling and another 3 or 4 inches of excavation and we had arrived. He took a couple of X-rays along the way, packed the long root and smoothed it over. He told me it looked good and sent me on the way by telling me to be sure to call him at home if my face started swelling up.

I’m pretty sore today but my face looks like mine.

Merry Christmas 2006

Dear Friends & Family,
Each year I am amazed at how the past 12 months have flown by. It’s December already! Now, you know what that means!? Yes, the coveted, Christmas Letter. It’s the way to communicate, often because we didn’t communicate!
Debby & I celebrated our 35th Anniversary in January, rather quietly, with a few friends. She was very busy planning our 3-week trip to Europe! So following the intensive planning and creating an itinerary, we flew out of Portland just before school turned out. We met up with Ron & Nancy Pinkerton in NYC and shared a plane to Rome, Italy for 4 days in a Villa. We visited many wonderful sights in Rome, Florence, Venice, Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirken (German Bavaria…you know, oom pah pah, lederhosen, Wiener Schnitzel, bratwurst, yodeling, etc.), Frankfurt, Darmstadt (where I spent 2 years in USAF), a quick day trip to Innsbruck, Austria, then a week in Paris with a visit to Normandy. Flying back from Paris, we stopped in NYC for 2 days to enjoy the sights, sounds and graffiti. You can read about it in my blogs.
My daughter, husband and the 3 are doing okay, although it’s been hard for them. Our grand-daughter continues to run away, often gone weeks at a time before she is found and returned. No one seems to be able to “fix her”. Today she is home (I think). She is only 14.
Our youngest grandson is 11 and is doing okay. He has been out of school so much this year that I’m thinking about giving him an application to work at Taco Bell !
Our heartbreak this year is worrying about Aaron, our oldest grandson (13). He was diagnosed with Leukemia this year and has been undergoing Chemo Therapy treatments. The treatments have been hard on him but he has a great attitude and stays positive. The treatments will last another 2 ½ years. Please keep him in your prayers.
Eric moved to Texas to work for Sherwin-Williams in an assistant manager training position. He has an apartment, car and freedom! Matt continues to work for Oklahoma Christian University; still travels a lot. He recently returned from a cruise with several friends and had a great time. He is also coming home for Christmas. The Lord willing, all of us will be together for Christmas this year.
Debby is sharing her First Grade teaching responsibilities at Columbia Christian School with her co-teacher, Ami. They each teach half a week. It’s a great working relationship and frees her up to do other interests. She loves Columbia Christian School and will have a hard time retiring someday! She’s not ready yet, because she wants “Dawson” to be in her class! She flew back to the mid-west a couple of times this year to be with her Mom & Dad as they were going through some health issues. Debby & I enjoy traveling to various places and enjoying our “empty nest” time together.
I am still working for a Mechanical Contractor as Service Manager. I turned 60 this year and plan to retire in 2 more! Yea! I am still active and healthy. I enjoy the great outdoors and find time to do plenty of hiking and backpacking in this part of the country. We have lots of friends and are very busy with extended family and friends. Dawson, our grandson” (Ami’s) turned 2 this year! Whoa!! He’s BUSY! He’s also a wonderful blessing to us. They have 3 other boys.
We continue to be very active in church. As an elder, I am busy with more things than I can talk about. We have been having a Bible Study in our home. We facilitate a “Homebuilder’s” marriage class of 6 of the most amazing couples! We also host a wonderful “Care Group” of 12. We meet nearly every Sunday at noon. We all bring food and share together, family style. We spend time writing encouragement cards to people who have expressed a need for prayers at church and for those going through family health struggles. Our “Fellowship Group” of 6 meets monthly, inviting 6 others each time to join us for dinner. Our “Leadership Group” of 24 (soon to be 26) meets monthly to fellowship and eat together. We are very encouraged! We both teach classes and serve at church in many ways. It’s all good! We have no family out here who wants to share in our life, so we supplement with those who do!
My backpacking venture on the Wonderland Trail around part of Mt. Rainier this summer was the most amazing trip I’ve ever taken! (See my blog). I had a crew of 8 backpackers this year. We had a wonderful experience.

Natasha, a local college student has “adopted” us and lives with us while going to school. She is a lot of fun and keeps us entertained. We have been chosen to be her guardians while she goes to Cascade College. We’re proud of her! She breaks up the silence when it gets too quiet around the house and we try to encourage her in her school work.
God has been gracious and we are filled with an abundance of His blessings. Even with all the “not so good” things that happen, we can always open our eyes and see “the blessing” that God gives us. We hope your hearts are also filled.

May the Spirit of Christmas dwell in your hearts. May the gift of Blessings be yours in abundance. May God hold you in the palm of His hand, near His heart, as He cares for you and blesses your children.

Insect Repellant…

Growing up in NW Arkansas on a 360 Acre farm provided 5 kids with plenty of land to run around on. The Ozarks is an area of rolling hills, small mountains, lakes, streams, caves and cool stuff like wild Plums, Muskadine Grapes, Persimmons, and Hickory Nuts. We loved to explore the old abandoned homesteads, weathering farm implements, and natural cold springs while searching for animals, birds, reptiles and every sort of living creature we could find. As we grew older, it was common for us to hunt Squirrels and Rabbits and to have Mom cook them for our supper table, as we lived rather meager lives. We never had much money but we did raise most all our food supplies on that land.

The one thing I remember the most; the single most things that stand out in my mind were the biting insects; the Ticks and Chiggers. We hated those critters with a passion! The Seed Ticks were a serious infringement upon our comfort! It was very common to brush our leg against a single blade of grass and be set upon by a few hundred Seed Ticks in a bunch! The ticks would attach themselves together in a big ball and transfer themselves in unison from the grass to our leg as we brushed by. At that point, they would begin crawling in all directions to find themselves a place to dig in and start feeding!

Someone told us about a certain plant, a “magic weed” that grew on our property in a certain location that was great at repelling insects. Once we learned that, we would make that our first stop on the way to hunting or exploring. The plant was a certain style, one we could recognize if it was to grow anywhere else. But, it didn’t seem to grow anywhere else than down the hill from our house, next to the big Oak Tree, not far from the Barn.

We would pluck some of the leaves, crush them in our hands, and then rub that on our pants and all over us. We used to “test” the leaves by brushing against a glob of Seed Ticks and letting them get on our pants. They would immediately crawl off and drop off our pants very quickly. Large Ticks would do the same. With this “poultice” on us, we never concerned ourselves with Chiggers, as well. Chiggers are small, tiny pin-prick-size of a red colored critter that loved to suck blood like the ticks! These things were so tiny that you could barely see them if you had GOOD eyes! They lived in the grass and loved to bite. They would itch us like crazy!! So we were never able to lie around in the grass and relax, or wrestle with each other, or pick the sweet, juicy Blackberries without ending up with a few dozen itchy bumps.

Over the years I’ve often thought about that “magic weed” and how it was a naturally effective insect repellant. We have long since moved away from the old homestead. The new owner built a Turkey raising empire on the old place. Turkey’s tend to pick the vegetation clean, as so many are raised in such a small enclosure. I don’t know if they have picked the ground clean around that old Oak Tree, but I’m certain so much has changed with the land; trees have died off, new ones sprout up and take over in a few years and alter the land so much that this old guy would never be able to go back to find the “magic weed”. Perhaps a marketing fortune awaits a young entrepreneur who, someday, discovers the secret of the “magic weed”.

NATASHA...

It sounds like a Russian name, doesn’t it? I tease her about “Boris” and “Rocky and Bullwinkle” (young folks might not know who they are). But Tasha lives with us and goes to college. We are her guardians and take an interest in her welfare.

Our church had a Family Retreat recently at Camp Yamhill. One of our fun activities is “Campfire”. We have kids and adults who perform skits, just to entertain and have fun together. Tasha and I did a skit called “Generations”. She speaks a language of today’s young people, using slang terms unusual to my generation. Even some of my slang terms have a completely different meaning in today’s slang, so we have to be careful what we say!

I conceived an idea for our skit because I strain to understand her language sometimes; words like “snap”, “stellar”, “what’s up”, “chillin’ like a villain”, “stoked”, “tight” and “whatever”. So we wrote a “Talk with Tasha” skit…..she wrote her part and I wrote my part, to try to show the audience how much differently we are, yet, in our own era, the same. She spoke in “her language” and I spoke in the slang of the 50’s and 60’s…my era. I don’t have her part to share with you, but here is mine….

“The word from the bird is you are cool for an ankle biter. Sometimes you’re such a bug, but I know it’s only a bit. I know we have issues about your locks and threads but that’s not always close. Your nest is okay and for the most part you are unreal. You razz my berries when you go ape and flip over a flick. Sometimes you’re nuggets, but you’re earthbound and classy. You don’t play the sounds too loud and you take care of the sides….I like that. You’re not a wet rag or take part in submarine races like some nosebleed; I’m hip with that.

I appreciate the fact that you like killing time with me; I think you are a kick! I don’t have to worry about you hanging, or making out with some groady greaser in the backseat of his jacked up machine, or screaming down the street doing wheelies in some ivy leaguers rocket rod looking over his shoulder for the heat. Stay away from those shucksters! I realize my tank don’t always agitate the gravel, but she’s cherry. I can still blow off most of the Clyde’s on the block. We fire up a mean bent eight; she goes flat out on the stretch and we collect the pinks! My chariot can still lay a patch like a make out. My mirror warmer might look kooky, but it’s the most and she don’t nod. When I pop the clutch and punch her, she’s off the line like a Deuce; cookin like a dolly; it’s fat city to cream the jelly rollers out there, for sure!

It’s great to shoot the breeze with you. I get smog in the noggin sometimes, but you’re a gas to chew the fat with and I don’t have to be pretentious. We’re tight. You don’t have a cow or freak out when I ground you for hanging with some hodad gremmie on the sand patting his pomade and coming home after dark thirty! You’re in the pad on time; not playing back seat bingo like your hoodlum friends. That puts me on cloud 9. Once in a while I have trouble understanding what you say but you’re a big tickle with more jets than most! I think we dig each other enough to have these great father/daughter talks and come to a full understanding of how we feel about things. Do you need any bread?? I can always spare a couple of skins or even a fin for my little paper shaker. What do you say? Wanna split?”

English language is HARD!

I live with a teenager college student who loves to talk. I do believe that her niche in life would be in advertising. I can easily picture her as the one who reads the disclaimer paragraph at the end of each advertisement. Those people have to be very fast as the company can afford to waste money on airtime!

I oftentimes deal with people who are not from my neck of the woods and clear conversation becomes an issue. I was reminded of that this morning as I met with an inspector to discuss an issue relating to the installation of a water heater. This particular inspector has been doing this line of work for the State Department for several years. In his mind, communication is not an issue. His native country is Russia, as is his native language. His use of the American language is limited and, I must admit, oftentimes, frustrating to those of us trying to understand what he’s talking about!

Learning to speak American English is not the complete issue. It is necessary for us to deal with the accent and the proper use of the language, at the same time. It’s intriguing to listen to his choice of words to describe his thoughts, as he mixes them with broken English.

I got to thinking about those who teach English as a second language. Doing some research, I discovered how hard it must be for a foreigner to learn our language, especially to attempt to use it properly. Here are some things to consider:

We must polish the Polish furniture.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The soldier decided to desert in the desert.
This was a good time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
They were too close to the door to close it.
They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
After a number of injections my jaw got number.
Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
The singer had to record the record.
Will you be able to live through a live concert?

Now, if you think that’s hard to understand, try this one:

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Sometimes I can’t understand what people are saying. After this research, I’m convinced neither does anyone else! Why don’t ‘everbody’ just ‘talk Southern’?

The day before Thanksgiving, 1969
11/26/69: “I’m sitting inside a dirty room in Cam Ranh Bay. It isn’t the greatest place in the world but it is quiet, at least as far as a war is concerned. The night sounds consist of the singsong voices of the South Vietnamese mingled with restless GI’s, and a howling wind. It’s very sandy in this part of the country. The base sits on the edge of the South China Sea and it seems as if it’s sandy beaches stretches inland for miles. The wind continues to carry the sand along with it! It’s even inside the rooms and our beds! It’s very uncomfortable. The night air is very cool, almost cold. I doubt very seriously if my single sheet is sufficient. My friend and I are stuck here for the night because we weren’t able to get a plane farther north. There’s a chance we can get one tomorrow noon, but a slim one! What a way to spend Thanksgiving Day!
Note: An interesting thing happened here. I arrived in Cam Ranh Bay pretty much completely broke…barely had a dime to my name. With my Pay Records going to Phu Cat it would be hard to get the AF to give me some money to tie me over until payday. But I decided to take a chance and see if they could do something. I went to the finance office and told the guy behind the desk what I wanted. He asked my name and service number. I gave it to him. He made a note of it and then went to a large file cabinet to check my pay records. I reminded him that I was just traveling through here and that my pay records would be in Phu Cat. He didn’t listen much and said even less. All at once I was surprised to see him pull out a file on me and go through it. It contained my pay records! I couldn’t believe it. He said the records shouldn’t be here but they were. So it seems as if I really lucked out on this one because my pay would really have been messed up in Phu Cat come payday! Without records it’s hard to get any money out of them. Also, I was able to get my money to tie me over. In fact, I got a whole month’s pay because the last time I had any money was before I left Germany in August!
11/27/69: “I arrived in Phu Cat this afternoon about 5:00.
I went to the mailroom and already had mail!! I hear the sound of small arms fire off in the distance. Today is Thanksgiving Day. It’s about to come to a close. It didn’t seem like much of one, even though I did have a turkey dinner. Phu Cat is a bit different than Cam Ranh Bay. There’s no blowing sand here. It’s much cooler here; in fact it’s too cold. As I look over my right shoulder I see flares going off in the distance. Even though I hear the sounds of rifle fire in the same area, it’s kind of quiet here. The base hasn’t been hit for about 2 months now. I hope it continues to be quiet. It’s a little foggy tonight. I hear the rain starting to fall on the tin roof of our barracks. I hope the wind doesn’t start to blow in.”

I can identify with our men in Iraq; being far away from home during the Thanksgiving holidays. They would love to be home with their families; perhaps in a room full of family, with a cozy fireplace and the smell of wonderful food cooking in the oven.

I ran across this funny quip I want to share with you. I realize that war isn’t funny (perhaps more than you do) but where there’s no band, sometimes you have to make your own music…

AC NEWS: Redneck Special Forces....

The Pentagon announced today the formation of a new 500-man elite fighting unit called the United States Redneck Special Forces. These Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri,Oklahoma, North and South Carolina, Tennessee & Texas boys will be dropped off into Iraq. They have only been told the following facts about terrorists:
1. The season opened today.
2. There is no limit.
3. They taste just like chicken
4. They don't like beer, pickups, country music or Jesus.
5. They are DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the death of Dale Earnhardt.
We expect the problem in Iraq to be over by Friday.

May the joys of the Thanksgiving Holiday be yours! May you be comforted as you bask in the safety of a free Nation, protected by young men serving our Armed Forces at home and in foreign lands.

Ragged Old Flag

......a poem by Johnny Cash (and me).

I walked through a county courthouse square.
On a park bench, an old man was sittin’ there.
I said, “Your old court house is kinda run down”.
He said, “Naw, it’ll do for our little town”.

I said, “Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
And that’s a ragged old flag you got hangin’ on it”.
He said, “Have a seat”, and I sat down;
“Is this the first time you’ve been to our little town?”
I said, “I think it is”.

He said, “I don’t like to brag,
but we’re kinda proud
Of that Ragged Old Flag”.

“You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
“And it got power burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it, writing, ‘Say Can You See’.

It got a bad rip in New Orleans,
With Packingham and Jackson tugging at its seams.
And it almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on, though.

“She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag.

“On Flanders Field in WW I
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun.
She turned blood red in WW II.
She hung limp, and low, a time or two.
She was in Korea and Vietnam;
She went where she was sent
By her Uncle Sam.

(Added by me:
“She flew high across Desert Storm.
When 9-11 hit, she carried a new form.
Across Afghanistan, in a whirlwind of fire
She waved on for freedom
As we held her up higher.

“Now it’s Iraq that’s taking its toll
With the terrorists’ struggle,
But she calls, ‘Let’s roll’.)

“She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
And now they’ve about quit wavin’ her back here at home.
In her own good land here she’s been abused,
She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused,
And the government, for which she stands,
is scandalized across the land.

“And she’s getting thread bare, and she’s wearin’ thin
But she’s in good shape, for the shape she’s in.
‘Cause she’s been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.

So we raise her up every morning
And we take her down every night.
We don’t let her touch the ground
And we fold her up right.

“On second thought, I do like to brag;
‘Cause I’m mighty proud of that
Ragged Old Flag."
***************
As we approach Veteran's Day 2006, I feel a sense of patriotism swelling up inside of me. I wanted to repost this poem because I take pride in our American Flag and our Country. I know we have many problems; many people are dissatisfied with the way things are, yet, at the same time, many of us adapt and make the best of things.

It pains my heart to hear the roar of change. Thousands of new people come into our Country every year. It seems like many of them want to change our land into their "old country" ways. The winds of change appear to be driving dark clouds in our direction.

Where is the pride in protecting "our ways", that were established by our forefathers?

SASSAFRAS TEA

As a kid growing up on a 360 acre farm about 25 miles from nowhere, there wasn’t a lot of things we could do to get into much trouble. Naturally we had the usual brother-bickering back and forth but brothers do that, you know. Three of us grew up together, stair-stepped 2 years apart, so we had plenty of opportunity to scuffle with each other. But other than that, we stayed pretty mellow; not having much free time to get into mischief; unless, of course, you consider that my older brother by 6 years found ways to make it hard on the rest of us. For instance, him and his hoodlum buddies bringing in cigarettes and teaching me how to smoke ‘em. I definitely got into trouble with Mom on that one! I don’t know if she ever told Dad or not, but I do remember pleading with her not to tell him! I promised I would never do it again……..and I didn’t until I turned 19.

I do remember a lot of things about the hot summer days; the way we used to play in the grown-up thickets and pastures. I recall the times we would take a roll of Binder Twine and use it to make a fort in the Sassafras thickets. Now, Binder Twine was a fuzzy cord of sisal rope material that was used in the process of baling hay. Later, Baling Wire was more common due to its increased strength over the twine. Apparently, we had a few rolls of the twine left over from Grandpa’s hay baling days, or perhaps it just found its way home from someone else’s farm. At any rate, we found a use for it.

Sassafras was a plant/bush/tree depending upon when you saw it. It could grow as high as 70 or 80 feet. The trees would send out root runners along the ground and occasionally send a small shoot upward to form a new tree. These plants grew wild and thrived in the Arkansas climate. We would find 4 or 5 growing in an area and that’s what we used for the 4 corner posts of our Fort. As we encircled the posts several times, similar to building a fence, we created a support for our “poles”. We would cut small bushes and limbs and weave them vertically in the twine fence and thus, give us an enclosure that kept us “safe” and free from being seen by the “enemy”. Ironically, our nearest neighbor was over a mile away. Their son, Paul, was my age. He wasn’t really the kind of kid who would hike over a mile to “spy” on me in the hot Arkansas sunshine.

We didn’t know much about Sassafras, except that the older folks made Tea from its root bark after a drying process. Sassafras Tea was popular, although I can’t recall Mom making it. She was always making Lipton tea. It sure tasted good in those days. It wasn’t the tea bags like we have today. It came in a box with the Lipton label; inside were sealed dried tea leaves, chopped and crumpled, waiting on a boiling tea pot of hot water to bring out the smell and flavor we remember.

But little did we know about Sassafras. Who would have thought that all that time we played amongst the bushes of death? The FDA banned Sassafras oil because it was a high cause of cancer in certain tests they performed.

In the 16th Century, Tobacco and sassafras (two cancer causing death plants) were the most important early medicinal plants in America. The plant takes a while to fruit, but when it does dark blue, pea-size berries rest atop a bright red peduncle. From the profile, the fruit and peduncle looks like a small ice cream cone.
Sassafras is aromatic, giving off a fragrance somewhere between that of oranges and vanilla. The fragrance comes from safrole. Safrole is highly concentrated in the roots. The Cherokee Indians used it to cure anything from VD to being overweight. In 1963 it was determined that it caused cancer in rats. They claimed that just a few drops of the Safrole oil could kill a child. I guess we shouldn’t have been sniffing and chewing on the dried roots!
I find it ironic that living on a remote chunk of land in Arkansas, assuming that we were out of harms way, except for an occasional deadly snake encounter, that what we thought to be harmless, was just as deadly, yet provided hours of peaceful entertainment for 3 boys with imagination.

Funny

thing

about LAUGHING…….

You can’t help yourself!
It’s impossible to hold back!
It stretches your face!
Your eyes squint half closed!
You make this weird cackling sound!
Sometimes your eyes water so much you start to cry!
You jiggle like jelly!
Often makes you bend over!
Sometimes you do the knee-slapper thing!
Sometimes you lay down and roll over like Rover, holding your belly like your insides are coming out while your roar with joy.

Laughing is supposed to be good for the soul. It’s like a healing balm to the inner most parts of your body. Some say that those who laugh often are physically healthier. There are those serious faces out there who seldom laugh at anything. If they do, it’s usually something they say themselves!

People who laugh are more fun to be around. Who wants to sit there and visit with “sour grapes”? People are drawn to the crowd over in the corner who laughs out loud. They want to see what’s going on and to be a part of the joy!

I always enjoy a good laugh. I’m not what you would call a “belly-laugher” so much. I do enjoy funny jokes and stories, as well as the next guy. Sometimes my humor is dry and you have to be listening closely to “get it”. I think I got that from my Mom’s side. My Uncle Dean was always funny! His son, Mike, inherited his Dad’s wit and humor. I suppose that’s my source, but I’m not sure. It’s certainly not from my Mom or Dad or Grandma or Grandpa on Dad’s side.

I was trying to download a Permit Form from the City of Longview, Washington the other day and ran across some funny reasons to tax people! It has always been intriguing to see inventive ways that Cities and Counties across the country have made laws that affect our lives in a funny, but costly, way. This is dry type humor that makes me smile.

Did you know that in the City of Longview, to have a school auction you have to get a License ($30) and the teacher who is the Auctioneer must pay $25?

If you want live music at your Cabaret, you must pay $10?

Dance Permits are required within the City Limits, including Teenage Dances. $10 per dance.

You must have a Circus License if you want to have a Circus……I wonder if this applies to the City Government….?

You have a Jukebox? The Jukebox Tax is $30.

Your political sign in your yard will cost you $50, but you get it back when you remove the sign!

How about a Sound Truck License for $5? I wonder if that applies to Rap Music from the kid in the car next to yours.

Want to have a Tupperware Party in Longview? Get a Special Sales License!

Want to be a Taxi Driver in Longview? It will cost you $3 per year!

I think Longview should vote on a Bureaucrat Tax and gig ‘em for $10 for each event, each hand wave, and each time their lips move!

That’s the way I see it……..

I love to hike...

I wish I had discovered the joys of hiking and backpacking years ago! I remember hiking around the Mt Hood area and Lost Lake years ago. Somehow I failed to be impressed with how much fun it was!

I am not a "loner" hiker. Where's the fun in hiking by yourself? Things discovered need to be shared with others. I enjoy the backpacking adventures with my friends, no doubt about that! But I really enjoy hiking with my woman. She's beginning to work towards more hiking adventures. Although we need to keep them short and fun, (there are no "potties" in the woods), she manages to impress me with her strength.

We conquered Lost Lake Butte this summer. I admired her for doing that one! I also think she was proud of herself for not giving up when she thought about it! I was!

Last week for my birthday, she booked us a 3rd floor suite at Bonneville Hot Springs Resort. Our balcony had a Hot Tub on the deck that looked out towards a secluded wooded view of the Fall colored hills. The Hot Tub was filled with hot springs water that felt wonderful. I spent a lot of time soaking in that swirling 104 degree bath of mineral water.

We came in on Friday. She had booked me a 50 minute Swedish massage in the resort spa at 4:00. I emerged from that onslaught, I could barely walk! My body was like Jello! From there it was into the Hot Tub a while. I was so relaxed a bomb could have gone off in the courtyard and I would have barely noticed!

From there, I began to open the 60 gifts she bought for me! Yes....60!

Dinner was great, then back to the suite for more Hot Tubbing. I slept like a baby. Breakfast came after two more Hot Tub soakings. They had the BEST Bacon......

We checked out at noon and drove West on Highway 14. We stopped at Beacon Rock where we decided to hike to the top! Yes, my woman and I hiked to the top of Beacon Rock! Fun times!

We returned home to find a surprise birthday party awaiting for me! All my "daughters" were there to surprise me with very nice cards, hugs and food!

That evening we went to a leadership dinner where I received more "pats on the back" and great food!

It was a fine weekend......a fine day!

Oh, and yes, I turned 60.

....The best-laid plans of Mice and Men....

Have you ever had your eyes set towards a goal, only to find “roadblocks” in your way? I think back upon my life and envisioning what I wanted to be when I “grew up”. Naturally, as a kid, I wanted to be the “Fireman” or “Forest Ranger”, and even “The Lone Ranger” because that was “flashy” and seemed exciting to me. As I grew and gained much wisdom, it changed to “Mechanical Engineer”. At the time, I had no earthly idea what ME was, or why I wanted to be one. But it seemed to be the thing during those high school years. Unfortunately, I did not prepare for becoming one; yet choosing instead to bask in the warmth of the “idea”. Thus, my mental competency was a roadblock.

College didn’t work for me. I couldn’t sit still long enough to learn and I was wasting my $90 per semester tuition (big money back in those days…..or so I thought). So I decided to enter the Military and joined the Air Force. Naturally, they tried to brainwash us into thinking the USAF would make a great career. That didn’t work out too well, either! My energy was spent and I couldn’t wait to get out. I put up my own roadblock with that one! So I was honorably discharged and rejoined the civilian life. I soon found myself back in college where I quickly found that my “brain” was my roadblock. That didn’t work out, either, so I took a detour.

The single life wasn’t for me so I tossed up another roadblock, took my detour and fell in love, got married, had kids, and now I’m old. WOW! That sure went FAST!

Trying to find a career became a challenge. I worked part time in a grocery store during my high school and early college days. After the Air Force, I went back to the grocery business but found a roadblock of boredom facing me. I decided upon a Trade School to learn the building trades and enter the same skill that my father-in-law was doing. I soon found the “bridge was down” and I liked it.

People say that a person changes jobs about 7 times during his life, spanning, I think, 3 careers. I’m not sure about those numbers but it’s something like that. I’ve had 3 careers. Actually, I’m on my third one now and at my age, looks like I’ll stick it out to the end. I have worked for more employers than 7, but that’s okay.

Have you thought about your life? At what point are you in this process? Have you found roadblocks that made you turn and send you down another path? Some of us tend to bog down and try to “wait” it out. When the bridge is “up”, it’s okay enough to just sit there in our job and collect our paycheck, waiting for the bridge to come down. Sometimes it comes down; sometimes it doesn’t. How do you like your career? Would a roadblock or “bridge up” disappoint you? During my military days, I was told to “bloom where you’re planted”. I look back over my last 40 years and can confidently say that “I have”. I bloomed in all 3 of my careers. But that’s another story….

Baptized in Goat Lake

This past Saturday was a remarkable day! Austin is a senior in high school. I have been praying for him as his “Prayer Warrior” for 4 years. Two weeks ago we talked about baptism and what it means. Austin wanted me to take him into the Cascade Mountains to be baptized in a cold, snow melt fed lake called Goat Lake.

Goat Lake is located in the heart of the Goat Rocks Wilderness at almost 6,000 feet elevation. The lake appears to have been naturally created from a volcano that blew out one side and died. It is entirely filled with fresh snow every winter. Every year, from 1994 until 2002, I had never seen this lake thaw. My annual August trek to Goat Lake was usually the same sight; a thin crescent line of blue water showing along the southern edge of the lake; the remainder was snow.

The morning began at 5:00 am with a 3.5 hour drive to the trailhead near Chambers Lake in Washington. Trail 95 to Goat Lake went across Goat Ridge, through forests and hills, covered, today, with heavy fog that kept everything dripping wet. The temperature was hovering around 40 degrees and the sun peeked in and out through the dense fog to feel warm upon our faces. The higher we climbed the more sun we felt. The 12 mile round trip venture was amazingly beautiful.

Once we crossed Goat Ridge to come down the east side towards the lake, the fog disappeared for the rest of the day and we enjoyed warm, sunny weather. The October sky was clear, the air was fresh; patches of snow dotted the mountains and the Fall colors of vegetation were brilliant hues of reds, yellows, green and orange. It was beautiful!

The water was about 38 degrees! Snowmelt continued to flow into the lake creating a waterfall at the outlet that dropped several hundred feet to the valley floor below. It is always a beautiful view to see majestic Mt Adams shining in the sun.

Austin was baptized by his father; a beautiful sight. He will never forget this experience! The water was very cold, but the warmth of the Lord brought joy to both dad and son.

We began our return trip along Trail 96 for about 6.5 miles, through amazing colors on the carpeted hillside. The 3 ½ hour trip home gave us time to think about today’s event and to drift back into time, viewing events in our own lives.

I began to think about my own baptism. I was baptized in a baptistery in a little church in Kansas. I dressed in a gown, walked up the steps, down the steps, dunked in the warm water, then back up the steps and out to dry off. The end result was the same as Austin’s but his was so much more exciting!

Do you remember your baptism??

TODAY, DO ONE BRAVE THING….
THEN RUN LIKE HECK…..

I don’t consider myself a brave man. Even spending a year in Vietnam failed to do it. I was there for a reason, somewhat like I’m here for a reason. It was a job, a duty, a place to be for a period of time in my life.

Taking on certain tasks in life don’t make me feel brave either. Sometimes, following some daring feat, I look back and would, perhaps, consider it as being “stupid”, but never brave.

I believe that the brave were ordinary people, placed in a position of responsibility that, under extreme circumstances, caused them to rise to the top instead of cutting and running. In certain situations, where bravery is required we could find ourselves doing things that, even we don’t understand. Sometimes the mind becomes cloudy and the adrenal gland kicks in causing a reaction that amazes the best of us! Next thing we know, someone is patting us on the back and saying what a brave thing you did!

Looking back on my life, I can’t actually think of one brave thing I did. In Vietnam, I was awarded 4 Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross. I found out that the DFC is the 8th medal from the top in the rank of importance. But what I did to receive that was ordinary work that I did everyday. It wasn’t like saving a child from the mouth of a Lion or the claws of a Bear. I never jumped into the semi-frozen river to rescue a drowning victim. I never foiled a kidnapping attempt or tackled a shooter bent on killing innocent people. I never rescued anyone from the path of an oncoming car or truck. I never saved any comrades under enemy fire or rescued a distressed child in a burning building.

I believe that most of us are in the category of doing non-brave things; going about our lives, being ordinary, sometimes being stupid, yet remaining outside the spotlight, doing our thing that we call “normal”. I do love to hear about brave things that people do. Like the lady in the news around here a few weeks ago…..

A woman, a nurse, returning home from work, at night, walked into her house and was confronted by a man with a hammer, bent on using it on her head, I suppose. Apparently, the woman’s husband had hired this man to kill his wife. However, she desperately fought back and ended up strangling the man.

It’s interesting how adrenaline can kick in so powerfully that it enables us to become stronger, braver and better than a normal person. The killer became the killed in this case. It seems like a brave thing to me, but on the other hand, she was fighting for her life; thrust into a position of doing something beyond the ordinary.

Perhaps YOU have been thrust into the “bravery spotlight” in your life. I, for one, enjoy hearing about those things. I also believe you deserve a medal.

Vehicle purchase update…..

The “politics” of car buying became frustrating to the point that I gave up on salesmen. I tried working with “internet sales” and they weren’t much better. I’m not too keen on smoke and mirrors business anyway. It becomes so confusing and makes a sensible purchase become “suspect”. I didn’t know if I was getting a good deal or not.

I finally figured out the best way to purchase a vehicle. It was very simple. The answer is to not use a car salesman to make your purchase! I decided to investigate the market and spent a few weeks looking through “cars for sale” flyers and newspaper ads. First of all I decided on the kind of vehicle I wanted; make, model and year, as well as price range. Then I went on the internet and did a search of the vehicle I wanted. I poured over several ads, looking at the options for the price and came up with an appropriate price range for the vehicle I wanted. From there I began searching for the same thing closer to my home so I wouldn’t have additional shipping or driving expenses to get it home.

My favorite place to go back to, over and over, until the one I wanted appeared, was “Craig’s List”. I discovered that http://www.portland.craigslist.org/ was the best place to look. I found the very truck I wanted at a price of $4,000 less than I had thought I would pay because the owner was anxious to sell and the truck had higher miles than usual, but fine for me and my occasional use. It was a 2004 Dodge 1500 4x4 Quad Cab, black, loaded for $14k.

I also discovered that Craig’s List is nationwide and appears in most major cities. It might even be in yours! Check it out! There’s much, much more than autos at this site. A friend of mine got a big, above-ground, rectangle, 4 feet deep swimming pool, complete with a Redwood Deck around 2/3rds of it……FOR FREE!! It was only 2 or 3 years old and in perfect condition! If you are looking for something specific, it’s a great place to start.

So now, I’m a truck owner, driving a big truck that friends say, “Boy! That’s a big truck!”

Well, I guess it is.

It’s OCTOBER

I have not posted anything for a while for a number of excuses. One day runs into the next so fast that a long time passes in a short amount of time.

I do want to give an update on Aaron. He is in good spirits for going through such difficult times. The chemo therapy treatments have been extremely hard on this little guy, but he’s been a Trooper! Through the nausea, the shaking, the dizziness, the pain and all of the other physical abnormalities that come with having your body injected with gallons with Leukemia killing chemicals, his spirit of joy still comes through and shines brightly.

This particular day, a Clown came through the Ward and stopped in to visit with Aaron. He showed him a new card trick and gave him some gifts. The clown hat covered his bald head and the “red nose” gave him an air of distinction associated with the trade. As he put them on and began to “clown around” I snapped his picture and made it “wall paper” on my Cell Phone.

The Clown gave him a long Peacock feather and showed him how to balance it on the end of his finger, which Aaron took delight in showing us.

He was quick to show everyone his new card trick as they came into his room. Even though his eye lids remained half open, he managed to work up a few smiles and amuse those of us who needed to be amusing HIM.

He enjoys kidding around with his nurses. While I sat watching, a nurse came in and started giving him pain killing injections into his “port tube” and something to take away his nausea. Aaron asked to listen into the Stethoscope she wore around her neck. He put it on and she showed him his heartbeat…..he wanted to listen to hers. She showed him his bowels working, the growling noises of the gastric intestinal noises, and he wanted to listen to hers. She let him. He told her that she might be “busy” in a couple of hours and chuckled about it.

He is in his third month of 36 months of chemo. May God give him strength to continue….

Grandpa

Car Buying
…..is very similar to Hiking in the Pacific Northwest.

1. It takes PLANNING. You can’t go without some kind of preparation; survival is important!
2. You need to know it’s going to TAKE ALL DAY.
3. You need to PACK A LUNCH.
4. You might ENCOUNTER A BEAR…..so watch out!
5. It’s going to TAKE MUCH OF YOUR ENERGY. Prepare for mental fatigue!
6. Carry a “map” because otherwise, you might “get lost” or become confused.
7. Be prepared for the “blood suckers” who try to have you for lunch!

I was considering trading in my ’97 Taurus SHO sedan and buying a Pickup Truck. Now we all know that every guy needs his truck! So this past Saturday, without fully considering points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, my Honey and I went out and began looking for “something” in a pickup, new or used. I bought the morning newspaper and scanned through the big auto sales ads. This might be my lucky day because there are some very impressive factory rebates on new 2006 vehicles!

Ron Tonkin was the first and funniest place we visited. The salesman who came out to talk to me was a young man with little training or knowledge. I asked him the prices for 2 or 3 trucks, as there was no sales sticker on the new 2006 Chevy that set on the lot next to a new 2007, except for the original sticker from a year and a half ago. After inquiring about the price, the young man went in and brought back a #7 who began to ask me what I would pay for it. Then he wanted to know if I would buy it if we agreed on a price. I told him I had two other places to go visit before I made a purchase. At that point, he told me the price would be the old price on the window and walked off. This was the same dealership where I had previously purchased a lease Pickup a few years ago. So much for repeat business!!

Murray Chevrolet in Gresham was the next stop. This is where I had bought the Taurus a few years ago. The same salesman came up to us and asked to help. We found a Dodge 1500 I really liked and took it for a spin around the block. I was impressed. It had a big price sticker on the windshield of $23k. Figuring I might get him to consider a number closer to $20k, we went in and started filling out paperwork. He made a couple of trips into see the “boss”. The “boss” came out and congratulated us on the purchase. I backed him up a few paces and reminded him we were only at the stage where we want to know about “the deal”. He told me the price I see is on the windshield is what it is. So we left. So far we’ve now wasted 4 hours.

The next stop was Gresham Dodge where I drove a Ford F150 and a Dodge 1500. Both were impressive and I decided to go for the Ford. Inside, at the negotiating table, we were served platters of chit chat between the innocent salesman and a #7, until we reached an agreed price AND my frustration limit! From there we moved into a delay mode and I needed to go. Finally, into the tiny office with the guy with the computer who proceed to type up the agreement.

His final thrust was to say that the vehicle had no warranty but that he would be willing to part with a 3 to 5 year warranty at “his cost”. We had already been approved for a line of credit at the Credit Union, so it was only a matter of paperwork. However, his figures of monthly payment were 10% higher than what the Credit Union said and he was very pushy with that; not wanting to budge.

He then suggested that I go ahead and sign the contract papers and then take the Purchase order to my Credit Union and hash it out with them, getting it refinanced in order to decrease my payments. I told him that idea sounded backwards to me! It would be my thought that I “first”, go to the CU and discuss this with them, pick up a check and bring it to the Dealer. He again suggested that I sign the contract. I suggested that we should talk with the CU first because they, apparently, made a mistake, according to him, in giving us the 10% less amount in the first place. He thought we should go to the CU and discuss the loan, but that I should go ahead and sign the contract so we could “have that out of the way”.

I asked if he would allow me to bring the truck BACK to him for a refund if the CU did not want to change the payment amount. He tried hard to avoid answering that question, but on my third try he informed me that he could not do that. (Is this where I say, “Do I look like I have “STUPID” written all over my face, or something”?)

I asked him what he would do if he were in my shoes. He said he couldn’t answer that because he wasn’t in my shoes. I told him I suspected I already KNEW the answer!

So we left. He’s called the house at least twice already asking what he can do to get my business. After such business tactics, I’m afraid to put my business into his hands, now.

I pondered all of this and got to thinking about how “Car Buying 101” would make a great College class! Each week as the class assignment, everyone would have to go to a car dealership and document their negotiating tactics. The “final exam” would be based upon how well you whittled down the sticker price! Perhaps you would get extra points for frustrating the salesman, instead of HIM frustrating YOU.

Did you ever buy a car and pay the sticker price just so you wouldn’t have to go through all the hassle?? It's TEMPTING!!

Being raised on a 360 parcel of land in NW Arkansas in the 40's and 50's, money was scarce and making a living meant hard work for everyone in the family. We rode the school bus several miles to school everyday, often having plenty of time to notice every detail along the dusty roads in our community. As soon as we were off the bus, we were running down the lane towards home, eager to see familiar sights and to tell Mom about our day at school.

The day was not over and we had tons of chores to do around the farm. We had animals to feed and water, cows to milk, eggs to gather, lawn grass to mow, rocks to pile and garden work of weed pulling, tilling and watering. It seemed never ending. Over the years the lawn kept getting larger as Dad would clear another portion of the brushy areas and make it into a lawn.

After milking the cows it was almost dark, or after, and time to go in to eat supper and take our baths. We bathed in a small round, galvanized wash tub that only a kid could get into. Mom would boil water and mix it into the tub with cold, well water. Three of us boys would use that for bathing. We never realized the importance of “going first”. In fact, we used to say things like, “No! Let him go first!” Looking back, if now I was to bathe in the same water as two other boys, I would certainly want to be first! Ha! But, I guess that’s the mindset of kids!

Following baths, we would do our homework if we had any to do. In the farming community there was probably less homework to do than in the city. The farm kids had so much to do after they got home and the teachers were encouraged to avoid taxing us with too much, as it took away time from our chores and other work. In fact, as I recall, school was out for the summer around April 20th. There is always much to do on a farm.

I was about 7 or 8 when we got electricity in our home. That was nice! The Coal Oil lamps we used, otherwise, put out a dim yellow light that we had to read by. The smell of burning oil was something we were used to. You can imagine how your family dynamics would change if you did not have electricity or batteries to use! We were no different, except that much of what’s available today was not around in the 50’s. So we never missed what we didn’t have.

We raised much of what we ate. Our garden was large enough to produce enough food to sustain our large family of seven. Mom and Granny spent many summertime hours preparing foods for canning into quart jars that would be put away in the old log house on shelves for our winter supply. We didn’t eat meat like we do today. We had a chicken on Sunday once in a while, especially when we invited someone over for dinner after church.

We did eat wild Squirrel and Rabbit in those days. To us kids, it was very good and we always found the time to hunt for our food. Dad was out of the area working as a pipeline welder, putting in Natural Gas pipe across most of Arkansas during those days. He would come home on the weekends and spend time with the family. Saturday was the day we would drive into town and do our grocery shopping for staples like flour and sugar, coffee and such. We rode in the back of Dad’s pickup and that was fun! We would always stop by our Insurance Agent’s office to do business. He was a very nice old man who always came outside to see us boys and talk to us. He kidded with us for a while then would pull out a plastic coin purse from his pocket, carefully squeeze it open and search for 3 dimes. As he removed the coins, he would ask, “Have you boys had your ice cream today?” Naturally, all three of us would say “no” at the same time, and he would hand us each a Mercury Head dime. We would be very shy but grinning like a ‘Possum in appreciation. This happened EVERY time we went into town and stopped to see him. I didn’t realize until years later, how much of an impact he had on my life! That is probably the single most act of kindness that has caused me to be generous to kids in my life today.

The reason I write this down is because I wanted to record something I had almost forgotten. During one of Dad’s Rabbit hunting trips, he took me along as a “helper”. I was just a little guy, probably 7 years old. It was winter time and we were dressed as warm as we felt like we needed to be. We were out much of the day and I was carrying the “game”, until it got too heavy, then Dad would take it from me for a while. We stopped near the old homestead property to rest. I began to get cold and shivered a few times. Dad rubbed my head and asked if I was cold. I told him I was. He removed his warm coat and put it around my shoulders. When he zipped it up, I was like toast!

I’m glad I remembered that about Dad. He passed away in 1975. Like anyone, I like to recall the good memories and bring them in for a closer look. It’s just part of the goodness we found during hard times, that we didn’t know were hard back then.

The Wonderland Trail

My backpacking trip this year was to do a section of the Wonderland Trail on Mt Rainier. As I spent time last winter pouring over a couple of maps, paying particular attention to the topographical layout of the land, trail access from secondary roads and acceptable campsites for nearly a dozen people, I decided on a 16 mile section along the east side.

My trip last year across a portion of the Goat Rocks Wilderness at Old Snowy Mountain and Elk Pass was particularly taxing and I wasn’t in the mood for a long, rugged, and tiring experience this year! With that in mind, I began to lay out the trail.

Early in the spring, I faxed a campsite request to the US Forest Service, paid my $20.00 registration fee and waited to see. It wasn’t long until I received confirmation that I had the Group Camp sites at Summerland and Indian Bar nailed down for 10 hikers.

It turned out that 8 of us began the hike on July 20, 2006 at Frying Pan Creek trailhead, east of White Creek at Sunrise entrance into the Mt Rainier National Park. We staged a vehicle at Box Canyon trailhead, the end of our 3-day trip.

It was about noon when we began a 4-mile southerly leg from Frying Pan Creek to Summerland. We took our time and allowed for fun and photos along the way. The “kids” had fun playing in the cold, snowmelt streams as we made our way higher and higher, towards the snow-covered hills around the big mountain.

The highlight of the first day was after we broke through the trees and began an ascent up the open meadow along a tree covered hillside. In a particular clearing, we watched 3 Bears doing what Bears do. Mamma Bear was foraging for food and two cubs finding more fun than food.

We continue to make our way up a steep hillside with killer switchbacks, taking photos of the most scenic area I’ve seen in Washington. The wild flowers were blooming in abundance. The Avalanche Lilies were some of the most spectacular, even rivaling last spring’s crop! The colorful Indian Paint Brush was beautiful, but not close to the beauty of those we found growing along streams on the Lily Basin Trail in the Goat Rocks last year.

Summerland Camp was a beautiful spot! The mountain was gorgeous, the weather was clear, the temperature was perfect and the water was plentiful, cold and sweet. The Group Campsite had a wonderfully made 1930’s era Adirondack of stone and logs, with a raised, plank covered floor. From our vantage point we could look down upon a rushing stream of cold, snowmelt water, snow covered hillsides, the top of Mt Rainier and lush meadows. The best part was the use of a clean toilet! That’s somewhat of a luxury in the mountains!

Brian was in Phoenix when we left Portland for Mt Rainier. He eventually arrived at the trailhead and hiked up alone to connect with us at Summerland. He wasn’t far behind us, as we took our sweet time and lingered too long in several places. Brian came into camp and began telling us the story of his encounter with a bear. Apparently, the same bear we saw had came down closer to the trail and was startled by Brian hiking briskly up the trail. The bear rose up and growled at him a warning to back off! He did. He wasn’t able to proceed until about 15 minutes had passed when the bear moved back up the hill. Naturally, Brian had no photos to prove this encounter…..but we will take his word!

We enjoyed hot meals for supper, some fun and conversation. We set up our tents inside the Adirondack as the “bugs” were beginning to bite. We hung our food sacks high up on the “bear pole”, just in case….and settled in for a good night’s rest.

Day two came with the morning sun rising on our campsite with a still quietness. I arose early to dress and go down into the nearby meadow with my camera. Ron was already up and out of his tent. As I walked along the trail towards the base of the nearby mountainside, I noticed 3 deer running in the morning sunlight. They appeared to be a Mamma and two Fawns, nearly her size. It was a beautiful and peaceful sight. I could hear Marmot whistling in the background. Each time one whistled, the deer would perk up their ears and listen, as if for danger. Ron came up behind me and we watched together as we spoke of this pristine beauty.

In a few moments we noticed a small group of mountain climbers hiking down the steep, snow covered slope towards the meadow. Later discussion with one of them informed us that they had spent the night on the higher elevation after climbing Little Tahoma Mountain the day before.

We walked back into camp and began to prepare breakfast. Most of the crew was waking by this time. Some began telling stories of the night sky and the magnificent stars they could see. I didn’t wake up until morning and wasn’t able to identify with their stories. Besides, I can’t see stars very well anymore.

We set out for Indian Bar, our next campsite around 10:30, for what we thought to be an easy 4 miles. As it turned out, that leg of our journey was more “high tech” than we ever imagined. We continued upward, mostly walking on giant snowfields, following tracks made by other hikers on previous days. It was a beautiful hike. We were finding this to be more difficult than we had imagined. At one point we lost the trail and spent an hour on a slippery slope until we relocated it much higher up on a mountain slope.

From the top of that mountainside, the rest was downhill to Indian Bar, encountering less and less snow as we descended several hundred feet to the roaring streambed far below.

A small herd of 15 or 16 Mountain Goats were enjoying the snow cover in the Panhandle Gap area. There were 6 or 7 baby goats in the herd and they seemed to particularly enjoy the snow.

We enjoyed vistas we couldn’t even imagine. The mountains were fantastic, coupled with the sounds of rushing water, falling streams of snowmelt hundreds of feet high, the whistle of Marmot and Pika, and the smell of wild flowers that grew in abundance. The snow was plentiful this time of year, yet rapidly melting in the warm sun. The vista of Indian Bar as we descended off the mountain was ever before us. It was a beautiful valley of rushing water over lava rock. The Adirondack we reserved was as pristine as the one at Summerland, except this one had “jailhouse” bunks along the walls. Most of us still set up tents with the exception of Brian, who tried out one of the bunks that night.
The two girls set up their tent along the stream that roared down the valley. It looked like a very peaceful place to be.

The next morning, our third day, we arose early and packed up as breakfast was brewing. We had 7 ½ Miles ahead of us today and wanted to make it out as early as possible. The first couple of hours gave us an 800 foot elevation gain that spilled out atop a beautiful knoll with a 360 degree view of the world, with beautiful Mt Rainier as its centerpiece.

Brian spotted a rather large heard of Elk standing out on a snowfield across the valley. We watched them through binoculars and took snapshots. We counted 61 in all. They were far away but very beautiful to see. Following our photo shoot we headed along the ridgelines for several miles then the trail dropped down into dense forest until we reached Box Canyon Trailhead.

Looking back, I believe everyone enjoyed this hike immensely. Several of our group commented about doing this one again and how this was now “the favorite”. I was very pleased with the entire experience and highly recommend this portion of The Wonderland Trail to anyone!