Roy Philip Gatch Born 27 May, 1919 at Melbeta, Nebraska. In those days women didn't go to hospitals to give birth, so I was born in the farmhouse which my father, Charles Edgar Gatch, had built in 1898. I was the last child of Lela Lovina Gatch (nee Williams). Dr. Farquhar was her doctor. I was raised on the farm near Melbeta. My father must have had good years in the early twenties. I barely remember the carbide lighting system we had. In 1926 my dad paid $1,000.00 to have the electric lines extended from G. M. Crabill's farm to our place and we had electricity. I remember our first radio- a huge Majestic Cabinet model. My dad bought a Willys Knight in 1927. It cost $1,800.00 (Fords were selling for ($650.00). It was a 4 door sedan and was very elegant for it's time. We went on a vacation that summer to Yellowstone Park. Joe Woods bought a Willys Knight too, and we traveled together. On the 4th of July we traveled through snow-cuts which were higher than the cars. Cora Mae, my older sister, and Neil, my older brother, had a snowball fight. My memories were many. The first night the ranger told us that bears would probably get in the garbage cans and to beat on pans to scare them away. Sure enough, that night we were awakened by people beating on pans. Several bears were rummaging through the garbage cans, and paid absolutely no attention to the pan beating. Next morning we discovered the bears had robbed our supply box. My Dad had made a box to bolt on the back of the car. The bear had raised the lid, ignored a package of hot- dogs, and had taken a package of bacon instead. The bears were thick around the campgrounds. They sold bear candy so people could feed the bears. I had some candy and fed several bears. I was on Fishing Bridge and a bear came across the bridge. People were lined up along the rail fishing. They didn't bother the bear at all. I thought I had some candy and reached in my pocket. The bear waited expectantly. All I found in my pocket was an empty bag. I pulled my hand out and tried to explain to the bear. He was disappointed and checked out my jacket himself. My Dad was scared to death that I would hit at the bear and get mauled. I guess I was too scared to move though, and the bear finally moved along. I remember the Handkerchief Pool, we sent a handkerchief through the pool. Currents would take the handkerchief into the interior and a few minutes later return it to you. I remember the geysers, Mammoth Terraces; I remember Yellowstone Falls--both upper and lower. It was no doubt the highlight of my young life. Scouting was one of my main activities during my growing- up years. The first activity was in the Boy Rangers of America started by Emerson Brooks. It was similar to Cub Scouts and had ranks of Brave, Hunter, and Warrior. The highest rank was H-Pa-Nac. Fred Hanich was our leader at the start and later on the preacher, A.O. Kenyon took over. It was for boys 9 years to 12 years. At age 12, I joined the Boy Scouts and attained Eagle Scout rank when I was 14. My brother Neil had started in Boy Scouts a couple of years before I did. The troop folded for lack of leadership, and Neil become a lone Scout. He was the first Lone Scout to attain Eagle rank in the Wyo-braska Council. 4-H Clubs were another activity I participated in. For three years I raised pigs and showed them at the county fair. We (Neil and I) also raised Hampshire sheep
1 which we showed at the fair. One year I had a Jersey heifer. It was the year before I went away to college. I planned to have her bred and use the money from her calves for college. She proved to be barren and was sold for beef for $50. I later used the $50 for engagement and wedding rings and said I traded my cow for a wife. In school I was considered a brain. I went through high school with a 92+% grade average. We had a small high school. We had only eight or nine boys and basketball was our primary athletic endeavor. We had a good sized gymnasium for that time. In our conference, Henry and McGrew played in old store buildings with probably 12 ft ceilings. Sunflower and Harrisburg had reasonably good gyms also. Our graduating class had two girls and five boys. I was the valedictorian and graduated in 1936 at the age of 16. (I was 17 about a month later). In our senior year track was added to our athletic program. I sent away to Sears for track shoes and visualized becoming a great quarter miler. When the shoes came I tried them out on my "track". My track was around the block in our town of Melbeta. Next morning I could hardly walk -- not being used to spikes and running on my toes, the calf muscles had rebelled and tied up in knots. The track meet was only a couple of weeks away, but I had to go back to my street shoes until my calves loosened up. I finally got to running in my track shoes but it was only a few days before the meet. Our basketball coach helped all he could but he had not been trained in track events. The day of the meet, however, he told me that I was not really geared to be a quarter miler and suggested I run the half mile instead. Five boys lined up for the event. The first lap wasn't bad, but as we went around my legs were really protesting. Down the final stretch, three of us were neck and neck. I came in third and collapsed just past the finish line. They made me walk around but my legs were like rubber. That night when I was sitting in an easy chair my legs knotted up and I had the worst muscle cramps I had ever had before or since. Moral--get your muscles in shape before a strenuous event. All my youth was spent on the farm. I went through the Great Depression (1929-1933) and the "Dust Bowl" days (1934-1935) on the farm. The farm insolated us from the Depression and while we had little money we lived off the farm. I had friends whose folks had to go on WPA and accept relief. We would go to town (Melbeta) on Saturday night. They had a free movie. The theater was outdoors between a couple of store buildings and we sat on planks, Later it was moved into an empty building. The movies were silent with subscripts. The older kids would read the subscripts for those who couldn't read. When "talkies" came to the valley, we had to go to Scottsbluff or Minatare. Scottsbluff had an elegant theater called the Egyptian. It was very ornate and had an organ which was played before the picture started. During the depression I got a nickel each Saturday for spending money. Our farm was irrigated and much of our work was associated with irrigation. In the spring we had to skin out the main ditch with shovels and get out all the weeds that would impede the water flow. During the dust bowl days, there would be days of dust flying and filling the sky. We had lamps on in the daytime it was so dark.
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It also filled up the ditches with dirt. It was particularly bad in 1935. We had to dig out the ditches completely. That was the worst drought year too. We planted our crops and watched the extreme heat shrivel them. We would irrigate, but a few days later the corn was all shriveled up again. We had over a month when the temperature never got below 100 F even at night. In the daytime it would get to 120 F. A person would sweat all night long. My Dad would get us up at 3:30 AM and we would harness up the horses and get to the fields while it was still dark. As soon as we could see, we would cultivate a few rows. The horses would be lathered with sweat by 8:00 AM and we would stop for breakfast. We couldn't go out again until nearly sundown. We always had a hired man. Then they worked for $30/month and keep. The one I remember most clearly was John Ross. He must have worked for my Dad from when I was 12 years old until I graduated and went away to college. John had been married to Eva Dutton but they had divorced. He had two sons, Evan and Frank, and a daughter, Ada. John was good with mules because he let them know right off who was boss. Herb Hanich, a former hired man had been afraid of the mules, Buck and Jennie, and they would bite at him and kick. He had to bridle them by standing in the manger. Not John -- the first day he grabbed one by the tail and said "Get over". He walked up beside Jennie, and when she reached back to bite, he brought his knee up in her belly and knocked the meanness right out of her. He was the boss after that. They did what he said and he rarely needed to use the whip. I guess I was about 13 years old when John offered me some Beechnut chewing tobacco. I took it and it tasted pretty good. It wasn't long though before my stomach rebelled and I was sick-sick-sick. It was a long time before I looked at tobacco again. We planted and cultivated with horses and mules. We raised sugar beets, beans, corn, and usually some oats or barley. We got water for irrigating on a set schedule and when we had it we irrigated day and night. We tried to make night sets that would run all night. Gophers caused some problems. If the water started down a gopher hole, it would take the water from the rows it was supposed to be irrigating. Or it might be in the head lateral and wash out the whole bank. In any case we had to block up the gopher hole, repair the damage, and start all over. We trapped gophers and Dad paid us a nickel a piece. One summer we caught over 200 of them. When I was 14 I got to join the threshing crew. Billie Dorsch had a huge old Avery tractor. The wheels were 8 feet in diameter and three feet wide. It had a top speed of two miles per hour. He would take the tractor and threshing machine around the valley and thresh the farmers’ grain. All the farmers would furnish bundle racks and spike pitchers. The farmer whose grain was being threshed would furnish the grain wagons, or later on trucks, to take the grain to the granaries or to the elevators. The women would get together and cook the meals and what meals -- Thanksgiving in August. I got to be a spike pitcher. We would pitch the bundles from the shocks up onto the bundle racks. I got $2 per day. Threshing season usually lasted for about two weeks. Later on combines took over and the threshing crews became history.
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In July every year, we had Oregon Trail Days. All the old timers, like my folks and Uncle Phil, would put on their yellow ribbons with their names and the year they arrived in the North Platte Valley. We kids particularly liked the carnival rides they had. One year two of my nieces, Velma and Elva, and I went to the carnival. We ate cotton candy and other such junk food and then went on the Merry Mix-up. I think we all got sick. I know I did. But it was an enjoyable summer interlude year after year. We had family picnics several times during the summer. All the Uncles, Aunts, and Cousins would gather someplace for a big picnic. Often it was at our place because Dad had made a lake where we could swim and everyone liked to come to our grove of cottonwood trees. We used to have close to a hundred relatives at those picnics. My mother always raised a bunch of fryers. We had fried chicken every day all summer long. She would send me out to catch a couple of chickens, pull off their heads, scald them and pick the feathers off of them. She had a pet parrot which she had gotten from Mrs. Armstrong. Polly could talk real good. One day after I had picked two chickens, I thought I heard my mother say - "Roy kill a couple of chickens". I did but then found out that Polly had been the one to give the order. Polly never liked me because I teased her. Once I stuck my tongue out at her and I was too close to the cage. She got my tongue and bit a hole in it. I was more careful after that. Once when she was out of her cage and on my mother's shoulder, she flew across the room and over my head, digging in her claws as she crossed. I cried – (I didn't mind her flying over me but did she have to drag her feet.) In the fall of 1936 I enrolled in the University of Nebraska. Wayne Yoakum and I roomed together at Pedens, 1313 Que St. It was a big house and four of us boys had the large front upstairs room. Rae LeGate and Bill Herrman were our roommates. Rae was a good looking man, more interested in the social life of the University than in studying. He told us many tales of his sexual prowess and conquests. He also got me drunk for the first time in my sheltered life. He bought some strawberry sodas and a bottle of sloe gin. They tasted great but sure did sneak up on us. Bill Herrman was a football player. He was a steady, methodical man, and was just a second stringer. Rae flunked out after the second six weeks and went home to St. Paul, Nebr. Chester Hickman was in the next room. He got me interested in stamps and I started my collection. I went out for freshman football, although I hadn't played in high school and had only seen one game. Since I was 6 feet tall, I was told to try out for end. I weighed about 150 pounds. Ed Weir was our freshman coach. He had been an All American tackle and had played for Nebraska when they beat the Four Horseman of Notre Dame. In those days the transfers from two year colleges had to play freshman football, so the tackles opposite me were big <220 lbs was big in those days> and experienced. So I was regularly smeared on every play. Pa Schulte, the track coach, was watching, and he called me over and said, "Son, you aren't really built for football; why don't you come out for track?" So I gave up my football career and started my track career. I went out for the mile and for the two mile. Since freshman couldn't run the two mile I had to wait until my sophomore year to run the two mile. I did
4 reasonably well as a freshman miler. In those days we only ran about a five minute mile and sometimes a little under. Then as a sophomore I started in the fall on the two mile team. Between halves of the football game, we ran two miles around the ¼ mile track that surrounded the football field. I usually ended up pretty far back in the 10 man field, but I don't think I ever came in last. Immediately after football season, we went into training for the indoor track season. I ran the two mile with John Brownlee. He was pretty good and ran under ten minutes. In the spring we continued with the outdoor track season. By summer vacation I was "burned out". I used that as an excuse anyway to start smoking. I figured I could stop any time. I went out for track the next fall, but I couldn't or wouldn't stop smoking so I dropped track. Because of finances, Wayne had to drop out of the University for a year. I then roomed with Arden Lambert. We stayed at Ma Kerker's, 1436 S St. On the same floor were Stan Prince, Henry Berry, Norris Schick, and Bob Brenn. All were Engineering students. I had switched to Engineering after a year of Arts and Science. I had Physics 3 at 8 AM. We used to have bull sessions and play cards until late, and, while I got to class OK, I invariably went to sleep during the lectures. I had had easy courses my first 2 semesters and hadn't developed good study habits at all. As a result, I almost flunked out when I was confronted with Physics 3 and Calculus I. I did a little better in Physics 4 and Calculus II and managed to stay in school. In the fall of 1939 they started a Civilian Pilot Program at the U of N and I signed up. We flew Piper Cubs for our basic course and it was great. Stan Prince and Norris Schick were in the same program. We took our Secondary Course in Meyers OTW's. They were open cockpit, 125 Horse Power Biplanes. We learned aerobatics, and while they had too much wing area to do a clean snap roll, they did great loops, slow rolls, Immelmans, and Falling Leaves. We took Student Instructor courses in the spring, and then Stan took the Commercial course. I got married in the spring and wasn't eligible for Commercial. Stan completed it and then went to Texas to teach Air Force Cadets during WWII. I met Theda Gannon in the spring of 1939. She was 5 ft 2 in and had brown eyes and was about as shy as I was. We would go to the Student Union for cokes or sometimes brownies topped with ice cream and chocolate syrup.
5 assigned to western Nebr. and we stayed in Mitchell, about 25 miles from home. Before I got the job we had decided to go to California and were on our way when I was contacted by the highway dept. My Project Engineer was Vance Butler. Our project was surveying for a new road between Mitchell and Hemingford. I learned to be a chainman and finally a rodman. We finished that project, and our next project was a paving job between Banner County line
6 development. We paid $5000 and it was a 2 bedroom house with a full basement and all hardwood floors. We didn't have much furniture but we had a house of our own. Theda went to work in the blueprint dept at Lake City, and we hired a baby sitter. She was a Latter Day Saint and tried to convert us to Mormanism. Independence was world headquarters for the Reformed Latter Day Saints. Nauvoo, Ill.,a few miles south was where Joseph Smith had founded his original settlement after leaving New York. Because of persecution, Brigham Young had taken his followers to Utah. Those that stayed around Nauvoo became the Reformed Latter Day Saints. In the fall of 1942, so many of my friends had gone into the Armed Forces that I decided to enlist in the Air Force. Lake City had over produced and was cutting back, and I felt I would soon be drafted. I signed up in December, and in February 1943 was inducted and sent to Boca Raton, Fla. for basic training. Boca Raton at that time was a millionaires Club. All the furniture had been stripped and replaced with army bunkbeds and footlockers, but it was a beautiful place with a long, white sandy beach. Now condominiums cover the beach front. After 6 weeks basic training, we were shipped to New Haven, Conn., to Yale University for our training. It was a 5 months course to teach us all there was to know about Maintenance Engineering. I was supposed to graduate at the end of August 1943, but I broke my ear-drum during P.T. and lost two weeks. We were learning to jump overboard in case our transport was torpedoed. They took us up to the 3rd floor of the gym overlooking the pool. They had tables along the railing and stepstools. They explained how to jump off feet first with one hand over our privates and the other hand holding our nose. The pool was about 30 feet below us. I was in the first rank because of my height. The instructor said --"Step up on the table -- Jump" What they had neglected to tell us was that the ceiling was only 5-1/2 ft above us when we stepped up on the table. So there I was, bent over and confused when he yelled "Jump". I jumped with my arms flailing instead of over the parts as instructed. I hit the water with my head slightly turned to the left, and it felt like my head had exploded. The instructor told us to go back up stairs and repeat the jump. I slipped into a side hallway and went back to the barracks. I felt terrible but we had retreat next, so I put on my Class A's and stood retreat. It was cold and drizzly and my ear started hurting badly. After retreat we went to chow. I was so white and sick to the stomach by then that the Officer in Charge sent me to the hospital. That night my ear drained and next morning the pillow was covered with bloody matter. They put me on a new drug called Sulfanilimide for nine days and my recovery was miraculous. The nurse told me that when I came in, they had figured I would have a mastoid infection and operation and would receive a medical discharge. No such luck. I was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. on 13 September 1943 and sent to 3rd Air Force Headquarters at Tampa, Fla. The Air Corps had become the Army Air Force, a separate branch of the Army. After a week in Tampa, I was ordered to Hunter Field, Georgia, until I could be permanently assigned. My orders came out assigning me to a replacement group for a cold, wet, and windy climate. 7 found out later that was England> I got my shots and we were ready to ship out in about two weeks. Then it was discovered I had only been commissioned for about a month, and regulations prohibited officer replacements until 6 months of service as an officer. So I was transferred to the base detachment of Hunter Field. My commanding officer was Maj. Ward Robinson. He was a character. He had enlisted in the Air Corps when it was a part of the Signal Corps, in World War I. He had flown Jennies and DeHavilands and after WWI had barnstormed for the Air Corps to stimulate public interest. He claimed he had more time on Liberty engines than any other pilot. He had earned the nickname of "Crash" because he had crashed so many planes. He had known Billy Mitchell and all the early flyers. His superiors were trying to find some way to retire him, and a heart murmur finally did get him a medical retirement. As a member of Base Detachment, I became the Maintenance/Supply Coordinator for the base. We outfitted crews and joined the crews with their B17's or B26's for the European theater. I made 1st Lt. on 6 June 1944. We had a good crew, and processed many B17's, B25's, B26's and later A26's < they were re-designated B26's when the B26's of WW II went out of service.> for the European Theater. Theda joined me at Hunter Field after I was permanently assigned. We had bought a 1940 Plymouth in Independence, and I went back and drove it to Georgia. We rented a house on Victory Drive from Neal's 8 dashed madly cross country to get to Lincoln for the second semester. We finally found an apartment. I guess it was the original tri-level. It was the back porch of a house, and the upper level had been their kitchen door landing 9 December of 1947, we sold our house and moved to Pender, Nebr. Automatic Equipment Co. was a small company that was managed by Myron Hesse. It had been started 20 years before by Myron's father-in-law who had a sheet metal shop. He invented the arched cattle scratcher. 10 wanted me to sell to the dealers around Lincoln, Nebr., where he had set up his headquarters. I ran the office with the help of a red-haired secretary. At first I was on a straight salary, but after about four months, Myron suggested I go on a straight commission basis. I knew I wasn't a salesman, so I left Allyn-Ayar Company, in August 1949. I got a job with Peterson Construction Co. They were building tract houses, and had several houses in various stages of completion at all times. I was on the dry wall crew as a mud mixer. Our crew had two board men, who nailed the sheet rock to the studs and ceiling joists; two tapers who taped the joints in the sheet rock; one finisher, who put the final touches on the joints to leave a nice smooth wall; and me, who mixed all the joint compound for the tapers and finisher. I soon graduated so I got to do some taping and finishing. We had a great crew. Joe Hakenkamp was the foreman. After about six months, we decided we should have our own company instead of making money for Peterson, so we formed the Lincoln Dry Wall Company in April of 1950. We contracted to dry wall houses for Peterson as well as other jobs. Joe was president and I was secretary treasurer. We installed the Hummer system in some $100,000 houses. The Hummer System was two layers of 3/8th drywall, glued together with the joints staggered. The finished wall was very solid and no joints were visible. We installed that system in the new addition of the Red Oak Hospital, Red Oak, Iowa. Our business was doing great when the Korean War came along. All of a sudden we could no longer get gypsum board, because the army was taking it all to build barracks, etc. So -- in August of 1950 Lincoln Dry Wall ceased to exist. Because of the war, Ordnance Plants were screaming for Engineers, so I applied and went to work at Iowa Ordnance Plant, Burlington, Iowa. I worked as a Civil Service GS-9 in the Process Engineering group. The Ordnance Plant had operated during WW II, and had been mothballed. 80 MM mortar shells were badly needed by our troops, and we reactivated the mortar lines with all possible speed. Soon we were producing not only mortars, but also 8 inch shells, and a new development, the 4.2 inch mortars. After six months in Civil Service, Mason Hanger - Silas Mason Company took over the operations and we were all transferred to the new company. I was assigned as Asst Chief of the Process Engineering Dept under Al Howard. Mark Wegener was Chief Draftsman and we became good friends. Later in a re-organization Mark became Chief Engineer and I was his Assistant. They had converted barracks into apartments, and we lived on the base for two or three years, and then bought a house at 183 Indian Terrace. We lived there until we left IOP in June of 1958. While we lived on the base, Theda started having imaginary illnesses. She had her hair shampooed, and decided that she must have been allergic to the shampoo. We took her to several doctors, who could find nothing physically wrong with her. She kept on complaining and I finally took her to Mayo Clinic for a complete physical. The tests were all negative, and in the final checkout the doctors told me as gently as possible that she had mental problems. After we got back we bought the house, but she got worse and worse. Rodney Edgar had been born 5 February 1951, and was about 11 two years old. Theda would get to ranting in the evening and sometimes would rave until late into the night. I called her mother and got her to come back so she could see how Theda was. I had taken Theda to a pscychiatrist and she was under his care. He recommended hospitalization, and after a couple of weeks of ranting, with her mother's concurrence, Theda was taken to Mount Pleasant Mental Hospital. She stayed for five months. When she was released she was ok for a couple of weeks and then started getting upset again. The Doctor had released her and had forgotten to give her medication. She went back to the hospital for three weeks and was then released with Thorazine medication. While in the hospital the first time they had given her seventeen Shock treatments. She was never quite right even with the Thorazine after that. Her mother stayed and took care of the kids until Theda was back for good. I was on a bowling team for a couple of years. Mark Wegener, Jim Lewis, Dick Tiemeier, John Rowan and I were on the team. We also played some golf, but it was upsetting to Theda because I was gone so long, that I stopped golf. We got the plant into a very efficient condition. Line 1 had been converted into an Atomic Energy plant and they were working full time on secret projects. One of their Electronic Engineers, Jim Applegate, and I developed the MC886 gas generator for extending the folded fins on an atomic bomb. It was an interesting project, and I got to travel to White Sands Missile Range and Sandia Plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. All in all the eight years I spent at Iowa Ordnance Plant were quite enjoyable, but in 1958 we decided that a move to California might be beneficial to Theda's state of mind. I had gone to California the year before, and had interviewed at several plants. They were interested, but since I lived in the mid-west they didn't want to pay my moving expenses for such a great distance. If we moved there on our own I didn't anticipate any difficulty in relocating. After school was out in June of 1958, we sold our house 12 tank missile, until February 1961. At that time I became Manager of Process Development and Applications Engineering --Nitro Plastisol Propellents --a very lengthy title but that was the way my boss, Carl Culverhouse, wanted it. We spent a year trying to fit Nitro Plastisol propellents into new applications. My mother died in 1961 and I went back to her funeral. She had contacted cancer and my brother Buster said she had cancer everywhere, stomach, lungs, etc. She had refused to see a doctor and she died in agony. During our vacation in 1962, we went to the World’s Fair in Seattle. We drove up and on the way stopped to visit my sister, Cora Mae and her husband, Roy, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Their daughter, Kay Lynn, was there and it was the first time we saw her after she had reached adulthood. She was a beautiful woman and was modeling and appeared on magazine covers. Later she married. It was not a good marriage and ended in divorce. Laura, Art, and I saw her in 1969 when we went to Cora Mae and Roy’s for Thanksgiving. Later she had gone back to school, met a new man, and planned to remarry. One evening, when she was writing her Wedding announcements, an intruder entered her apartment and raped and killed her. In January 1962 I was appointed Operations Lead Engineer for the Apollo Launch Motor development and qualification. I was responsible to the Program Manager for all tooling, processing, and documentation, for the Apollo Program. United States had progressed through the Mercury Program that took us to the edge of space; and the Gemini Program that had taken two astronauts into space. The Apollo program was to take three astronauts into space and eventually to the moon. The launch escape motor was fastened to the top of the space capsule, and, if anything malfunctioned during the first minute of launch, 13 the hikes on that stick, and have it today as a memento of the past. We went to Wilshire Peak and Plummer Meadows in March. In April we had the Scoutorama, in which all the troops in the council display their skills. When we were cleaning up, I stepped on a rolling platform, fell, and broke my ankle. That ended my training hikes for a while and I missed the first Nine Peaks Honor Hike. I got a walking cast after a month, and on 11 May 1963, I went on a hike to Vivian Creek. My Hiking and Backpacking Post, of which I was Advisor, went on to High Creek 14 7-3/4/5-64 Nine Peaks Honor Hike 9-19-64 Alger Creek trail work. 9-26-64 Jack Straw Springs 10-24/25-64 Graybacker In the summer of 1965 I and Phil Capen took Post 53 to the Sierras for a week. We went up into the Sierras from Bishop to South Lake. From there we backpacked on up to Blue Lake, about a mile and a half. We established our base camp there. We hiked all over from our base camp -- to Lake Ruhwa at over eleven thousand feet, where ice still covered the Lake except for a few feet from the shore where the ice had thawed. We could see trout swimming around that were eighteen to twenty four inches long. We tried to catch them, but they paid no attention to our bait. Some other hikers said they had tried for three days without success. We hiked to Donkey Lake, Dingleberry Lake, Emerald Lake, and many other lakes in the area. The boys caught trout by the dozen, all about pan size, 10 - 12 inches. They built a fire by the lake at night and caught many more. We had fried trout for breakfast, lunch, and supper, until we were thoroughly tired of TROUT. Then the boys built a smoker and smoked enough so that all the boys had some to take home. It was a very enjoyable week. In May of 1966, I was named the Operations Branch representative for the Short Range Attack Missile proposal and for the subsequent development after we won the competition. SRAM was a very complicated missile with re-start capability. It would be dropped from a bomber about 250 miles from the target, and the boost phase would be ignited. The boost phase would drive the missile toward the target with supersonic speed. After burnout the missile would coast toward the target until the program initiated the secondary phase, and the missile would drive into the target. It was impossible to pick up on radar, since it was flying under the radar network. The problem, of course, was the re-start capability. In the early development, the boost phase would ignite the secondary phase prematurely. The problems were finally overcome, and the SRAM was added to our arsenal. All the problems, however, caused considerable over-run. DOD had supplanted Cost-Plus programs with a Fixed Price program. Since it was impossible to foresee all the problems, over-runs occurred. To re-coup the over- runs, it was necessary for the contractors to essentially sue the government and present a claim. In Feb 1968 I was assigned to Claims team and spent a year researching costs, etc. In the meantime my life with Theda had deteriorated and I spent most of my evenings in the VIP, a neighborhood bar in Mentone. I would come home from work and things would be ok; then, something would set her off and she would start raving. I would go to the bar, and spent two or three hours consuming probably two beers, then go home. Sometimes she would have calmed down, and other times she kept me awake most of the night. I convinced myself that if I relaxed, my body would recuperate, and I would be able to work the next day. I have no doubt it affected my work though, but I kept 15 going. Theda's brother had separated from his wife in Minnesota, and he stayed with us and worked for Lockheed for about a year <1966>. 16 12/31/71. Liz had a young son, Mark. The marriage didn't work out and they divorced. After we moved to Paradise, Dennis joined us and for a while he and I had a fix-it business. It was soon apparent there wasn't enough business to support both of us, so he left. For a while he stayed in a commune in the Bay Area, then drifted on down the coast to Grover City. There he got a job on the San Onofre Atomic Power Plant construction, and worked there for a couple of years. While there he met Debbie Oronoz, and during the relationship, she got pregnant. He had bought a house, and they lived there without benefit of matrimony. Dennis Junior, D.J., was born 19 October 1979. We visited a couple of times, but it was a long ways from Morgan Hill. After DJ was born, Dennis and Debbie drifted apart and Dennis started seeing Donna Jackson, who had a cute little girl about a year and a half old. He had bought a Mazda RX7, and had sold his house. Things seemed to be going smooth for him, but, on the- ___ of 1982 he took his own life. It was a cruel blow because he was sort of my favorite. He was buried in Grover City. Rodney Edgar Gatch was born in Burlington, Iowa, on the 5th of February 1951. He and Kathleen both graduated from Redlands High School in 1969. He had gotten into drugs in High School. He had been an outstanding track man in Junior High and his coach was even talking about the Olympics for him. Then in High School he dropped out of track and wasn't interested. All through High School he must have been on and off of drugs. We took him to counseling, and did our best to no avail. His mother bought him a Mustang, which got wrecked. We finally took him to live with Laura and I. After High School he got into trouble again and again, and spent time in Juvenile Hall several time. When he was eighteen, he was apprehended during a robbery, and was sent to Chino . They allowed him to come home for the week end, and one weekend he took off. He hitch-hiked cross country, and turned up in Boston, Mass. He worked there for a while and then drifted down to Florida. While there, he and his friend went down to the beach and looked over a boat. They were only looking at it, but the owner called the police. During interrogation it was discovered that there was a fugitive warrant out on Rodney. The state of California declined to extradite him, but Rodney decided to return on his own because he was tired of running. We thought the State would be lenient, and would probably put him on probation. An over zealous District Attorney decided that he should be an example and insisted on jail time. Rodney ended up in Susanville State Prison for an indeterminate term. In the meanwhile Rodney and Katie had gotten married. Katie stuck by him, and when he was released after a couple of years they settled down in Visalia, close to Katie's parents. Rod had kicked the Heroin habit, and they started their life together. Michelle was born in Visalia 12/13/77 and Michael was born there on 4/24/80. After we moved to Morgan Hill, Rod, Katie and family moved there, too. Rod got a job in Gilroy at the Odd Fellows Home for Children, and has been there ever since. He is the Maintenance Supervisor. Now -- Laura's Family: Ronald G. MacPherson was born 24 May 1947 to Laura and Earl MacPherson. When he was just a baby, they moved to Vancouver, British 17 Columbia, for a year or so. They returned to California and Laura Kathleen MacPherson was born 1st of March 1951. Ron graduated from Redlands High in 1965. He enlisted in the Marines and when I arrived on the scene, he was in Viet Nam. He was wounded in action and was medically discharged. The bullet went in his elbow and damaged the muscles of the upper arm. He met Aleta Marie Rabozzi, divorcee with a young son, Johnnie. They got married 26 January 1973 and lived in Riverside. Ron was a top rate mechanic. After a couple of years Aleta got tired of married life or Ron, and started running around with a guy she worked with. After the divorce 7 Nov 75, Ron worked at various places including Lockheed. Then he met Mary Spradlin who was a vice president of Security Pacific Bank. She had two older children, Rick and Chrissie. They got married on 21 Aug 76 and moved to San Jose, where Ron got a job with Honda. After nearly nine years, Mary left Ron for another guy, and they divorced on 2 May 85. While with Honda, Ron sent in several suggestions for improved techniques and tools for repairing Hondas. He moved back to Southern California, and he and Don Hazleton, who Laura considered as almost a son instead of a step-son, got a condo in Orange County. There Ron met Lynn Edna Anderson, who also had two sons in their teens. Ron had gone to work for Acura by then. They had noted his articles in the Honda publications, and Acura of Honolulu offered him a job in Hawaii. They flew him over to look over the town and job, and offered a good salary as well as moving expenses. He accepted and moved to Hawaii. Lynn flew over a couple of times, and then she and Ron decided to get married. She would stay in California until the boys graduated from high school, and Ron would stay in Hawaii and fly over occasionally. They got married on 26 Aug 90 and had a beautiful garden wedding. This worked for a while but not for long, and after not quite two years, another divorce, 14 May 1993. This time Ron found that Lynn had run up big bills on their credit card accounts, which he was responsible for. She also kept a very expensive ring, which she had agreed to return. After a couple of years, she finally returned the ring, and Ron got the debts all retired. He said never again, however he did meet a very nice gal in Hawaii by the name of Cheryl Tipton. She is a lawyer and a very fine woman. She and Ron have a good relationship. Laura Kathleen graduated from Redlands High in 1969. She went to Valley Community College in San Bernardino for a couple of years, but she wanted to major in Music Therapy and the only college that gave a degree in Music Therapy was University of Pacific in Stockton, California. She had gone to San Francisco in 1972 and worked for Wells Fargo Bank until 1975. At that time she joined the Marines and after a year, had gotten pregnant with a man whom she didn't wish to marry. She was given medical leave in September 1976 and joined us in Paradise until Harmony Lauranne was born on 23 Oct 1976. She was honorably discharged from the service in June of 1977. By then I had gone back to work in Morgan Hill, and she and Harmony joined me in a 10 x 40 trailer. She went to College on a very part time basis there. In the spring of 1978, Laura came to Morgan Hill and Kathleen went back to Paradise to look after Arthur and the house. She went to Butte College for a 18 semester and to Chico State for a year. In 1981 Kathleen went to Stockton and enrolled in University of Pacific. In 1983 she graduated from there with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy. She got a job at Piner's Rest Home in Napa, California. In January 1992 she met John Schosanski, and they were married in July of 1992. Laura had divorced Earl Mac Pherson, soon after Kathleen was born. He had been a philanderer from the first day of their marriage. She married Paul Carman and to them David Alan Carman was born on 5 Sept 1953. Soon after high school, David married Roberta Hill; Wendy was born 9/17/73. Roberta and David divorced after a stormy marriage. David then married Linda, an older woman with older children. They divorced after a year or so. David next lived with Dianna Wood for a spell without marriage and they had a child, Rayna, born 29 October 1984. Dianna and David separated after two or three years and David finally settled in Mother Shook's house in West Riverside after Laura inherited it. He lived with Nancy from time to time. Laura and Paul had a daughter, Allison Beverley, born on 6 Feb 1956. Allison failed to graduate from High School. In her senior year Laura would take her to school, and she would slip out the back door. After several boy friends, Allison married Leonard Burns, a logging truck driver, and to them was born Rachel Laurene on May 20th, 1982. Leonard and Allie divorced, and she is currently raising Rachel in Quincy. Laura and Paul divorced in 1958. Paul drank too much and had a violent temper. After a few years, Laura married Cleo Hazleton. To them was born, Arthur Westley on 5 March 1965. Art graduated from high school in Morgan Hill in 1983. He is presently living with Tami Truelove and they plan to be married in 1995. Tami has a son, Kyle James. Art works for Paradise Post. When I moved in with Laura, we had a talk with her kids to make sure they were agreeable. Kathleen was a prim 17 year old, and her comments were -- If you sleep together, your emotions may be too strong for you to resist. -- Well I guess she was right. I filed for divorce from Theda, and we planned our wedding. In those days you got a primary decree, and then six months later a final decree. We picked a date that we thought would be safe, sent out our announcements, reserved the Church and waited patiently. The final decree didn't arrive, and didn't arrive. Finally on the day before the wedding, the final decree arrived. We were married on 13 October 1968, and had the reception at our new home at 710 Coronado Drive in Redlands, Ca. For the first time in a long time all three of my boys were there. After the reception, Laura and I took off for Nebraska so I could introduce my new wife to my family. Naturally they all took to her like a new sister. We had an enjoyable week, and returned to California via central Colorado. We saw a sign to Rocky Mountain National Park and decided to go there. We were low on gas but decided we would find some along the way. We didn't and it was 23 miles to the park entrance. We arrived there and parked for the night. Next morning we awoke to find deer looking in the window at us. It was late in the year and the park was closed for the season. They could of told us at the bottom. We held our breath all the way down, coasting as much as possible. We made it to 19 the filling station on fumes. In March of 1969 I was reassigned from the claims team to Senior Budget Analyst for the Operations Branch. I was responsible for developing a budget control system for all departments in the branch. The system had to be qualified by the Air Force to meet the CSCS system specified by the Department of Defense. This system was qualified and implemented for the branch for the remainder of time that Lockheed operated Lockheed Propulsion Company. I was also responsible for the Proposal costs submitted by the Branch. In the spring of 1975 we were told that Lockheed was to be phased out in about six months. I checked out transfer possibilities, but the only one I was interested in, White Sands Missile Range, wasn't interested in me. I could of gone to Lockheed Missiles and Space, but I didn't care for San Jose. I finally decided it would be ok, but by then they weren't hiring, so I decided to take early retirement. I helped close down the plant, and on 15 August 1975, I retired. We didn't want to stay in Redlands, because the smog had gotten so bad. In preparation for leaving the area, we had sold 710 Coronado, in 1974 and moved into an apartment at 333 University in Redlands. In 1967, Laura talked me into joining a square dance class. We did and I enjoyed it very much. Our instructor was Nate Bliss, and we went to class for fifteen weeks. Normally classes ran for 28 to 30 weeks, but our class had shrunk to the point that Nate couldn't economically continue. He should have sent us to another class in the area, but instead, he graduated us. We were about half way through. We bravely went to a club dance at Yucaipa Squares. You can imagine what I did to the square. Laura had been square dancing for seven or eight years and was able to keep up. I was rescued by Mildred Hockenberry, an experienced dancer, who took me under her wing and helped me immeasurably. We kept going to dances and I finally became fairly proficient. About then, we met Larry and Hazel Wainwright, and started going to dances with them. The four of us started going to Larry Ward's California B-Sharps, an advanced club. We became very good dancers. In 1973 we went to the National Square Dance Convention in Salt Lake City, our first and had a great time. While there, we started to go to supper. Hazel offered us Hotdogs she had prepared, but I decided I wanted something more substantial. We stood in line for 45 minutes, and when we finally got to order, all they had left was Hotdogs. Hazel never let me forget that, and needless to say I accepted any food she offered after that. In 1974 Laura and I went to the National Square Dance Convention in San Antonio, Texas. We enjoyed it, and particularly enjoyed the setting. The convention center was right on the River Walk, a scenic walkway along the San Antonio River. A few years earlier the river had been a mess. Sewage floated down the river. Then a group resurrected it and made it into a showpiece. Afterwards we continued on to Florida to look at some property we had bought sight unseen while we were on our honeymoon. River Ranch Acres was very nice, at least the portion that was developed. We located our lot a couple of miles from the club house, but no roads, and no hope for roads in the foreseeable future. Roads were never put in and the company finally went belly up. We were offered a lot in 20 some Developments that were completed, but we had to agree to build within six months. Florida didn't impress us. We had gone there in July, and the humidity and bugs were at their worst. We took their alternate proposal of an additional lot adjacent to our first lot, so we now have two and a half acres of prime Florida land which may someday be developed. On the way back to California, Laura came down with a severe case of flu. She was so sick that she laid in the bed in the cab over portion of the camper all the way back to California. I drove long days because I was due back at work. In 1976, the National Square Dance Convention was held in Anaheim, Calif. We were on the Facilities Committee. We had expected 25,000 dancers, and 40,000 dancers showed up. We had been promised a dividing curtain for one of the halls which didn't arrive. All in all it was something of a disaster. We went to two more Conventions, Oklahoma in 1978 and Baltimore in 1984, but they ceased to be fun - too crowded. Anyway I had taken early retirement, and started collecting unemployment in August of 1975. We went to various places to which we might want to retire. We went to Prescott, Arizona - too cold in the winter time; Alturas, Calif. 21 Coyote. In February of 1977, I moved to Morgan Hill and went to work at UTC Coyote. I took the Camper to Morgan Hill and lived in it at Hill Haven Mobile Park. After a week or two, I found an old mobile in the park that was for sale for $500. I bought it and cleaned it up. It was a 10 x 40, and hadn't been lived in for a while. It was filthy, but I made it as livable as I could. After a couple months, Kathleen decided to bring Harmony down, keep house for me, and take some classes in the Community College near Morgan Hill. Meanwhile Laura and Arthur remained in Paradise. Laura was working for Heritage Land Co, and Art was attending Paradise Middle school. I would commute each week end to Paradise and back, just over two hundred miles each way. I would arrive in the area and meet Laura in Durham where Jack Murtha conducted his Experimental Squares each Friday. That summer we went to Riverside to visit Ron and Mary. Arthur got along fine with Chrissie and Rick, Mary's kids. In the summer of 1980, we borrowed Ron and Mary's motor home, an elderly Winnebago Brave. We loaded the three kids in the motor home and took off for Oklahoma City to the National Square Dance Convention. On the way we saw Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest. While driving through the Petrified Forest, I met another RV on the narrow road to the National park. He was crowding the centerline and I moved over as far as I could. I moved over a little too much, dropped a wheel over the edge of the road, and went off of the road. To keep from rolling I turned at right angle to the road, and into the desert. We had the kids’ bicycles on racks in front of the RV. Someway they caught on sagebrush or something, were pulled loose and went under the RV, removing the muffler and tailpipe in the process. We were about 50 feet out in the desert by the time I got stopped. The Park Ranger was quite upset with us for damaging the ecology, and almost gave us a ticket. When I told him the other RV ran us off the road, he relented, and called a tow truck from the nearest town to get us back on the road. It would have been quite expensive, but when we called Ron, he had us put dual pipes on the rig. He paid for them because he said he had planned to have it done anyway. The bikes were covered by insurance. We went on to the convention. It rained and the parking area was a sea of mud, but they had shuttles to take us to the convention. After the convention, we went back to California by way of Neil and Maxine's and visited them. At that time Neil still had his dairy, and the kids enjoyed it. When we got back to Riverside, Arthur, with the help of Chrissie and Rick I'm sure, suggested that he stay with Ron and Mary and go to high school there. We finally agreed, and since there was no reason for Laura to remain in Paradise, she and Kathleen traded places. Kathleen moved to Paradise and went to Chico State, and Laura came to Morgan Hill. In the summer of 1981, Art decided it wasn't so great staying with Ron and Mary and wanted to join us in Morgan Hill. The 10 x 40 was just too small for that, so we bought a new 12 x 60 with an expando living room, built a Florida Room on the side, and lived in it for the next six years. I had only planned to work for six months or so, but the pay check convinced me to work until I could collect Social Security. I also found that to collect a pension from UTC, I would have to 22 work until I was 65. I was assigned to Process Engineering, where we developed processing instructions for loading of rocket motors. We also provided processing input for all the proposal efforts. In 1979 we had bought a motor home, a 23 foot Jamboree. We had a cabover camper previously, but the pick-up had gotten wrecked by David and the camper was left standing in the yard. I had found a small camper to fit on the Courier, and we had been using it. We had toured the gold country and were on the way home. It was Laura's birthday and when we passed an RV place she jokingly suggested I buy her one for her birthday. We stopped and looked but couldn't find a floor plan that we liked. The salesman then showed us a used rig that had exactly what we wanted. We bought it and ended up putting over a hundred thousand miles on it. We joined the Morgan Hill Billies Square dance club. Our caller was Kenny Steen, and we enjoyed six years with them. We had Mystery Trips, and a monthly visitation to some other club in the San Jose area. We also danced with the Dancers Choice with Harold Fleeman. We took A-1/A-2 classes with Joe Johnson and Mike Degmetich. There we met the Liljedahls, Ralph and Bette, and became good friends with them. After a year in Processing, I transferred to Facility Engineering. We were responsible for installation of major facilities. In the next six years, I was involved in: Modification of Bldg 0730 Reactor Installation in Bldg 0630 De-Ionizer Installation in Sta 0635 Water treatment plant Installation of Autoclave in Sta 0211 Installation of RamJet LT-1 Facility New facility for the 600 Gallon Mixer. Modifications for the Tomahawk Missile Processing. It was interesting work, and involved many problems. In December of 1982 we decided we should go to Hawaii before something happened so I couldn't go. We signed up for one of the 10 day tours. We went to Oahu and to Maui. We landed in Honolulu and stayed in a small hotel not far from the beach at Waikiki. We were met with Leis and then we were on our own for three or four days. We climbed Diamond Head, walked on the beach at Waikiki, went to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial, and went to the Polynesian Village. It was fantastic, a collection of villages showing the culture of Tahiti, Tonga, Maori 23 we decided to go to Canada. We contacted Hazel and convinced her to go with us. We picked her up in the motor home and started out. We went up through Idaho and Montana, through Radium, B.C. to Banff. We then went to Lake Louise. Hugh Sneed, a contractor who did lots of work for UTC, was a good friend, and had been curious as to where we were going in Canada. He told us to check at the desk in the Lake Louise Hotel when we got there. We found that he had ordered a great meal for us there. Lake Louise was beautiful and the hotel is in a great setting. We next drove up the parkway towards Jasper National Park. We stopped at Columbia Ice Flow and rode out on the glacier on a bus with huge tires. It was spectacular. The glacier seems to go on for miles. We went on to Jasper and viewed all the beautiful scenery around there. We saw lots of great scenery and several different animals, elk, mountain goats, and another kind of goat indigenous to the area. We returned home thro Washington and Oregon. Late in 1982 I started having medical problems. I went to the plant nurse to be checked for some little thing which was ok, but she told me I was skipping badly and should see a cardiologist. I went to our family doctor and, after trying me on some pills, he referred me to Dr. Chung Liao, a chinese doctor at Kaiser. More pills, and tests. He tried me on Tenormin, and I nearly fainted. I got so woozy I could hardly stand. He said I was apparently allergic to them, and put me on Isoptin and Quintadex Sulphate. They helped but didn't control the skipping completely. Dr. Liao then checked my pulse for 24 hours with a Halterman recorder, and found that my pulse dropped to 36 during the night and found lots of doubles 24 it was larger than theirs and gave Michael and Michelle rooms of their own. Kathleen had left Paradise to go to University of Pacific, so we rented our Paradise place to Ray and Chris Krueger. They seemed to be a nice couple with two children, so we only charged them $250/month 25 of Philadelphia. We visited Hopewell, a 1700's community, where the first ironworks in the USA we situated. Daniel Boone's Homestead was also on our route. We drove to Westchester, a suburb of Philadelphia, and visited Lee and Elsie Leesburg. We had danced with them at Joe Johnson's workshop before they moved. We had dinner with them and a very enjoyable evening. They have a fabulous house and are obviously quite wealthy. We visited Philadelphia and saw Liberty Hall, the Liberty Bell, and St. Johns Methodist Church. It is one of the oldest churches in the country and Rev Philip Gatch preached there early in his ministry. July 25th we continued on to Timothy Lake Campground for seven days. We walked up to see Bushkill Falls. They were beautiful but the walk was quite strenuous. That night we drove to Swift Water, NY, to a square dance and met some very nice people. We walked to Winona Falls next day. There were five falls and the walk was much easier. Bushkill Falls was one of our mail drops. Rod and Katie accumulated our mail, and by planning where we would be two weeks hence, I would call and give them a post office to mail the important mail to General Delivery. This system worked well for us. While at Timothy Lake, we tried out a so-called two-man inflatable boat we had received as a prize for attending a promotional meeting. We inflated it and I got in. The boat sank to the gunwales and shipped water. I guess I'm more than a two man crew all by myself. We put Candy, our Dachshund companion in the boat and took her picture. She didn't much care for the boat ride and jumped ashore as soon as the opportunity presented itself. July 28th we proceeded on to Akron, NY. We stopped at Cayuga Lake for the night. It is one of the Five Finger Lakes, and it is beautiful country. We stayed seven nights at Leisure Wood Camp in Akron. We went to Niagara Falls. We found that the Falls were more spectacular from the Canadian side. We rode the Maid of the Mist. They give you rain gear, and go as close to the falls as safety permits. The noise is thunderous. It is quite an experience. A few days later we went to the Falls again. In the afternoon we toured the Power Plant, and in the evening we viewed the falls by light. They have huge flood lights that light up the Falls and they really look spectacular. In the campground they had planned activities, such as potluck suppers and pancake breakfasts. On August 7th we crossed into Canada, and drove to Guelph, Ontario. We camped at the Guelph Conservation Camp. Free of Charge. We had no sooner parked, when a lady came over with a big bowl of blueberries. As Ontario Senior Citizens they can camp there as long as they want to. It was so nice to meet such charming people. We drove into Guelph and looked over their Riverside Park. They have a huge Floral Clock. The hands operate electrically but all the rest is flowers. We drove to an old town a few miles away called St. Jacobs. We walked around and looked at the old stores. Next day we drove to Hamilton. We visited Dundeen Castle. It was more like a huge house but it was interesting. We also visited the Royal Botanical Gardens. They had had quite a bit of rain and the gardens weren't at their best. We found an RV place that did a lot of work that had been needed for a while. They reset the stool and made it solid. They installed a lite for Laura to read by. The TV antenna was 26 fixed properly. It was an excellent facility and did good work. In the evening we went to Brantford and attended the 6 Nations Indian Pageant. In Guelph they have a beautiful Catholic Cathedral. It reminds you of the ones in Europe. Next day we went to Fergus to the Highland Games. It was the first we had seen and they were interesting. All were dressed in kilts, and we saw many Highland dances, Caber throwing. Bagpipe playing, and mock battles. It was great. Next day we took off for Collingswood. On the way we stopped in Durham for a Wood Show. We saw a shingle making machine, and many other woodworking tools. Near Collingswood we rode the Blue Mt. Ski Lift to the top. Spectacular scenery. For the descent we had three choices -- A huge water slide; a bob sled type of ride; or the chair lift. We opted for the chair lift, but the bobsled looked exciting. We visited a reconstructed Indian camp, Ste Marie Among the Hurons. It was interesting and showed how the Indians lived a hundred years ago. They had developed quite a lock system for boating to the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. We watched them transfer boats at the Pt Seveir Locks and then drove to Big Chute to see some of the same boats make the second transfer. We took a very pleasant cruise on Georgian Bay - two and a half hours among the 30,000 islands. In Midland we visited the Wye Marshlands. Wooden walkways allow you to walk around and see the wild- life. We stayed at Bass Lake Provincial Park. While in Canada we stayed at Provincial Parks whenever we could. They have a very nice Park system and they are very inexpensive. They were preparing for the visit of the Pope, and activity was at a high level. We drove to Heber Downs Conservation Camp for the night. Next day we visited Toronto -- traffic was horrendous. We went to Ontario Place. The exhibits are very nice. We visited Casa Loma. It is a true castle, ninety eight rooms and a tunnel that leads to the stables. The stables were lavish - the horses really had it great, steam heat and all. We drove on to Kemptville, one of our mail drops, and stayed at Rideau River Provincial Park. When we were hooking up the pickup, it wasn't quite lined up, so I tried to move the front end of the pickup over a couple of inches. All I succeeded in doing was wrenching my back quite severely. We went on to Ottawa, capital of Canada. Toured through the House of Commons, and the rest of the buildings. We took a bus tour of the city, and stopped at the Museum of Science and Technology. It was interesting but my back bothered so much that we cut the visit short. Because of my back, Laura did most of the driving for the next couple of months. We drove on into Quebec and stayed at Drummondville, L'escargot camp. Quebec is a different world. 95% speak only French. A few years ago they abolished English from their school curriculum and all classes are taught using the French language. We went on to Cabano, Quebec. On the way it was raining and the windshield wipers stopped. We found a shop and a couple of mechanics who spoke only French, removed the motor and cleaned it good and it started working again. We stayed at Cabano from 8/24/84 to 8/29/84. It was our mail drop, and I found an English speaking chiropractor there. Next day we went to Notre Dame de Luc and took the ferry across the lake to St. Justedu. They were 27 having a festival at La Grande covier. We watched them play Petalogue, similar to our lawn bowling. We ate supper there but it was difficult due to the language barrier. We did find one couple that spoke English. He was a teacher and he talked about when they abolished English and made it so difficult for tourists. After a week of chiropractic treatments my back was some better, but he didn't seem to help it much more, so we drove on to Edmundston, New Brunswick. Went to a chiropractor there for a couple of treatments. We stopped at Kings Landing. It is a recronstructed village of the place where most of the Tories fled during the Revolutionary War, when we started winning. It was very interesting and we watched the Docents weave on looms, cook in the old fireplaces, stoves, and brick ovens, saw wood and grind grain in an a water driven grist mill. In subsequent areas we saw many such villages, but this seemed to be the best 28 the rest room I lost my hearing aid. It bothered me while driving, so I took it out and put it in the upper pockets of my jump suit. It fell out when I dropped my drawers, and I didn't notice until further down the road. Contacted the Ranger at Broad Cove Provincial Park, where we stayed the night. He called the Ranger at Lone Speiling, but no luck. Drove on to Stonewall Camp, just outside of Louisburg. Next day we walked through the Fort. It was completely reconstructed and manned with docents dressed in 1750 costumes. It was quite interesting. Since my back bothered me so much, we decided to skip the rest of Nova Scotia, go to Littleton, New Hampshire, find a chiropractor and stay until my back was better. We picked up our pick-up, tooled through New Brunswick, and Maine. We had a birthday dinner for Laura in Bangor, Me. Then on to Littleton and Crazy Horse campground. <9/10/84> We spent a few days resting up. I went to the doctor several times. Ralph and Bette Liljedahl arrived and it was so good to see them again, like old home town days. We attended the Festival of the Leaves dance and got a prize for being the fartherest from home, a big jug of real maple syrup. Ralph and Bette left on 9/17/84 and headed south. We stayed on, left the pick-up for some needed repairs, and headed for Quebec, since we had by-passed it on our swing through Canada. Went into Quebec City- the new city is huge and confusing but we managed to find our way to the old city. We took a horse drawn buggy ride through the old city so we could see what there was to see. The ride itself was fantastic and was a great way to see Old City. There is a wall all around the town, just the way it was when General Wolfe and his troops scaled the heights in the 1750's and took Quebec for the British. We ate lunch in a little cafe where the waitresses couldn’t or wouldn't speak English, then wandered through the lobby of the Chateau Frontenac, supposedly the most beautiful in the world. It was spectacular but maybe not the most. We wandered around looking at old buildings and monuments until our bodies said "enuff" and then went back to the rig and camped for the night. Next day we went back to the States. We toured the State Capital at Montpelier, Vermont. It is very old and not particularly spectacular. Went to Barrie, Vt. to see the granite quarry. It was spectacular. A mountain of granite, and the quarry is 350 feet down in the ground. We watched them blast out a huge chunk and hoist it up to be processed. 85% of it goes into buildings. We drove on to Quechee Gorge and spent the night. It is supposed to be their Little Grand Canyon, but it really isn't much, just more scenery. Went back to Littleton to pick up the pick-up, some pictures, our mail and so forth. On the way to Lincoln, N.H., we saw the Old Man of the Mountain, a profile in the mountain side, made famous by Longfellow or someone in a poem. We saw the Flume, a glacial scratch which had been lined with volcanic rock, Lost River, a meandering creek with a path along, and through granite boulders, which was quite scenic. Next day at Clark's Trading Post, we took a train ride on an old steam locomotive, watched a bear show, and saw a display of steam driven vehicles and machinery. Went on to Jellystone Park, 9/23/84, a Coast to Coast campground, where we stayed two weeks. It is close to Ashland, N.H. 29 where there is a chiropractor for my back. < Dr. Luciano> We contacted Rod and Katie and gave them mail drop information. Our system has worked quite well. When we decide where we are going to be a week hence, we call and give them the zip code. Each Tuesday they bundle up the mail to be forwarded and we pick it up the following Friday at General Delivery. They have a Jacuzzi at Jellystone and it really feels good. We sometimes use it twice a day. While at Jellystone, we went to Concord. I had a growth removed from behind my ear. It turned out to be benign. We also tried to get our awning repaired, but no luck there. Mostly I went to the chiropractor, and laid around. My back would get better, and then I would do something to make it worse again. Laura was about to shoot me I think. It was really rough on her, and certainly made our retirement trip less enjoyable. While there we did take a "leaves" trip along the Kancamagus Highway. The foliage coloring was late this year, but it was quite spectacular on our drive, 10/5/84. I started out sitting up front, but it bothered my back, so I moved back and laid on the couch. Laura had moved the mattress down and I had a comfortable place to ride. We rode a steam train for a scenic ride through the country. It was very nice. Next day they had an Octoberfest celebration at the campground. We had a very nice German style dinner. By now it is freezing during the night and we have to thaw out our water lines each morning. On 10/6/84 we went to church in Ashland, then broke camp and drove to Sturbridge, Mass. They have a reconstructed Village there. It is well done with docents during their things. On the following Sunday, our anniversary, we went to a very old church in Southbridge, about 10 miles from Sturbridge. People were very nice and friendly. They gave us one of their anniversary cups, commemorating their 200th year. In the evening we ate out at an old tavern that dated back to pre-Revolution times, for our 16th Anniversary. Next day we drove to Providence, R.I. We located the cemetery where Larry, Laura's first born, was buried. Laura cleaned up around the grave, and after a short time of reverence, we drove to New York City. We wanted to stop in Port Chester, but missed the off ramp and ended up in White Plains. Finally found our way back to Port Chester, where we bought two folding chairs we had seen advertised in Modern Maturity. We finally managed to get through New York City to the Jersy side. Laura called some old friends she had had when she lived in New York some forty years ago, Mickey and Harry. She got a hold of Harry but Mickey had died the previous March. We drove on down the Turnpike and stayed the night at one of the Turnpike Rest Stops. Next day we pulled into the Greenbelt National Park for a few days while we toured the Nation’s Capital. Laura called Bill and Peg. Bill is Laura's brother’s boy. He works as an aide to the Senator from Montana and is studying law. We arranged to meet him next day in D.C. He took us on a tour of the Capital. We even got to ride a shuttle train from the capital to the cafeteria where the congressmen eat lunch. After lunch he dropped us at the Library of Congress. In the P.M. we went through the Smithsonian Aeronautics and Space Museum. What a place! In the evening we had dinner with Bill and Peg in their apartment. They have a nice little apartment for during the week 30 when they are working. On the week-ends they go to their place at Daries Beach, Md. Next day we went back into D.C. We drive to the Metro Station near the campground, and take the Metro into the city. Parking is impossible there. We took a shuttle bus tour around first so we could see what we wanted to go back and see. We visited all the monuments, i.e. Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and of course the White House. We climbed up Washington Monument and looked over the city. We went to some more portions of the Smithsonian, and saw the Arts bldg and the Mammals and Animals bldg. It would take a month to really see all there is to see there. On 10/19 we drove out to Mount Vernon. It has been restored so it is just like it was during George and Martha's day. We found some new foods at the cafeteria - Peanut soup, and pumpkin soup. Mount Vernon was quite interesting, but we saw it all and still got back to camp early. Next morning we checked out and drove to Daries Beach and parked in Bill and Peg's yard. We spent a relaxed week end there. They have bought an older house there and are restoring it. They don't have much furniture, but what they have are real antiques and Peg will really have a great house someday. Peg beat me in Cribbage 2 out of 3. Laura helped Bill scrape paint and repaint the entry way. We really enjoyed ourselves there. Monday morning we hitched up and drove to Williamsburg. We camped in a Coast to Coast and will stay for a week and then move to another one in this area. I went to the Doctor and he gave me a good adjustment. He recommended ice only without the heat in between. My back has gotten pretty good but it tires easily. We went into Williamsburg to find the post office, and grocery stores. We located the campground we want to stay in next week and made reservations. We then went to Jamestown and walked around the first settlement in the New World. They had replicas 31 Grove on 10/31. It is an old plantation. We saw a swan family complete with a cygnet 32 place ok and parked for the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Elva still has her parrot, Oro. On Sunday, 11/25/84, we went to Parrot Jungle in Miami. It is a very restful place in spite of the raucous screaming of the hundreds of parrots. The setting is like a garden and the flowers and foliage are beautiful. They had a parrot show naturally, and it was a great day. On Tuesday, her day off, Elva took us to Hunter's Run, where she is the executive book-keeper. It’s a Condo and Country Club. It is really swank. We have been having quite a bit of rain, some of it really gully washers, but at least it's warm. One of the storms was so fierce a freighter was washed up on the beach and ended up in a condo's back yard. On the 28th of November we hitched up and drove to All Seasons Resort at Clermont, Fla. for a week. While there we went to Camperworld in Kissimee and had a leak repaired around our new antenna. The people in Myrtle Beach had done a lousy job of sealing it, so Kissimee people redone it. They have pancake breakfasts, potluck dinners, etc. at the campground which we attend and enjoy. We went to Dade City and visited with Ruth and Roland Schneider, square dancing friends who are now full timing it. They have just completed five years on the road. We went to Lake Wales and visited our property. Nothing is going on and our 2-1/2 acres are just sitting there. Hunter's are building shacks on the River Ranch property and are getting some good out of it. They use real high 4 x 4's and hunt wild boars. We climbed Citrus Tower near Lake Wales. You can see miles from the top of the tower. We enjoyed our stay at Clermont, but are only allowed to stay seven nights. We played horseshoes, and shuffleboard. I met a guy that played the harmonica and we played duets. On the 5 December we drove to Fort Wilderness, the R.V. park associated with DisneyWorld and Epcot Center for two days. We spent most of time at Epcot Center. Disney World is a copy of Disneyland and we had been there several times. Epcot Center is a great place. There are many ethnic places, Morocco, China, Germany, etc. They have exhibits of their homelands and restaurants. There are several exhibits by companies such as Monsanto that have dioramas and movies of much interest. It was great. They had shuttles from Fort Wilderness to both Disney World and Epcot Center. Candy didn't enjoy it so much though. She had to stay in the Kennel all the time we were there. We would visit her each evening, and she was so glad to see us and so sad when we left her. By talking to people in the parks and looking in papers, we located a park, Cozy Grove, to spend the winter. It was in Davenport, a short distance from Orlando, and I think it was $150/mo. Anyway we went there after we left Fort Wilderness. It was a nice campground, and the people were all very friendly. They were from the snow states and many of them had been going to Cozy Grove every winter for several years. It was chilly in the evenings but the days were nice. We bought some shuffle board pushers and pucks. I played shuffleboard every morning and got fairly proficient. We enrolled in a craft class. We made three bead pendants, circular almost like a bird cage, with beads hanging down and some birds inside. Not a good description but they are pretty. We sent one to Kathleen and 33 one to Hazel. They had a Christmas party and a group of us went Christmas caroling around the park. Ralph and Bette had arrived in Florida, and were in a nearby park. We found a square dance in Kissimmee, and went several times with Ralph and Bette. We celebrated Bette's birthday on 8 January by going to Medieval Times in Orlando. It is a dinner house patterned after a medieval castle. They assign you a province when you check in. I think we were Saxony. You are seated at tiered tables around an arena. Food is served without silverware, since they didn't use silverware in medieval times. We tore the chicken apart with our fingers and ate it the same way. After dinner, the knights rode their horses into the arena. Each section or province cheered their champions. They jousted with each other and as I remember our champion didn't win. It was an interesting evening. We met Earl and Marie Gardiner from Allegan, Michigan. We become quite good friends, and played cards with them occasionally. They had a daughter, Linda, back in Allegan. On 2 Jan 1985 they received a telegram from their son that Linda had died in her sleep. Linda was mentally disadvantaged and was the light of Marie's life. She was really broken up over her death even though they hadn't expected her to live too long. She was twenty plus when she passed on. Earl and Marie flew home for her funeral and came back on 14 Jan 85 to pick up their rig. On the 16th we went to Kennedy Space Center with Ralph and Bette for a tour of the center. Very interesting and we found out that a Launch, 51C Discovery, was planned for the next Tuesday. We went back to camp and went to Circus World the next day. It was ok but nothing mind shattering. Laura came down with a headache and next morning she fainted while she was showering. We kept her down for a couple of days and she seemed to be ok. Next day we had a fire in one of the park models. It went up so fast that it was a complete loss. They were in the rear of the mobile when the fire started and were lucky to escape. On 22 Jan we went to Titusville to watch the space shuttle launch 34 ourselves. We had bought space on a Mexican tour and had to be in Nogales, N.M. on the 27 of Feb. Before we left Cozy Grove, we drove to St Augustine and walked around the oldest town in USA. We also went to the Passion Play in Lake Wales. It’s the same company that performs in the Black Hills at Rapid City each summer. It was very good. We left Cozy Grove on 11 Feb 1985. We drove leisurely through the Florida panhandle, Alabama, and Missippi to New Orleans. In Mobile we visited Ft. Conde and Bellingrath Gardens. In New Orleans we visited the French Quarter, and the Open Air Market. We took a riverboat ride on the River. The town was preparing for the Mardi Gras, and there was all kinds of celebrating. We decided to forego the celebration and all the crowds, etc, and took off for Madisonville, Tx. On the way we sampled Cajun cooking and visited the place they grind up hot peppers and bottle it as liquid fire, Tabasco Sauce. We arrived in St Jo Campground near Madisonville on 17 Feb 85 and the next day pulled into John and Nell Webb's yard. We had known them in Redlands before they moved to Texas. We stayed with them a couple of days and left the pick-up there so we wouldn't have to tow it through Mexico. After we left John and Nell's, we stopped at Johnson City and saw L. B. Johnson's Ranch. Real honest to goodness Long Horn Steers. We saw the one room school house where LBJ went to school, and toured his ranch. Across west Texas we encountered quite high winds. We stayed at Lake Balmorhea for one night. On through New Mexico, and then Arizona. We visited Tombstone and saw the OK corral and Boot Hill. We stayed in Fort Huachuca and next day arrived in Nogales, where we met up with the rest of the caravan. We had a day of shopping and bought a C.B. 35 bus into the railway station, and boarded the train for the trip through Copper Canyon. We had read about putting rigs on flatcars and piggy backing through the canyon. Our tour said they had found that riding in the passenger cars was considerably safer, since the rigs weren't anchored too securely. Anyway it was a beautiful trip. It is a beautiful canyon, more than twice as deep as our Grand Canyon. On one of the curves, you could see the engine on one side and the caboose on the other. That night we disembarked at a small town, Divisidero, at the top of the canyon. We had a very nice meal there, and comfortable rooms for the night. Tarahumara Indians made their homes in the canyon and they sold their wares at the rail station. We bought some baskets and a hand carved violin. We visited their homes, and they are really only fireplaces and places to sleep where the canyon walls overhang areas. That evening we gathered in the lobby and sang songs and had a good time. A musician played my violin and pronounced that it had an exceptional fine tone. Next day we boarded the train and rode down the canyon back to Los Mochis. The caravan went on to Matzatlan. We didn't actually caravan, although we did stay in contact more or less by CB. At noon most of them stopped along the road and prepared lunch in their rigs. They were afraid to eat in the Mexican cafes because of Montezuma's Revenge. We didn't feel that way and stopped at a small cafe along the road. It had a nice shady patio with a fountain in the middle of it. Real nice atmosphere. We sort of had to use sign language since they didn't know English any better than we knew Spanish. We had a real nice lunch though and it didn't result in Montezuma's Revenge. We didn't run into it anytime we were there, but of course we stayed away from the water. In the afternoon we saw the peasants clotheslines. After washing their clothes in the streams, they spread their clothes over the bushes and let them dry. The streams were all polluted with soapsuds. When we got to Matzatlan, we found that the tour ahead of us was still there. They were having trouble getting across the Sea of Cortez. We pulled into the Park, and parked alongside a Burro 36 we had a tour guide all to ourselves. He was an excellent guide and drove us around the city for a while before taking us to the hotel. He assured us he would meet us at 0800 next day. Mexico City 37 mosaic in natural stone. Spectacular. I should mention the Paseo de la Reforma. The boulevard is 200 ft wide, with 6 - 8 traffic lanes, a green strip in the middle, busts of famous men along the sides and large glorietas 38 by fellow snowbirds. Next morning, Laura wasn't feeling good. She had a fever and generally felt bad. We went to the office and they directed us to an English speaking Doctor. We called a cab, and while waiting for it, Laura drank a 7- up. When we got to the Doctor's office, she was feeling fine and the Doctor pronounced her health was fine. However he wanted to look at me, and found I had a low grade infection. So I got some pills. Maybe Laura got sick just to get me to the Doctor. We stayed in Guadalahara for three or four days. We visited the open air market and the Cathedral and visited people in the park. One gal came down every winter from Black Hills. She had a gift shop there, and came to Mexico to buy items for her shop. Some just came to get away from winter. Living was cheap and the weather was great. We took off for Zacatecas and drove leisurely along enjoying the scenery. It was mostly desert, but we saw Oxcarts with wooden wheels piled high with maguey stalks, and typical Mexican scenes. Between Zacatecas and Saltillo we broke a spring. In Saltillo we tried to find a place to get the spring fixed. Talk about language barriers - All I could find was Spanish speaking shops. I would show them the broken spring - they would shake their heads and rattle off incomprehensible phrases. Finally one said something about Chicago, and directed me to a wrought iron shop. I was dubious, but sure enough, the owner had lived in Chicago and did speak English after a fashion. He explained that he could fabricate another spring, but would have to find the right steel. We spent most of the day outside his shop, but he came up with a spring and fixed us up. He made one little mistake. The duals on our rig have a dowel that has to line up with a hole in the other wheel so the balance is ok. Next morning as we were proceeding toward the border, a nice looking Mexican flagged us down. Our rear wheel was wobbling and obviously the lugs were loose. He insisted on jacking up the rig and tightening the lug nuts. He was dressed in a suit and I argued that I should do it, but he insisted. It was difficult to express our appreciation, but I guess he understood. When we got to the next tire shop, we stopped and had the lug nuts tightened. They used a four foot cheater and really cinched them down. We went on to the border and back into the USA. It was so strange - in Mexico it was all brown, but as soon as we crossed the border, it was green and sprinkled with Bluebonnets. We drove to Sattler, Texas for the night. We went to a Firestone place and had the wheel checked. The misalignment of the dowel, and the subsequent tightening with the cheater, had bent the wheel and we had to replace it. Next morning we had a pancake breakfast, did the laundry, cleaned the rig and went to church in Turner Falls. In the afternoon we drove to Madisonville and parked in Webb's yard. Candy had a lump on the side of her jaw, so we took her to a Vet. We expected the worst, but he slipped his finger in her mouth and dislodged a small pork bone. The lump went away. We were relieved since we were sure it was an absessed tooth or a tumor. We visited with John and Nell for a couple of days, picked up our pick-up, and then headed north through Dallas to Sulpher, Ok. We went through Arbuckle Mts, a safari type animal park where you drive your own vehicle through. We went to Allen and Gerty and visited with Laura's 39 cousin, Burlene. The ticks were so bad that when Candy ran across the lawn, we had to pick four ticks off of her. We stayed the night at Cedar Blue Resort. It was stormy, and listening to the radio, they announced not only a tornado alert but a flash flood warning as well. We didn't sleep too well, and the wind shook the motor home, but no catastrophy occurred. We drove on to Gravette, Ark. Lela Wiggin had just got home from the hospital in Independence, in fact we beat her home by 15 minutes. Gay Comboy, her daughter, had driven her down. We visited Lela for a couple of days, drove through Eureka Springs and saw the Cross of the Ozarks, Pea Ridge Battleground and then Gay rode back to Independence with us. We stopped in LaMarr, Mo. and visited Truman's boyhood home. We left our pick-up in Joe and Gay's yard while we made a swing through Missouri, Kentucky, Tennesee, and Iowa. We drove to Topeka, Kn. and visited with Virginia Markham, my cousin who had compiled the Gatch Family Tree all the way from Godfrey and Maria who had come to this country in 1727 to the present. We went to Baldwin, Kn. first and couldn't find her. 40 We finally went to the Methodist Church, and they told us that Virginia Markham had gone to Topeka and was staying in the Methodist Home there. We got the address and took off for Topeka. In the outskirts we used our C.B. and contacted a trucker who gave us directions. It really helped. We located the home and were soon visiting with Virginia. She is a remarkable woman. She spent many years pulling together the information about the ten generations of Gatches. At the time of our visit, she was 87 years old, but she was spry and sharp as a tack. We had lunch with her at the home and then after a nice visit and a drive, we took her out for dinner. We then took off for the Ozarks. We stayed one night at Lake of the Ozarks near Camdenton, Mo. and then went to Treasure Island Resort at Branson, Mo. and stayed three nights. We visited the College of the Ozarks. There the students work their way through school by working at the various activities available. We saw the Cupie Doll museum where they have hundreds of Cupie Dolls. The Shepard of the Hills play wasn't open yet but we drove around the area the book had been written about. We then drove to Ken Bar, Ky. We were in three different states, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, in less than 15 minutes. We stopped at Camping World, in Bowling Green and had the antenna recaulked to stop the leaking. Next morning we drove on to Nashville. We took a bus trip around town. It took us past the Parthenon, a recreation of the Greek building. We stopped at the Upper Room, where the "Upper Room" is published. We walked through the original Grand Ole Opry Hall which is being retained as a museum. We drove past many of the Stars homes. There are 537 millionaires in the area. We saw Minnie Pearl’s yellow Cadillac, and somebody’s swimming pool shaped like a guitar. It was all very interesting, and is a good way to see a town. Next day we drove to Crossville, Tenn, our mail pick-up town. We visited the Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson. On through Knoxville to Fort Wears Resort in the Smokies. Explored the Smokies - Pigeon Forge, Gattlinburg, Christus Gardens, and Cherokee. Christus Gardens was a religous retreat with beautiful pictures and statue of Christ on the outside that was fantastic. Cherokee was a recreated trading post. Next day we drove into Kentucky to Daniel Boone State Park. There we decided to try to contact the McGonigles, a couple we had known in square dancing who had moved to Kentucky. We checked the phone book and found a McGonigle listed, so we called. Betty answered and we found that they lived in Clay City, only about forty miles away. Next day Betty met us in Clay City and guided us to their small acreage outside of town. We visited with Jim and Betty and their daughter, Dale. We visited Natural Bridge while we were there. Next day on to Milford, Ohio. We stopped at Kentucky Horse Park. It's sort of a Hall of Fame for race horses. In Milford we looked up the old Gatch Home. It is owned by a distant relative now, but she welcomed us in. She was ninety years old but beat me in a game of cribbage. There is a 500 year old Oak tree growing in the yard, a tremendous tree. Next day we drove to the Gatch Farm. It has been in the family over 100 years. We didn't get to meet the Gatch that currently owns it, as he was out of town, but it was interesting to look it 41 over. We then went to the cemetery. They have a whole section set aside for Gatches. We saw the graves of Rev. Philip Gatch, his son Philip 42 we would try to come. He never sent one though so he graduated without us. We went into Kansas City to pick up a speaker for our 8 inch Sony T.V. and do some other shopping. Next day we had lunch with Joe at Unity Headquarter's where he works, and then took off for Wichita. Gene and Lela Lynch, Lela Wiggins oldest daughter, lived there on a farm outside of town. We stayed the night in their yard. Next morning we drove to Goodland, Kansas. There our alternator gave up the ghost, and we had a new alternator and regulater installed. We encountered high winds in western Kansas. The wind can really blow there, but we finally made it to Nebraska and the safety of Neil and Maxine's yard. We stayed there for a week. Neil took us out to eat the first evening and afterwards we visited Darrell and Velma Onstott, my niece. During the week we visited Charles in a nursing home. He is a nephew, Velma's brother, and is terminal with M.S. Visited and had supper with Reinie and Elaine, another niece. Visited with cousins Ward Davis and Lovinia Bowers, and with Lola, Clarence Kisner's last wife. Went fishing with Velma and Darrell on Lake Minatare. Darrell had a pontoon boat anchored there. It was a fun day, at least it was a nice boat ride. Velma caught the first fish, then Laura caught one, then Darrell, then they took turns catching more. I didn't catch a single fish. They thought it might be the way I baited my hook, so Darrell baited it for me. No dice. Then Darrell traded poles with me. You guessed it, -he caught one on my pole, but I caught nada. Oh well like I said it was a nice boat ride. The last night Neil took us to a western cook-out. An old school friend of Neil and myself had set up a western camp down by the river. While the steaks were cooking, we went on a wagon ride, and were told many facts about the old days in western Nebraska. After steak, corn on the cob and salad, We set around a campfire and sang songs and listened to stories. It was a fun night. Afterwards we drove to the Chimney Rock parking lot and viewed Chimney Rock all lighted up with flood lights. On the way back to California, we stopped in Denver and visited Ed and Wreather Numon, another niece. We visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs early in the morning and it was spectacular at that time of day. We went on to Royal Gorge. They have a cog train that takes you to the bottom of the gorge and you can look up at the highest suspension bridge in the country. They had some shops and restaurants there at that time, but it wasn't nearly as commercialized as it is now. Next day we went over Monarch Pass, 11,312 ft. It was quite a pull for the rig towing the pick- up. We went slower and slower, and finally unhitched the pick-up, and Laura drove it over while I drove the rig. We stayed in a Coast-to-Coast campground in Grand Junction, Colorado. I haven't mentioned it but we stayed in Coast-to- Coast campgrounds, or in the yards of relatives or friends nearly every night of our trip. Next day we drove to Beaver, Utah. We passed many beautiful and unusual rock formations on the way. Utah has some great scenery. On to Las Vegas and then San Bernardino, where we parked in Hazel's yard. We stayed around San Bernardino for a week, had dinner with Ron and David, square danced with the Cloverleafs 43 Methodist in Redlands where we were married, and spent my birthday with David and Rayna. We had new tires put on the rig in preparation for our Alaskan trip, and drove to Morgan Hill on 30th of May. I contacted UTC, and a luncheon was arranged for the next day. Hugh Sneed and about everyone in the Facilities group met in San Jose, and we had a great visit. Freddie Ackerson and Brian LaRue, who had left UTC, came to the luncheon. It was nice. We visited around Morgan Hill, had dinner with Margaret and Howard Carlson, saw Helen Sweeten in the hospital, 44 the laundry; $1.75/load and .25cents for 5 minutes of drying. While there, they met some square dancers from Chico. Small world. We also washed the rig. It was also costly. They explained it wasn't the cost of the water, but the cost of disposal of the waste water. It has to be collected and hauled away, since it can't sink into the frozen ground. While in Whitehorse we went to the Frantic Follies, a very entertaining show about the Days of the Klondike. We also toured the Klondike II, a restored paddle wheeler that had hauled freight and passengers on the Yukon River in the goldrush days. We had gotten some rain and it was muddy in spots. It was raining when we started to Dawson City, but cleared up before we arrived. < 330 miles north of Whitehorse> We stayed in Dawson City for two days. We went to the Diamond Tooth Follies. They had a really funny act about the Cremation of Dan McGrew. Two old sourdoughs were sitting in a cabin waiting for spring. They checked to see if they were hungry yet, by poking their finger in their belly buttons. Then they recited the "Cremation" about the sourdough who died and they tried everywhich way to cremate him. Finally they found a boiler from a sternwheeler that had wrecked. They built a roaring fire in the boiler, pitched Dan in, and opened the door to see if he was cremating ok. A voice from the boiler roared - "Close the door, it's the first time I’ve been warm since I came to this country." After the follies we went back to camp, and although it was after midnight, it was still light. We read a newspaper with no problems. It was the 25th of June and nearly the longest day of the year. We saw the sun set and a few minutes later saw the sun rise. Next day we went through a gold dredge. It had been abandoned when the gold started to play out and was very interesting. We also went to Robert Service's home and learned a little about him. He wrote many poems about the Klondike and Alaska. We crossed the Yukon River on a ferry boat and stayed the night at a provisional camp on the other side. Next morning it was raining, and we started toward Delta Junction on the Taylor Highway, also known as the Top of the World Highway. It is not paved and it was a muddy passage. We stopped at Chicken, Alaska for lunch. The inhabitants of this small settlement wanted to call their town Ptarmigan, after the Alaskan Grouse that thrives around there, but since no one could spell Ptarmigan, it was named Chicken. It consisted mainly of a double building with a restaurant/Curio Shop on one side and a bar on the other side. We ate lunch and browsed, and visited with the young girl running the place. We then went into the bar for a beer, and low and behold, a twin of the waitress, served us. We finally figured out that she took care of both sides. We found a book, "Tishi", about a school teacher who taught at Chicken. It was an interesting place. We drove on to Tok and stayed in Sourdough Camp. We visited a place where they teach dogs to become Sled dogs. They had wheels on the sleds. Next day we went on to Delta Junction, where we visited a cousin, George and Arline Wiggins. George is a minister of a small church there. We went through his church, which he built with help from some of his congregation. The walls were double with an air space between them. The airspace was filled with sawdust. Well insulated. George also worked at the 45 Airbase as a maintenance man. While we were there, Laura asked George to look at the rig. She had been hearing noises and since George was also a mechanic, she thought he might tell us what the problem was. He checked the drive shaft, and found that two of the three universal joints were shot. He was really surprised that we made it across the Taylor Highway. He had U-joints in his stock, and insisted on replacing them for us that night. If they had gone completely out while we were on the Taylor Highway, I imagine it would have cost us $500 to get them replaced. We enjoyed our visit with them, and took off for Fairbanks after a couple of days. We went through and stopped at the North Pole. It was primarily a tourist trap, but was well stocked and Laura and Hazel enjoyed brousing. In Fairbanks, where we stayed for four nights, we went to the Yukon Stampede, a dinner and show. Who did we see there but Ed and Liz Brown. They were touring with a group. The Stampede show was good, but not as good as the Frantic Follies in Whitehorse or Diamond Lil's Revue in Dawson City. We had baked salmon for dinner and it was very good. While in Fairbanks, we visited the University of Alaska. They have a good museum and a muskox farm. Under the coarse outer hair, the muskox have a soft, silky wool, that is very expensive and excellent for warm clothing. We drove around Fairbanks and enjoyed the scenery. I even went to a chiropracter. I had hurt my back going down a water slide in Cache Creek, and it wasn't getting better very fast. I didn't want a repeat of my Eastern Canada experience, so I got a couple of adjustments. It was very pleasant in Fairbanks, and you could almost consider living there. Then when you talk to the natives, they talk about the winters. In place of parking meters, they have places to plug in the heaters that are built into their cars to keep the oil from getting so stiff the starters can't turn the engines over. If they park where the plugins aren't available, they have to go out and start their cars every half hour, to keep the oil free flowing. All this because of the -65 degree temperatures. No thank you. On the 3rd of July we took off for Denali Park. We parked in the Hotel parking lot there. Next morning we boarded the bus for a trip through the park. Private vehicles are not allowed in the park. It was a nice bus trip and we had a very entertaining driver. We saw a grizzly sow tearing up the carcass of a caribou. Her cubs were frolicking in the snow and having a ball. We saw caribou at a distance making their annual migration. We couldn't see Denali Peak 46 and had a beautiful interior. In the afternoon we went to Anchorage and visited with Fuzz and Dorothy, another couple who had been on the Mexican tour. They had a nice house and were obviously quite wealthy. They were cordial but you felt their reserve and we weren't too comfortable. We went on into Anchorage and did some shopping, and got our Ferry reservations for the return trip down the inland passage. From Anchorage we drove to Cooper's Landing and stayed at Resurrection Landing, a Coast to Coast Campground. Next day we drove on to Homer. We went through Soldatna along Cook's Inlet. We could see the Aleutian Range - Mt. Redoubt, and Mt Ilimna. Gorgeous scenery. Homer had a long pier running out into the Inlet and we saw many fishing boats tied up along the pier. We stayed on the Kenai penninsula for three days. We saw white Beluga whales frolicking in the Inlet and went to Portage Glacier. The Steelhead Salmon season opened while we were there. Fisherman in waders were clear across the river. They were so solid I don't see how the salmon could get through, but you could see them on both sides of the wall of men, so I guess they did. We went to Seward and checked on our tickets for the ferry. We saw Mt Alyeska, several moose and Mountain Sheep. The scenery in Alaska is fantastic. We returned to Anchorage, and took off for Valdez. Valdez is the southern terminal of the Alaska Pipeline, where the oil is loaded on tankers for the journey south to the refineries. The old town was destroyed by the 1963 earthquake, and the town was rebuilt three miles further down the coast. It is a nice looking town. They have a Senior center that cost over a million dollars, mostly oil money. We had a nice lunch there, and toured the place. They have living quarters for seniors and nice recreational facilities. We lunched in Senior Centers whenever we had the opportunity. They varied from the million dollar facility to old converted store buildings, but the one thing they had in common was the friendliness of the people. We visited the pipeline terminal, and a fish hatchery where they killed the salmon, stripped the eggs, and threw the carcasses aside. They said the Indians ate some of the salmon, but the meat wasn't too good when the Salmon were ready to lay their eggs. We were parked in a lot next to the harbor, and early on morning we were awakened by a loud bang. One of the boats had blown up when they started it. Apparently fumes had accumulated below deck and a spark from starting the engine caused the explosion. The man was blown off the boat, but he survived. We took a boat ride on the Vince Peale out into Glacier Bay and watched the Glaciers calve. Huge chunks of ice would break off the face of the glacier, and splash into the bay to become icebergs. The seals played around the boat. They were so used to the boats they had no fear of them. It was a nice boat ride. Next morning 47 or in parking lots with no hassle. Once in a while they were posted, but normally it was OK. We stayed in Haines for three nights. We visited their museum, Chilkat State Park, and the town in general. While at Chilkat State Park we saw eagles putting on a great aerial demonstration. The natives told us we had witnessed their mating dances. We took the ferry to Skagway. Skagway was the start of the route to the Yukon during the goldrush of 1897. The overland route led through Chilkat Pass and was plenty rugged. Skagway has been rebuilt to be much like it was in '97, but is an interesting tourist trap. We boarded our Ferry on 19th of July and started to Juneau. It was an overnight voyage. The decks were covered with walk-on passengers in their sleeping bags. We were allowed to sleep in our rigs, but couldn't cook. We arrived in Juneau at 3A.M. We unloaded our rig and drove around Juneau for a while. We parked at Auk Lake Roadside and parked for the night. We walked around Juneau and visited the Capital Building, and the Museum. They had a great eagle display at the museum. Just as you come in the door, you see the display. It stretches from the floor to the ceiling, two floors above. It looks so natural you feel you are there. Next morning we reboarded the next ferry and sailed to Sitka. We disembarked there for two nights. We set up in the Central Building Parking lot. Since Sitka was the center of Russian Alaska, the Russian influence is pronounced. They had a beautiful, old Russian Orthodox church with many old paintings, icons, etc. Mostly we walked around and enjoyed the town. We disembarked in St. Petersburg, Wrangel, and Ketchican also. We had lots of time to explore in Ketchican, because the Ferry that we expected to board broke down, and we were there for three days. Ketchican is the town of Totem Poles, and we saw lots of them and watched the Tlinget Indians carve them. We arrived in Prince Rupert on July 28th and disembarked from the ferry for the final time. We drove to St. George and then back to USA via Vancouver. We drove down the coast and stayed at Redwood Trails for a night 48 moratorium, ten months times $250 less the $250 they had paid for last months rent and the $50 cleaning deposit <$2200>, be paid when the house was sold, but in no case later then 1 October 1986. Raymond Kruger took exception to the date of 1 October because he wasn't sure it would sell by then. I deleted that clause, and I guess he was right, because as of this date, 16 May 1995 49 State governments. The site manager and chief cook was Alice Jackson, a friend and acquaintance from square dancing. They served substantial lunches for a donation of $1.50. Laura soon stopped going because she was gaining weight, but I kept going every day. It was a break in the day and gave us a chance to socialize. January, 1987 The new year started off with what else but the Rose Parade and football games. Saturday nights we bowled in our league. Laura also bowled with Fay Bosserman and two other gals on Wednesdays. I stripped the paneling off of the living room walls, repaired the walls and textured them prior to Laura's painting them. Working off and on this took most of the month. We had an oak tree on our lot cut down, and hired a guy to cut it up and split it. We hauled it home by the pick up load. I attended the Methodist Men's breakfast on the first Thursday and we attended Church most Sundays. I started ushering. Square dance wise, we started attending Randy Dibble's A-1 class on Monday nights at the Woman's Club in Chico. We had danced A-1 in Morgan Hill with Joe and Mary Johnson, JAWS, and with Mike Degmetich, but it is easy to lose it if you don't dance it, and there aren't many A- 1 dances around. I had taken on the Treasurer's job for the Ridge Runners, so we went to the classes and workshops to pay the bills and to workshop. This month we went to a Dave Abbot party dance and to a Nate Bliss party dance. Nate Bliss had been my instructor when I went to class in 1967. It was so nice on 11 January 50 and workshops. Went to party dances - Jim Diffy and Mike Degmetich. Continued A-1 classes with Randy Dibble. Started remodeling the Bathroom. Started changes to add closet to bedroom. Started changes in the craft room. Had electrical service for east portion of house moved and updated to circuit breakers. Bowling each Saturday, and on one nice day, Wes, Ole and I played golf. We had volunteered to drive Helen Nicholson to church each Sunday, so we went to Cypress Acres, and the therapist showed us how to load her in the car. She is tied to a wheel chair, and each Sunday we picked her up and took her to Church. On 21 March, first day of spring, we had 4" of snow. It had disappeared by mid-afternoon, but Mother Nature was letting us know not to rush spring. On 15 March we went to Pauline's reception in Sacramento. Pauline had been Art's girl friend in Morgan Hill and they had been engaged. They broke up and Pauline found another man. She thought enough of Laura to invite us to the reception, and we had an enjoyable afternoon. April 1987 Blue Grass Festival - After a few more Blue Grass and Gold Nugget meetings, Gold Nugget Days arrived, 25 0f April. We had worked at the Old Safeway to prepare everything. I had picked up several bales of straw for the Blue Grass Festival float. I drove the float in the parade and we had a couple of the participating bands playing Blue Grass music as we drove down the street. Before the parade, we had a pancake breakfast, and had looked at the exhibits and booths. At three o'clock we opened the Safeway building for the Blue Grass Festival. We had a full slate of contestants from three until eleven. We had seven competing bands, and several non-competing acts, Fiddlers, etc. Unfortunately the accoustics turned out to be really bad. This turned off some of our audience, but all in all the crowd enjoyed the festival. It was my second and last festival. Church - Attended Methodist Men's breakfast, and attended Church regularly, picking up Helen McLauflin each Sunday. She took us out to lunch on Easter Sunday to show her appreciation. Remodeling- Continued work on the Craft room and the master bedroom closet. Both essentially complete. Built a garden cart. A garden cart cost over a $100, and I thought I could build one cheaper. I guess I saved a few dollars, but it really wasn't worth the hassle, and the final product wasn't as good. Oh well we used that garden cart for several years. I applied for a job as driver for the Paradise Express. I was interviewed and accepted, took my physical, and written test for a class 2 license, and then hit a snag because I had a pacemaker. With the help of my Cardiologist Dr. Clark, I convinced them that the pacemaker should create no problem. Then I got a letter rejecting me as a driver. Played golf a couple of times with Wes, Ron, and Ole. My golfing scores don't go down much but I enjoy the game very much. We also continue to bowl in our leagues. I continue to have lunch at Senior Nutrition at the Church of the Brethern. They have a Van that picks up Seniors that don't have transportation. Whenever Georgia Carver is sick, Laura substitutes for her. In mid month, Laura started caring for Francis Brenamen, John Crispin's mother. John was Laura's boss when she worked at the real estate office. Francis didn't require constant care, but Laura went by 51 each morning to make sure she ate breakfast, straightened up the house, and fixed her lunch. Ginnie Crispen stopped by in the afternoons. Laura continued this until they finally put her in a home. Square Dancing- we continued our work shops, both plus and A-1, and attended at least one party dance a month. I took care of the Treasurer’s job, and Laura took over the membership and Insurance jobs. We took a CPR course. We are supposed to be able to save people who have stopped breathing for some reason or another. I don't know if I would attempt that or not, but at least I have a card that says I should be able to. A lady at the Senior Nutrition announced that she had a roller canary that she would give to a good home. I immediately accepted her offer and we picked up "Charlie", complete with cage, etc. Charlie accepted us as a new family and sang us many pretty songs, particularly when we ran the vacuum cleaner. May 1987 Church, square dance, Senior nutrition, bowling and golf activities about the same as April. Had the carburetor in the rig overhauled, and had a tape deck installed. The AM portion of the radio never did work right even though I took it back twice. Roland and Ruth Schneider, square dancing friends who are full timing in an Air Stream trailer, came for a visit with us and Willis/Dottie Piper. We ate at the Depot and had ice cream at the Pipers. The following Tuesday, 19 May, we took a hike along the Flume that empties into DeSabla Lake, and Roland and Ruth had supper with us that evening. On Sunday, 24 May, Laura had a birthday dinner for Rachel and me, her birthday being on the 20th and mine on the 27th. Allison, Kathleen, Harmony, Laura, and Conrad were the honorers. All but Conrad spent Memorial Day with us. On my birthday, Laura took me to the Depot for prime rib. Afterward we went by the class to pay the caller, and Laura surprised me with a cake, which was shared with the class and the whole Club shared my birthday. We attended the Older Americans Appreciation Day and had Strawberry Shortcake. It is an annual event sponsored by the Seniors Council. June 1987 On the 10th of June, we took Charlie to Alice Jacksons, who had agreed to keep him while we made our Midwestern trip. Next day we picked up Rachel, five years old at the time, and started out. Laura drove the school bus 52 supper with David and Linda in the evening. Rachel and Rayna had a ball playing in the park. Next day took care of business and attended a "Spirits" game in the evening with Hazel and David and Linda. Next day we took off on our trip. We drove to Bullhead City and stayed at Ridgeview R.V. Resort 53 and stayed the night. We had lunch, supper and breakfast with them and had a real nice visit. Next day we drove to Allegan, Michigan, for our visit with Earl and Marie Gardiner. We stayed five days and had a hard time convincing them that we had to leave then. We watched the Fireworks display at Hopkins on the 4th of July, played cards 54 CPTP flying with him. He had taught flying to Air Corps cadets during the war, and had operated the Crete Flying Service after the war. I had taken a refresher course from him after the war. He had died from a heart attack about ten years ago. Drove to Albuquerque and stayed at C to C campgrounds for two nights, One 10 miles east of town and the other 10 miles west of town. Swam and used their Hot Tubs. Went to the Zoo and visited the animals in the pm. Drove to Lakeside, Arizona and visited Carl and Maxine Elder, cousins of Laura. Stayed the night. Drove to Phoenix and visited another cousin, Lorraine Voss. On to Bullhead City and stayed the next night. They have a very nice pool, and it is usually so hot, we cooled off in the pool. Drove to Las Vegas, via Boulder Dam. We stopped but didn't go down inside the dam. On to Las Vegas, where we stayed at the Hacienda. We swam in their pool. We visited with Grand-daughter Wendy and her other grandparents, the Hills. We drove north on Highway 395 to Lee Vining and stayed in a Forest Service campground. We drove over Tioga Pass and through Yosemite Park. We went by Wes and Maxine's, Laura's brother, but they weren't home so we went on to Lighthouse Marina for the night. Drove on to Morgan Hill, and had lunch with Art. Katie had to work so Rod took us to La Poca Villa for supper. Laura made the Floral Dessert that Marie had showed her. On Saturday, 1st of August, we drove to Napa and had a turkey dinner in Kathleen's front yard. Stayed the night, and drove back to Paradise next day. Total Mileage for the trip - 7861 miles Total time -- 11 June to 2 August 52 days August 1987 Picked up our mail and went over it. Picked up Charlie, our canary. Started going to Senior Nutrition again. They announced that work would begin this fall on the new Senior Center. They have started a craft class at eleven oclock, each Monday. just before lunch is served. Donna Coppenbarger is the crafts leader. Current projects are painting on glass. I started painting a BlueJay. Square Dancing - Classes on Wednesday evening and Workshops on Friday Evenings. Ron Telford and Jack Murtha alternate at the workshops. While we were on our trip, the Ridge Runners had a 4th of July outing. At the evening dance, Vern Elarth told Ruth, his wife, he didn't feel good and walked over to sit down. He didn't make it - he slumped to the floor and died of a massive heart attack. We went over to visit Ruth when we got back. Since Vern and I were about the same size, Ruth gave me many of Vern's clothes - a suit, shoes that had never been worn, sports coats, etc. Caught up the Treasurer records. I had given the checkbook to the president, and from the check stubs I could recap the transactions. Church - Administrative Board meeting, Methodist Men's Luncheon, and taking Helen MacLachlin to church. Started a Church lot parking lot drawing. Since Clark street is eventually going to be widened, we plan to change the frontage to conform so we will be ahead of the game. Remodeling - Got rock for the driveway and the parking area. Lot of work to spread it. Constructed a pad for the R.V. Installed a shower door to replace the curtain. Built a ladder to install in the closet 55 would get off work by then and we could finish by 7:00. September 1987 Continued going to Senior Nutrition. Laura stopped going because she said she ate too much and gained weight. Square dancing - Classes on Wednesdays and Workshops on Fridays. Business meeting on the second Mondays. Went to Napa on 5th of September to see Kathleen perform in "The Most Happy Fella" It was a musical that was centered in Napa in the early part of the century. Kathleen was Tony's sister, Maria. It was very good. Kathleen and Harmony were living in a small two bedroom home. I put up an awning on the south side of her place and installed some shelves in Harmony's room. Next day we celebrated Laura's birthday at a dinner and later had cake. Back to Paradise late that evening. Two days later on her birthday, Laura bowled in a new women's league with Fay Bosserman and two other ladies. We had lunch together and I fixed supper in honor of her birthday. Church - Methodist Men's luncheon and continued to take Helen Mc to church each Sunday. She took us out to lunch on the last Sunday to show her appreciation. Finished Alternate #2 of Church Parking and Frontage drawing for discussion at the Board of Trustees meeting. Remodeling - Trimmed out windows in plant/craft room. Built Strawberry bed. Put up clothes pole in closet. Took Ron and Alice Jackson out to dinner to show our appreciation of their taking care of Charlie while we were on our Midwestern trip. Started the Holy Bowlers Bowling League. Mixed league and Stan and Jane Palmer, Leonard Rydell, and us were one of the teams. Bowled on Thursday evenings. October 1987 Continued Senior Nutrition. In the Crafts class on Mondays we are making an Autumn Wreath, all kinds of conifer cones and other natural materials. We also started an exercise class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A girl from Butte College led the exercises as part of her curriculum in Geriatrics. Bowled each Thursday and played golf about once a week. I guess I am improving my golf game but the scores don't seem to get any lower. Because of my height, my compatriots decided my set of clubs was too short shafted for me. I bought Vern Elarth's clubs and sold my set to Ron Jackson. It helped some but progress is slow. Rod, Katie, and kids came up the first weekend for Johnnie Appleseed Days. They celebrate Johnnie Appleseed Days each fall in honor of the Apple growers. Most of the groves are gone now but in the early days of Paradise there were many apple groves on the ridge. We went to the Pancake breakfast on Saturday and looked at all the exhibits and booths of craft work. Had a nice brunch with them on Sunday morning and they went home that afternoon. Church -- Continued to take Helen Mc to church each Sunday. Was liturgist on second Sunday. Methodist Men's luncheon on second Thursday. Meetings with Board of Trustees on parking lot and frontage, and discussed project with a couple of contractors. Only Fairbanks seemed interested. On our 19th Wedding Anniversity, we had supper with Ali and Rachel. Then next day we had dinner at Gallantes with Faye and Grover Bosserman. Their anniversary coincides with ours, so we have a joint celebration. Remodeling -- Stripped breezeway and put up panels matching the 56 garage siding. Replaced some of the siding on the house. Square Dancing -- Classes on Wednesdays and Workshops on Fridays. Party Dance on first Saturday. As Treasurer we attend all of these functions, to help out and pay bills as required. Board meeting second Monday for Treasurer report. Health -- Continuing to take tenormin for my arrythmia. Had a blood panel taken 28th of October - Cholestral 204, Potassium OK. November 1987 Continued Senior Nutrition. In craft class 57 again. In the evening Laura and I visited Tom and Rita Auser. Tom beat me three out of four cribbage games. Square Dancing -- Normal Treasurer duties, Party dance, and Workshops. Guys and Dolls had a practice, and then performed a demonstration at POA Senior Center -- Senior Nutrition each day. Craft class each Monday, and exercise class each Tuesday and Thursday. Christmas - - We had all the kids we could collect home for Christmas. Ron came on the 23rd. Rod. Katie and the kids, David and Linda, Kathleen and Harmony, and Leonard arrived on the 24th, and of course Ali and Rachel were already here. We went to the candlelight service at the Paradise Methodist Church. Next day we had a terrific Christmas dinner. The house was bursting at the seams, but everyone had a place to sleep. Next day 58 anyway. Square dancing -- normal treasurer duties at class and workshops. Went to the International Jamboree in Yuba City on 26th of March, but didn't feel like dancing much. April Blue Grass Festival meetings and then the Festival was held 23rd of April. I helped some but I didn't really feel a part of it. Senior Nutrition -- Ate lunch each day and we started our own exercise class. We developed a group of exercises, based on our Butte College girls list, only we modified it slightly. We continued the same set only we did the exercises every day. We are still doing them this date <23 June 1995> and will probably continue them as long as we are able. Lil French is our leader, and I count the repetitions. League bowling each Thursday. On 10th of April Laura and her team went to Carson City to bowl in the Nationals. They didn't win, but Laura came home with $300 dollars from the slot machines. Church and square dance activities about the same as always. We went to the CCC Loggers Jamboree to put on a demonstration but it was too cold for me and we left early. May 1988 Played golf several times with Wes, Ron Jackson and sometimes Ole Carr. Took a series of golf lessons from the Pro at paradise Pines. Sponsored by Butte College. I guess it helped some but I'm still a duffer. Senior Nutrition for lunch. Exercise class and cribbage with Alice. Finished our league bowling and had our sweeper. Our team didn't finish very high in the standings. Celebrated my 69th birthday with corned beef and cabbage, and Laura had a cake at our workshop and the whole club helped celebrate with me. June 1988 Guys and Dolls put on a demonstration for the Masonic birthday. It also gave us some practice for the parade in Isleton, second weekend in June. We camped with the others on a lot provided by the chamber of commerce. We nicknamed it the Ant Hill. The Ants were thick and most of us took some of them home with us in our rigs. We had to fumigate to get rid of them. Anyway back to Isleton - we had a pot luck breakfast Saturday morning. Before breakfast we had our fizzes, a tradition for the Guys and Dolls. That night we went to the hotel for prime rib. Long wait in line and when we got them, the prime rib weren't that great. Next morning another great breakfast and then got dressed for the parade. The parade was somewhat disorganized and it was hot under the hats. It was hot outside the hats too. We got our customary blue ribbon for the best in our class, and then caravanned back to Paradise. Installed a ceiling fan in our bedroom. Bought one for the back bedroom, where Ali and Rachel sleep, but the J-box has to be secured better before it can be installed. We had McLaughlin install it. Put in a walk through gate between us and Davis's. Did some painting at the Church. They are remodeling the kitchen and are installing a hood above the range. I did considerable taping in the kitchen where the hood had been installed. Filed for Laura's Social Security, since she will be 62 in September. Had a potluck goodbye dinner for Phil Freneau, our associate pastor. He has been transferred to his own church. He was a great guy and Laura wished they had transferred John Foster instead. On the 29th of June, Laura and Rachel started their midwestern trip. I followed them in the LTD to Morgan Hill where we visited with relatives < Art, Rod, Katie, Michael and 59 Michelle> and friends - Morgan Hill Billies. From there Laura and Rachel went to Riverside, picked up Aunt Dorothy, and went to Arkansas via Livingston Texas, where Rachel's Dad lives. They were gone about three weeks and had an enjoyable trip visiting many relatives on Laura's mother’s side of the family. July 1988 I went to Lake Almanor and stayed through the 4th of July with the group. I stayed in Alice Jackson's trailer with her and Don Bailey. Alice and Ron had separated and were getting a divorce. Also at the encampment were Wes Chapman, Ray and Rusty Waelbrock, Jim and Georgia Carver, and next day Ole and Betty Carr, and their daughter Debbie with her husband and 2 kids arrived. It was a great group and the time went fast with cribbage games, 31 and other board games, fishing, and potluck breakfast, and dinners. We played 18 holes of golf at North Shore - a beautiful golf course. After a potluck breakfast on the 4th, I returned to Paradise. I worked at the Senior Center a few hours most days. To save money and to expedite the completion, the Contractor agreed to utilize volunteer labor where possible. All in all through October I worked a total of 63 ½ hours on the center. They dedicated the center in October but it wasn't opened until spring of 1990. Worked at the church finishing up some of the taping in the kitchen. I finished up my second year as Treasurer of the Ridge Runners, and turned the books over to Clara Andrews for the 1988-89 season. I was the new V.P. for that season. Lunch and exercise at Senior Nutrition each week day. Laura called frequently to keep me posted. Except for some muffler problems, trip was going OK. Played golf about once a week. Played 18 holes at Table Mountain. It is a long course, but is flat. It is a nice course. Ali and I drove to southern California on 21 July to meet Laura and Rachel at Aunt Dorothy’s. Ali and Rachel then took the LTD, visited some friends and then drove back to Paradise. Uncle William took the rest of us to the Soup Exchange for dinner. While we were in southern California we spent time with Ron in his place in Orange county. Ate with him and Steve Howard a couple of times. While there we took a boat out of Newport Beach and went to Catalina Island. We toured the island, danced in the Avalon Ball-room, and enjoyed it very much. We went to David's baptism, and afterwards we had lunch/dinner at Linda's apartment in Colton. Linda is David's current girl friend. We spent about four days with Hazel Wainwright, our best friend. We ate in several senior nutrition sites in the inland empire. We even helped Frank and Lorraine clean up her Boulevard lots. August 1988 On the way back to Paradise we drove up Highway 101. At Buellton we looked up the Whitfords. We had square danced with Grant and Gay at Bakersfield at their three day festivals several times, and also at Visalia. We had a nice visit with them. They had just bought a 34 foot Bounder. They plan to full time it if they can sell their place. That evening we went with them to a square dance in Santa Maria with the Ocean Wavers. Grant took us up to introduce us to the caller, Bill Hay. He immediately said - I know the Gatch's well. Have swam in Gatch's Lake many times. He had been raised in McGrew. We had coffee with him afterwards. Small World. Next day we drove on to Santa Maria, and visited Bill and Phyllis Williams, 60 one of my cousins. Bill took us out to eat at Lyon's and afterwards we visited their Senior Center. It is a beautiful site. Lots of activity - Pottery, Lapidary, Wood Carving - just name it and it seems that they do it. We looked for Donna Jackson without success. Donna had been Dennis's girl friend at the time of his suicide, and we had liked her very much. We went on to an Oceana address and found Debbie's grandmother. She directed us to where Debbie and D.J. lived in Grover City. It was the first time we had seen D.J., Dennis's son, since he was a baby. Debbie had taken off with D.J. and we had lost contact with them. We took D.J. and his two friends for ice cream, and kept D.J. overnight in the rig at Avila RV Park. Next day we went shopping and bought him some badly needed clothes. They lived in a hovel. He was eight years old and so bright and enthusiastic. It was great finding him. After Debbie's promises to keep in touch, we went on to San Simeon and Hearst’s Castle. It was a Thursday and we found we couldn't get a tour until Friday at 4:30 pm. We decided to go home and try again at a later date. Went home by way of Morgan Hill, where we visited Rod and Katie and Arthur, and Napa where we visited Kathleen. In mid August, we went to Quincy with the Guys and Dolls and marched in the Quincy Parade. We stayed at the fairgrounds and in addition to going to the fair, we had our normal potlucks and fizz breakfasts. We always enjoy our Guys and Dolls outings. Ralph and Betty Liljedahl dropped in for a visit on the 31st of August. September 1988 Typical month - Golf with Wes, Ole, or Ron or all of the above, Work on Senior Center or Church, Bowled in the Church league 61 wouldn't start. Rick Call came over and changed the starter. We finally left about 12:20. We got over the Siskyous just ahead of a snow storm and drove until 11:00 pm. We stayed in a rest area about 10 miles from Lake Oswego. Got to Fennings early next morning and had a great Thanksgiving dinner. Their son Mike and his wife Jackie with their kids, Ursula, Mike and the baby were there. Watched football and played cards. It rained all day Friday and was still raining when we left Saturday but we drove out of it shortly and had good weather and roads all the way home. Normal activities - Senior Nutrition and exercise class, - Church, usher, Council of Ministrys, Methodist Men - Square Dance workshops, classes, and Party Night, - Golf when weather permitted, League bowling. December 1988 Normal activities first half of month. On 16th we left for southern California via Napa and Morgan Hill. Visited Kathleen and Harmony. Watched Harmony while Kathleen went to a work Christmas party. In Morgan Hill, took all three grandchildren to Church. The church has been repaired and fixed up real nice. They had had to do a lot of work to the foundation and at the same time modernized the bath rooms and kitchen. Had early Christmas dinner with Rod and Katie. D.J. had fun with Michelle and Michael. Next day had lunch with Art. He is working at Creative Labels, a job printing shop. Visited Tom and Rita Auser in the pm. Drove to Southern California next day. Planned to stay in the Tehachipi's but the weather looked threatening so we went on to Riverside. Spent three days cleaning and repairing at Grandma's house. David doesn't keep it up to Laura's standards. On Christmas Eve we took David, Wendy and Rayna in the rig and drove to Ronnie's in Orange County. He took us all to Mimi's Restaurant for Christmas dinner. Next day we drove back to Riverside, and Laura prepared Christmas dinner for us. Visited with Hazel a couple of days. Visited with Will Roger next am and then took the roll top desk down to Ronnie. Next day visited with Ray Frost. He is house bound and confined to a wheel chair, but seems to be in good spirits. Tried to visit Barney and Charlotte and Dianne and Jim but neither were home. D.J. and I drove back to Paradise 30th of December. Laura stayed another couple of days and drove the PU back. When we arrived on the 31st the ground was covered with snow. Laura got back next day and it was all gone. January 1989 Wes Chapman and Dorothy were married on 7th of January. We had a bachelor party for Wes the night before. The ceremony was performed in the little brown church in Magalia. Wes is a good friend and my golfing partner. Ate lunch at the senior center every day. Center is in the basement of the Church on Sawmill. Bowled each Thursday evening in the Holy Bowlers league. It is a mixed league and Laura and I bowl on the same team. Laura also bowls on a woman's team with Fay Bosserman. Went to Tax Aide school in mid January. We learn about the taxes and any changes from last year, and starting in February, we help senior citizens with their taxes every Thursday until April 15th. Church wise I am on the Board of Trustees, and attend church most Sundays. Made chili for Methodist Men this month. In February we bought the Taurus. It was a 1988 with only 12000 62 miles on it and we really liked it. It had more room than the Ford LTD that we traded in and had more power too. In March we took D.J. to Feather Falls and Gray's Lodge during Easter break. Feather Falls was above Lake Oroville and although we knew it was a couple of miles hike, we felt confident that it would be a nice walk. The first couple of of miles was easy hiking, but then we started up. It turned into a strenuous 63 mother, so we took him back. In late September, the Guys and Dolls marched in a parade in Nevada City. My ankle was fairly well healed, but we decided to join them, but not to march in the parade. Don Madam had picked up a old automobile, about a 1909 I think, to use in his real estate business. Wes and Dorothy usually drove it in the parade and followed the Guys and Dolls with their sign. Wes let me drive it in his place, so I could be in the parade. For Thanksgiving we had Art, Len and Clara Rydell 64 discovered that an overhead valve engine had a timing chain from the crankshaft to the camshaft, and that you had to be very careful not to drop it when you removed the head. Anyway it scared me enough so I got a backyard mechanic, Danny, to finish the job for me. Easter vacation we again went to Oregon. We stayed the night with Claude and Eileen Davis in Salem, then visited Cora Mae and Roy in Long Beach, Washington. When we returned Candy was in bad shape. She was 16 years old and had progressively gotten worse. She had cataracts and could hardly see, and her hips were so bad she had to be helped up in her chair. She was obviously miserable and in pain all the time, so, on the 16th of April we had her put to sleep. It’s so hard. On the 18th of April, Debbie called and said she just couldn't handle D.J. anymore and asked us to pick him up. We picked him up on the 21st, and visited Rod, Katie, and the grandkids on the way back. This time, since we felt he would be with us for quite a while, we had his social security checks sent to us, and set up an account for him. It amounted to $617 a month, and certainly offset the expenses we incurred. We then decided that, to preclude Debbie from calling and wanting him back, we would try to get custody of D.J. It took a while but on 21st February 1991, the court made me his guardian. 1990 was a census year. They advertised for census takers and I decided to apply. I was accepted and helped take the census in Paradise in May. It was quite an experience. I ran into people that refused to answer questions, since they felt it was none of the government's business. Most people had mailed in their questionnaires, and we were only trying to count the rest of them. It was an exciting three weeks. Kathleen, Harmony, Ali, Rachel, D.J. and Laura helped me celebrate my birthday. 65 good. Visited Grand Canyon, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and two days at Mesa Verde National Park. D.J. enjoyed it immensely, especially Mesa Verde where we got to go through the cliff dwellings. We tried to take a helicopter ride around the canyons, but they were all tied up in a fire in one of the canyons. Then over Monarch Pass to Coaldale where we stayed in Cutty'Resort. The rig got pretty hot going over the pass and it was touch and go for a while. Next day on to Royal Gorge, where we rode the incline railway, the miniature railroad, and the aerial tramways. Stopped in Englewood, Colorado and had dinner with Wreatha, Eddie, and Elva. Next day to Neil's where we spent a week. While there, I pulled the radiator and had it rodded out. They checked the flow before and after. 7 gpm before and 23 gpm after. No wonder the poor baby got hot. D.J. got to shoot off both the daytime and the nighttime fireworks. He was in his glory. For 4th of July lunch we had all the nieces and nephews - Wreatha, Eddie, Elva, Marge, and Reine and Elaine. For supper we had Junior and Marie, Sarah, Paul, Mark and his wife, Dick and Kathie, Rick and Ron. While in the area, we visited Velma and Darrell, Scottsbluff Zoo, 67 lost. I signed up to drive the Disabled Veterans Van. The Chico Service Office has a van to take Veterans to the Clinic at Sacramento and to the Clinic/ Hospital at Martinez. After I signed up they had to check my driving record, my health, and about everything I guess. It took a couple of months before I was accepted, but on the 13 th of March I made my first trip as a trainee, and the next week I soloed. Since than I have driven about twice a month and sometimes four times a month. I have made 108 trips to date <12 Nov 1995>, driven over 30,000 miles and volunteered over 1000 hours of time. We had a couple of snowstorms in March, but it only barely covered the ground. Around here though they close the schools and cancel everything, even though they know the snow will be gone in a few hours. We got the new lights installed in the Church parking lot. This finished up the frontage/ parking lot improvements which we had done over the last couple of years. The Grand Opening of the Senior Center had to be delayed a week because of the snow storm, but we are finally in it. It is much nicer than the Church basement. We went to Morgan Hill and spent Easter with Rod, Katie, and Michael and Michelle. We went to Church in the little old church we had attended for 7 years when I worked for UTC. I had paid for a memorial window in the church. It was a circular window and Pat Ashworth designed and fabricated it. It has a dove and some olive branches, and is really nice. We always go look at it when we are in the area. Guys and Dolls finally got together and built some new light weight hats. The old ones had a wire frame covered with wire mesh and fabric and were heavy. When you have to keep your arms above your head, and march down a parade route taking little steps 68 D.J. started the 7th grade in middle school, we had a parent-teacher conference. He had one teacher that had a problem with D.J.'s attitude. It was a real personality clash I guess, and was probably D.J.'s fault, but it didn't bode well for his Junior High time. As it turned out it didn't matter anyway, since he transferred in December back to Oceano. We signed up for a Spanish class in Paradise High through Butte College. We tried to learn a little Spanish but not much of it stuck. We had Thanksgiving at our house again. Kathleen, Harmony, Ali, Rachel, Art, D.J. and us. Had a great dinner as usual. In December we went to Southern California for Christmas. On the way we dropped D.J. at his Grandmothers in Oceano. He wanted to visit with his brother, Kenny. Apparently he had worked out something with her, because he decided he wanted to stay with her. We had gotten him a T.V. set and a VCR among other things for Christmas, and they came up and picked it all up after we had returned from Southern California. We transferred his Social Security to Susan and his school records. Good by D.J. More later on. We met Ron at Lyns and had dinner with them at the Claim Jumper on the 22nd. We went on to Riverside, visited Nancy's family, and had Christmas dinner at David's. We stayed at Hazel's for three days. Back to Paradise on 30th. Finished up 1991, by staying home on New Year's Eve and watching T.V. 1992 Laura signed up with Jenny Craig. She was determined to lose 20 or 25 lbs. She stayed on the program for over three months and was successful in losing the weight she wanted to. When we went on our Easter vacation she went on maintenance. Continued driving the Veterans Van. I drove 23 times during 1992. Laura signed up to drive, but didn't start until 1993. Took training for Tax Aide, and provided Tax service for Seniors from February through April 15th each Thursday. Golf once a week when weather permitted. Senior Nutrition for lunch every day, with exercise class before lunch. Guys and Dolls - built covered wagon to carry the boom box in the parades. We put on a demonstration for the Elks and for the square dance class at their graduation. We marched in the Gold Nugget Parade, Gridley, Isleton, and Quincy. We canceled Rio Vista because they wouldn't provide us a place to park. In the Gridley parade we only got a second place ribbon. Rusty was furious because they judged a local group ahead of us. She was used to us getting first place in the novelty groups. Church - Still Board of Trustees until July. Also usher, liturgist and Methodist Men about once a month. Square Dancing - Workshops, Classes, and party dances once a month. Frank Lane per usual, Marshall Flippo, etc. Health wise I took a treadmill test 28th of February for my new cardiologist, Janet Hayes. 69 finally got a sunny day so we could walk their new board work. It runs along the beach for about a half a mile, and is very nice. We drove on through Washington and stopped at Rosyln. It is the place where they film Northern Exposure and in the TV series is called Cicero, Alaska. It was very interesting to see the same buildings, etc. in person, so as to speak, that you see on TV. On to West Richland and a nice visit with Lou and Mary Rodgers. They have a beautiful house and Lou is a vice president where he works. On the way back to Paradise, we visited Stonehenge, which is a lifesize concrete reproduction of the real Stonehenge in England. We stopped at the Lava Beds National Monument, and the High Desert Museum in Oregon. May 1-3 we went to the Silver Dollar Square Dance Jubilee in Reno. We went with a group - the Miller's, the Bolin's, the Logan's, and Ellsworth's. We did very little square dancing, and we really didn't enjoy it too much. We didn't go the next years. For my birthday, Laura surprised me with a cake at Class. I wasnt expecting it at all. In June we went to Arco Arena to an RV show and then on to Napa to visit Kathleen and Harmony for five days. We danced with the Boots and Belles. They only had a square and a half, but Roger Morris called a good dance. Back to Paradise. On the 2nd of July we drove to Wyla Beatty's for Ralph and Betty's 50th Wedding Anniversary. Played golf with Ralph, John Beatty, and Alex Innis. John is Ralph's son-in- law, and Alex is his brother-in-law. We had a nice dinner at the Vets Hall. Next day Ernie Kinney was there and called a few tips for dancing on the patio. It was a great three days, and we met most of Ralph and Betty's family. On the 10th of July, Laura retired from the Oroville Bus Lines. No more bus driving. On the 16th of July, back to Napa. Kathleen and John had their wedding rehearsal on the 17th and were married on the 18th. Kathleen Mac Pherson - Schozanski, although Kathleen retained her name and didnt take John's. Ron came for the wedding. Both he and her father Earl wore their kilts. Ron had a girl friend from Yucaipa, Mollie, with him. It was a very nice wedding. Next day Ron took Laura, Mollie and me on the Napa Wine Train, a train trip to St. Helena and back. It's only about eighty miles round trip, but it is beautiful scenery through the wine country and past several winerys. From Napa we drove to Riverside and spent 10 days down there. We rented an Escort for a week so we wouldnt have to drive the rig around. Visited all the relatives, celebrated Nancy's birthday, visited Hazel for three days, bowled several times, 70 lots of things, and the store is veritable museum, filled with stuffed animals and birds of every description. It is an amazing place. We went on a CROP walk to get money for some charity, and I went scouting with Neil at Bridgeport, where he was a judge for the Scouting canoe races. On the 14th we left for the Black Hills and Hart Ranch for the Coast-to-Coast Campout. They had a hot tub and I took advantage of it every day. I played in their golf tournament and we square danced. One day we took the Gray Line tour and saw Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse monument 71 its memory. I hadn't been saving my memoirs on floppy disks, so I had to start all over. Believe me I started saving on floppys after that. I had over forty years related. On the 6th of December we went to a birthday party for Sandi Bolin. Christmas was at our house again. Ali, Rachel, and Rayna and Art were here on the 25th for dinner. Kathleen had had to work on Christmas Day at Piner's, so She, John, and Harmony came up on the 26th and we had another Christmas dinner. Next day they left for Medford to have a second or third Christmas with Earl. We ended 1992 with a New Years Eve RidgeRunner party. 1993 Continued driving the Veteran's Van. I drove 27 times in 1993. Laura started driving on 10th of March and both of us drove nearly every week. Tax training again and tax assistance for seniors through 15th of April. I was called for Jury duty three times but was not selected any of the times. I would really like to serve on a jury at least once. Golf nearly every week as permitted by the weather. I had my rain gauge installed and I recorded the following: 90-91 40.86 inches 91-92 41.48 inches 92-93 79.15 inches Our annual average is around 55 inches, so you can see we lost several weeks of golf to the weather this year. Church about the same. No longer on the Board of Trustees, but still Liturgist about once a month, usher about once a month, Methodist Men luncheon monthly, and church most Sundays. Laura stopped going to church because she didn't feel that John had helped with Art's problem. 72 helpers. It was to be held on Labor Day weekend. We had many meetings since it was the first Festival any of us had tried to conduct. If we realized we were going to be invited to house sit in Hawaii, we wouldn't have volunteered, but we couldn't back half way through the preparation period. As a result we delayed our house sitting for over a month. In June I turned over the Treasurer duties to Ernest Hillman, and Laura turned over Membership and Insurance to Laura Catterin. We were retired from Club duties for the first time in several years. On the 10th of June, the club voted us in as Honorary Members. It is really quite an honor as most of the previous Honorary Members had become inactive dancers when voted in. In June we had the RidgeRunners picnic at De Sablo picnic grounds. In addition to dancing, we continued to take our turn as Assistant Treasurers, and continued to help with the class. On the 12th of May the Audiology Lab in Martinez finally took impressions for my hearing aids, and on the 29th of July I received them, nearly nine months after applying for them. It was a struggle but it was worth it, as I got nearly $2000 worth of aids and a life time supply of batteries. Laura won a mountain bike in a drawing at Stratton's Market. We gave it to Art so he would have transportation to work. He is now working at McFrugals in Chico and is living with Tami, who is pregnant and is expecting a child out of wedlock 73 Hedricks and Bill Stokes. I had others but they are the ones that helped most. We didn't get to dance much but we made it through. On Monday there was very little clean-up required, and by 10:30 we were able to leave, and prepare to leave for Hawaii. On the eighth of September, we left our Paradise 74 place with hardwood floors. All the other square dance halls had concrete floors. The caller was from New Zealand and was quite difficult to understand. On Monday Ron took us sight seeing. We went to Pali Lookout at the top of a ridge. On the seaward side, a cliff drops straight down several hundred feet. This is where King Kamehameha trapped his enemies when he conquered Oahu. He forced them to jump over the cliff if they did't want to be captured and tortured. The winds are strong and they advise you to hang on to the handrail. Afterwards we went shopping, and Ron insisted on buying me a Hawaiian shirt and a chinese type hat. He tried to buy Laura a Moomoo but she couldn't find one that suited her. Next day we got our Hawaiian driver's licenses. This lets us be Kamiaina's. 75 snorkling area and is very popular. That evening we went to the shell at Waikiki for the show honoring Queen Emma. It is part of the Aloha Festival. 9-22-93 Wed. Went to Senior Nutrition at Waimanalo. It was much better and we went regularly while we were in Hawaii. The people really made you feel welcome. They eat at 10:30 AM at all the centers in Hawaii. Tuesday is craft day and we made several nice items. I painted a T-shirt with a bunch of trigger fish and the state fish - Humihuminukenuke-apwea, on it for Laura. Laura painted one with beautiful Hibiscus blossoms around the neck. It looks really great. On Wednesdays they occasionally have field trips. On Thursdays they have a sing-a-long. About 10 or 12 ukelele players come to the center and play and sing the songs in Hawaiian. Its lots of fun to try to sing the Hawaiian words. On the way back we stopped to see the "Blow hole". The waves come up under a shelf and out through a hole. Looks like a geyser. In the evening we went to a Luau at Paradise Cove, way out H1 at Barbers Point. It was quite a show. Before the Luau they had demonstrations of several Hawaiian skills. The Luau was nice but about like the buffets we have over here in a different setting. We saw the pig roasting and saw them dig him up and start carving. 9-23-93 Thur. Went to Sr. Nutrition at Waimanalo. Played bingo and we both won a game. Carol Hong runs the center. She is Hawaiian with some Chinese and Philipino blood. She is real nice. There are several elderly Chinese, several Hawaiians, and a few Haoles 76 in first was twenty minutes ahead of the second place canoe. We went out on a breakwater to watch them come in and had a excellent view of them. On the way home we shopped in the Ala Moana Center, and at Kuhio Mall, where Laura found a place that shipped Leis to the mainland. 9-27-93 Mon. Freddie still missing when we fed the cats. Ron said not to worry, since he occasionally disappeared for several days. Seniors went to the Airport to tour the Aerospace Museum. It was fairly interesting, but the exhibits arent very extensive and they sort of rushed us through. The van then took us to Sand Park where we ate our brown bag lunches. Sand Park is a pretty park and is quite small. We went through a ratty part of town to get there and many of the streets were under repair. After our return to Waimanalo, we went to Kuhio Mall, and Laura bought a lei for Ali and had it shipped to her. 77 Subway. Ron and Cheryl returned at 5:44 PM but they took a cab to Cheryl's. We wouldn't all fit in the TR6. 3 Oct 93 Sun Went to Bishop Museum. Saw the Wheels Exhibit -- bicycles clear back to the beginning in the 1850's. They didn't pedal them - just straddled and ran. Saw the planetarium, but it was a video showing planets, etc. It was family day and really crowded. We didn't think it was so great. 4 Oct 93 Monday Went to the airport to pick up Inter-island tickets from Mahalo Air for $10. Tickets are normally $45 to $65 depending on the day of the week. Line was long and slow moving and it took over two hours, but we got eight tickets for Kauai and Maui. McNeil's arrived home today. Laura had really worked on the house for the last two weeks. It was spic and span, and probably the cleanest it had ever been. She cleaned the tile floors on her hands and knees, washed all the windows, etc. Joane was really impressed. Laura had fixed a nice supper for them and for Ron and Cheryl. 6 Oct 93 Wed Don took us to the airport. We flew Mahala to Kauai. Mahala is a new airline and are starting out on a shoestring. This month they are flying between Honolulu and Kauai and between Honolulu and Maui. They have two airplanes, the Ne- ne 78 noisy. Went to the Kilohana Plantation. It has been restored after Iniki but is mostly shops. They had some beautiful antiques. We lunched at Kukui Grove Shopping Center. We made our own sandwiches and used their tables. In the PM we took our Ohana Heliocopter Flight. It was fantastic. We flew all along the Na Pali coast and saw many waterfalls along the steep cliffs. We flew into the old crater and along Waimea Canyon. It all looks so different from the air. We really enjoyed the flight. 9 Oct 1993 Saturday We checked out of the hotel and went on the Wailua River cruise to the fern grotto. It was a nice cruise, but Fern Grotto was a victim of Iniki and the ferns haven't completely recovered. We drove to Lihue Airport and checked in our car. We were scheduled to leave at 1:50 PM. We were sitting in the waiting room waiting for the announcement of our flight. It didn't come, but I happened to look out and they were boarding our plane. We rushed to the flight desk, but they said it was to late and we couldn't get on. We would have to wait for the 4:10 flight. We had them call Mahalo in Honolulu to leave a message for Don McNeil who was meeting us. The Ne Ne took off without us, but only a few minutes later it was back. They had developed engine trouble and all the passengers were deplaned. I told them that would teach them to leave me and that I was really a kahunna. They worked on the plane by telephone. A mechanic in Honolulu would tell them what to check by phone. An oil light had come on and I guess they finally decided the problem was in the oil light and not the engine. Anyway we finally left at 4:20 PM and got back to Honolulu a little after 5. Don was patiently waiting. They hadn't contacted him about the delay, but they very carefully checked to make sure we were aboard. 11 Oct 93 Monday Senior nutrition for lunch. In crafts we worked on Halloween decorations. Made reservations to Maui thro a travel agency - 2 nights with a car for 2 days for $34.50 a person. 79 home afterward. 13 Oct 93 Wednesday Our Silver Wedding Anniversary. Lunch at the Sr. Nutrition. Worked on the Concord a little bit, then got cleaned up. I had ordered a corsage for Laura to be delivered before 6:30 PM, at which time a Limo was picking us up. 80 as many tropical ornaments. 17 October 1993 Sunday Went on the excursion to Lanai -- called Club Lanai. They had told us that it was the only excursion that landed on Lanai because they had their own private beach. We found out later that another excursion actually toured people into Lanai City but apparently we didn't miss anything. We took off at 7 AM for the 8 mile crossing. I signed up for snorkeling. When we got to Lanai they said it was too rough to snorkel at their beach, so they would drop off the non- snorkelers and take us around a headland where the ocean was quieter. They demonstrated snorkel techniques, and got us into our gear. We used a belly board. I got into the water and stuck my face under water. I could see the bottom clearly. It was amazing. Then my mouth filled up with salt- water. I had trouble clearing the salt out of my mouth. I guess I was breathing wrong. I surfaced and started all over. I did a little better and swam over a reef which I could see clearly and saw several fish and creatures. I still had trouble with salt in my mouth, and made my way back to the boat. The rest of the snorkelers were about finished and shortly we took off for Club Lanai. We got back there shortly after 11:00 and went ashore for lunch. Laura had gone bicycling and she said it was murder because the path they were on was deep sand and it really got to her legs. We had a good lunch and then went on a wagon ride. On the way back from snorkeling my hat had blown off. They said not to worry, Mica would weave me a new one. The wagon ride was oke and it wandered around over dirt roads. The driver pointed out different trees, etc. When we got back we went to the coconut weaving hut. Laura finished up a real nice bowl, and sure enough Mica braided me a coconut frond hat. We had to leave at 2:15 PM and I didn't think I would get a hat because he didn't finish up the other projects until 2 PM. In 15 minutes, though, he made me a real nice hat. We got back to Lahaina at about 5 PM. Went back to the condo and after a bite to eat soaked in the Spa for a while. 18 October 1993 Monday Up early for trip to Molakai. We checked in at 6:15 AM and boarded shortly after 6:30 AM. We left the dock at 7:00 but didn't go far. The boat we boarded took us out past the breakwater and then we transferred to the Maui Princess. It is too big to dock at Lahaina so they transfer both going and coming back. In the harbor we saw a Japanese Submarine. It was about the size we used in WW II. A navy boat was also in the harbor. It had brought navy personnel and their families for R and R from Pearl Harbor. The trip to Molokai took about 90 minutes. At Kaunakakai wharf we disembarked. Our group was taken in a van by a very knowledgeable guide on a tour. He took us around Kaunakakai which is rather small but a nice little town. We stopped at two of the four churches that Father Damien built -- St. Joseph's Church and Church of Our Sorrowful Lady. Our guide informed me that it is really called Our Lady of Sorrows Church. In an adjoining building, stands a stature of Father Damien carved from Monkey Pod wood. From their we drove to the largest Mango grove in the world <2500 trees>. Here after refreshments, we loaded into a mule drawn wagon, and took a narrated trip to the Ili-Ili- Opae Heiau. This is Hawaii's largest ancient place of worship. It was built overnight by the Menehunes according to legend, but the guide said the stones were moved 81 from a place seven miles away by human labor. It is probably 100 yards x 40 yards and it must have been a tremendous undertaking. It is from 4 to 6 foot thick, and was said to be used as a training site for Kahuna's from all the islands. Very impressive. Afterwards on Mapulehu Beach, we learned to husk a coconut, 82 C/C with McNeil's. They have a good wooden floor. Hank and Lallie Parker were there -- back from their Mainland travels. They are Ruth Elarth's friends and we had danced with them several times in Paradise. 23 October 1993 Saturday Ron took us to Dam's Club and we picked up his motorcycle from Cycle Sports. Talked to Kathleen on the phone. Apparently D.J. had run away because Susan was moving to South Carolina and he didn't want to go. Decided if Susan wanted to talk to us she could find out our phone number and call us. In the evening we went to the Caledonia Society Halloween Party. It was a costume affair and many got into the spirit. They had apple bobbing and other games. Ron won a prize for best costume. 24 October 1993 Sunday Worked on the Concord for a little while and got the carburetor off. Read and napped. 25 October 1993 Monday Had first serious rain of the season. Lightening, thunder, and buckets of water. Laura got up and drove to Ron's at 5 AM. She took him to work so he wouldn't have to ride the cycle. Senior Nutrition for lunch. Stayed at Ron's until 3:15 and then picked him up. It rained off and on all day. 26 October 1993 Tuesday Took Ron to work in AM. Arts and Crafts today. We braided palm fronds into wall decorations that looked like a cubic stiletto. Sr. Nutrition for lunch. In the PM had tires put on the front of the TR6 at Costco. We had dinner with Ron at a Chinese place. Laura got her Costco card as a dependent of a card holder. 27 October 1993 Wednesday At 8:45 we met at St. George's Church 83 to the Highland Country Dancers Halloween party. It was also costume and everyone got into the spirit. It was a pot luck and of course they danced Highland Country dances. It was an enjoyable evening. 31 October 1993 Sunday Went to Randy's and listened to Hank Parker's Jazz Band. There were 7 musicians and they were all good 84 went back to the hotel. Although we didn't have a refrigerator, we made an ice box out of the ice buckets to store our perishables. It worked pretty good.. 4 November 1993 Thursday Ate breakfast in the hotel room. Drove to Volcano National Park. At the visitor's center, we watched a video of the volcanos. Drove to the Sulphur Banks. Steam and sulphur fumes issue from small vents. Walked on a trail, but it only went back to the highway. There were lots of beautiful small wild orchids along the trail that Laura took pictures of. We stopped at Jagger Museum. They pictures of the various eruptions. In the parking lot were several Ne-ne, Hawaaian State bird, a cousin and a smaller version of Canadian geese. They obligingly allowed their pictures to be taken. We next stopped at Halemaumau Crater. It is Pele's home, and is in the Kilauea caldera. We drove the Chain of Craters road. We took a side trip to an area that was supposed to be like an island left between lava flows and to have many birds. It was mostly a take-off spot for hikers. We saw several craters along the road. When we got down to the ocean, we stopped and took pictures of the Sea Arch, and Black Sands Beach. A little further on the lava had flowed across the road, and we could drive no further. We walked about a ½ mile to where the present day lava is flowing into the ocean. We could see the steam rising, but they wouldn't let us get close enough to see the molten lava. It is flowing underground and I guess the only red lava you could see is where it goes into the ocean. We retraced our route back up the Chain of Craters road to the Crater Rim Road. We drove through the Tree Fern Forest 85 of Nov. It was to be at the Eagles Hall, 1 ½ miles south of Keaau on Hi-way 130 behind the girl scout camp. We had found the hall during daylite hours, and drove there at 6:30 PM. We waited until 7:30 and nobody showed. We went back to the hotel and called the telephone number they had listed, but it had been disconnected. So -- we didn't get to square dance. Ate at Harvest House. 6 November 1993 Saturday After breakfast and cribbage, we checked out of the hotel. We walked through Queen Liliuokalani Gardens. They are Japanese decor and beautiful. A Japanese wedding was in progress while we were there. Our rental car was a convertible, so we put the top down and drove up the east coast to Waipio Valley Overlook. You took a 4 wheel drive tour down into the valley, or hike down. Neither appealed to us, so after looking the valley over from the Overlook, we drove to Parker Ranch and Waimea. On to Kailua-Kona and checked in at the Bali-Kai condos. Grocery shopped since we now had an operating kitchen. Bali-Kai also had a swimming pool and Spa, which we used. Their beach was mostly rocks, so we didn't use it. Our condo was nice, with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bath. We ate breakfast and fixed sandwiches for lunch all the time we were on the other islands. It saved a lot on eating expenses. 7 November 1993 Sunday After breakfast and cribbage, we went to the lobby where they had a girl who knew all the points of interest and could answer all your questions. We found that Peggy's primary function was to sign up people for the Kona Coast presentation. We told her we had been to the one on Maui and weren't that impressed. She said maybe the one where we could actually see the condo would be better, and in any case we would have our choice of prizes. One of the prizes was a dinner cruise on Capt Beans boat. We signed up for the 12 o'clock presentation. We then drove to the City of Refuge 86 the ensuing fight he was killed. The Captain Cook Monument is one the other side of the bay and can only be reached by boat. There is a very large and well preserved Heiau there. We next stopped at the Painted Church. It is a unique old Catholic Church, in which the Padre painted murals on the walls and ceiling. The alter makes you think of a cathredral. They have a Steps to the Cross on the outside. We then drove on to South Point, the southern most point in the USA. It is a rocky point with steep cliffs. Supposedly it was the first landing site of the ancient Polunesians. Then back to Kailua-Kona through many more lava fields. That evening we went on our dinner cruise on Capt Beans boat. While we were waiting for the tour bus that was to pick us up, we talked to some other folks that were waiting. We asked where they were from -- Fairfield, Iowa. I told them I had worked at I.O.P. in Burlington. He said he had retired from I.O.P. In comparing notes, we had worked together back in the early 1950's. He was Maurice Roach and he knew and had worked for Mark Wegener and with Joe Lestage, Jim Lewis, Dick Tiemeier, etc. It was an amazing coincidence. They had gone to the Kona Coast presentation and were heading for the dinner cruise. Capt Beans boat was built so the tables were essentially submerged so the table tops were at walkway height. Twenty people were at each table and there were eight tables. The Hula girls danced on the walkways between tables and on the tables too. They were our waitresses too. They served a very good dinner while we cruised Kona Bay. Very nice evening. 9 November 1993 Tuesday After breakfast and cribbage, we drove up the Kohalo Coast. We stopped at the Waimaloan Hotel and walked the Petroglyph Path. We saw many petroglyphs, many ancient but some looked sort of modern. We continued on up the coast to King Kamehameha's statue at Hawi. This was the original statue that was cast. IThe ship bringing it over was lost in a storm, so the statue was recast and erected in Honolulu. Several years later the original statue turned up in a shop in South America, was purchased for $895 and erected at Hawi. We drove on to Waimea. We were going to see the Parker Museum but, when we found out they wanted $10/person, decided we had seen enough museum's. We ate lunch in the shelter near the ball park, where qwe had lunched three days previously. We drove back to Kona, and went to a very good Polynesian show at the Kona Surf Nalu Terrace. We had seen so many Polynesian shows, we were getting burned out, but it was really a good show and well worth seeing. Afterward we looked for manta rays. They shine lights on the lagoon adjacent to the terrace, and manta rays are supposed to be attracted to the lights. They didn't come this evening and someone said the night divers scared them away. We could see the lights of 2 or 3 divers in the lagoon, but no manta rays. 10 November 1993 Wednesday After breakfast and cribbage, we checked out of the Bali Kai and drove back to Hilo. We had to turn in the car at 11 AM so we sat around the airport until our plane left at 3:40PM. Ron picked us up at the airport after his work and took us to Waimanalo. We called McNeil's to see when Don was leaving for Idaho on Thursday. We found he was leaving at 11:15 this evening, so we went back to Nui Valley and I took Don to the 87 airport. 11 November 1993 Thursday After breakfast and cribbage, we worked on the Concord a couple of hours, getting it ready for reassembly of the head. No Sr. Nut. because of Veterans Day. No Rain. 12 November 1993 Friday After breakfast and cribbage, went to Waimanalo -- postoffice and Sr. Nut. Took battery of Concord to Ron's for charging. Picked up torque wrench and Copper Kote. Finished cleaning parts of Concord. Laura did most of it. Got a flu shot at Waimanalo Clinic. 13 November 1993 Saturday Breakfast 88 the Concord. In trying to align the air pump brackets, we brock the secondary bracket. At 4 PM we took Ron's camcorder to the Mid-Pac School of Arts Auditorium. The Royal Scottish Country Dancers had their dress rehearsal at 5 PM and Laura was to videotape it. Ron and Cheryl are members of the Scottish Dancers. 89 came -- Ron and Cheryl Tipton, Bruce McEwen and Lillian Cunningham. A flurry of activity in the kitchen 90 lunch we went to the site of Magnum P.I. We walked down the beach past the house and grounds and then walked back on the street side. Could see very little from either vantage point. Went on to Costco and bought Christmas presents for the family. Took a tool back to Ron, and then went to the apartment of Yvonne and Derek Bickerton, where we will house sit 14 Dec -- 13 Jan. Mostly Yvonne wants her plants cared for. In the evening went to Long's and got rest of presents and wrapping paper. Wrapped gifts for mailing. 1 December 1993 Wednesday After toast, juice, and cribbage, we went to Sr. Nut. Afterwards to Woolsworth for a cup for Ali. Went to Ron's and wrapped Ali's and Rachel's presents. We cleaned up and polished the top frame for Ron's new convertible top. We mailed our Cristmas packages. We compared UPS and Postal Service and UPS was nearly twice as much. In the evening we went and watched the Scottish Country dancing. 2 December 1993 Thursday Toast, juice, and cribbage. Went to Sr. Nut. a little early and listened to the Ukelele sing- along. After lunch went to Aina Haina and I got a haircut and beard trim. In the evening went to Pali Twirlers. Rich Stewart called a good dance. Came home by Pali Highway. Surprisely it is only 2 ½ miles farther. 3 December 1993 Friday After juice toast and cribbage, we got ready to go to Sr. Nut. Don had filled the gas tank and we noticed it was leaking gas. The well had gas in it, and it was apparent that when I punched holes to drain the water, I had actually punched holes in the top of the gas tank. After Sr. Nut. I picked up some epoxy gas tank patch. We sopped out about 2 gallons of gas to get the tank level down below the holes. I cleaned it as good as I could and installed the epoxy patches. About 3 PM Ron called. He had dropped his motorcycle key down in the engine and couldn't get it out. We went to Waimanalo to get his extra key and take it to him. When we got there, he pulled up right behind us. He had recovered his key. After supper < I get an extra lunch from Sr. Nut. and eat it for supper> we went to the Honolulu City Lights Program. They lighted the tree at 6 PM, and then the Light Parade marched down King Street. It was quite impressive. A couple of passing showers dampened the crowds spitit a little but it wasn't too bad. Afterwards we walked down King, Alapai, and Beretania and looked at the light displays. They have a corridor of lights two miles long. The trees have lights twined around them and many animated light displays are presented by various organizations. It was great. 4 December 1993 Saturday After omelet and cribbage, I inspected the gas tank patches. There was a little seepage so I redone the job, with a lot more sanding and cleaning. We went to St. George's for lunch. On Saturdays different churches provide the food. It was very good. Aftersward we drove to Ron's work to pick up the freon unit so Ron could recharge the A/C unit in Don's car. Checked the patching and it seemed oke. Ron showed me how to tighten the belt to stop the squealing. We will take the freon unit back Monday morning and I will pick up the tools I will need. In the PM, I went for a walk. Wind was blowing pretty good. Watched Dr. Quinn in evening. 5 December 1993 Sunday Concord wouldn't start. We assumed the water had worked it's way into the carburetor. We drove to Kaneohe to a Marine 91 shop to get some material that would absorb the water out of the gas. It was out of business, so we tried NAPA. They had 2 such additives. One was isopropyl alcohol and the other said "no alcohol". The NAPA man recommended the isopropyl alcohol, so we got 3 cans, enough for 30 gallons of gas. We put it in the tank, but it still wouldn't start. The repatch of the gas tank seemed to be successful. In the evening we went to the Canadian Dance. A cruise ship with 70 square dancers from Canada had dropped anchor here. We had visions of a great night of dancing at the Ali- Wai C/C 92 the license plate light and I installed it. It should be ready to go now. In the evening we went to watch the Scottish Country Dancers and afterwards went to Alex Trask's apartment. Had lots of goodies and watched tapes of 20 November performance. 9 December 1993 Wednesday After toast, orange segments, and cribbage, we checked out the Concord. It started fine but then seemed to load up. Holding the accelerator to the floor cleared it up. I drove it a couple of miles and then we took it to Sr. Nut. It ran fine, a little tenuous at one time like it was missing but it cleared up oke. Still a little water in the gas I guess. We stopped at Ron's for mail and Laura sewed velcro on his jacket pockets. Got a longer bolt for the idler pulley and a washer to move it over a little to center the belt. It seemed to help the squeal. 10 December 1993 Friday Orange segments, toast, and cribbage. Flurry of activity to prepare for Diamond Heads and Sides Cristmas Party. Joanne asked me to be Santa. Have to practice my Mele Kalicki Maka and Ho, Ho, Ho. Also Hauli Maka Hiki Hou. Went to Sr. Nut. -- then to Ron's work place via Pali Highway to pick up TR 6 parts - then to Costco 93 hot. Then the trade winds came back and we had a month and a half of pretty good weather. We had quite a few cloudy days and lots of passing showers. The last two weeks a low stalled up north and we have had lots of wind, cloudy weather, and showers. I guess it's typical Hawaian winter weather. This evening we went shopping in Kahala Mall and ate at Harvest House. 13 December 1993 Monday After oatmeal, juice, toast, and cribbage, we went to Sacred Falls. No Sr. Nut., since they had a field trip to to Waikulele Shopping Center. We finally found the trail head to Sacred Falls. We walked in about a mile plus to where the road ended, and a rocky trail continued upward. Another sign reiterated that the trail was closed due to danger of flash floods. Laura waited there and I walked on for another ¼ of a mile. It started raining and the trail was slippery so I decided to go back. Never did see the falls. It was a nice hike. Went back to Ron's for mail, then to Costco's for a Polish and soft drink. Only $1.50 and they are delicious. While Laura shopped, I continued lunch on snacks they serve in Costco. They are demonstrating the various foods they sell. On to Long's for additional shopping and then back to McNeil's for a nap. In the evening watched Evening Shade, Love and War, Murphy Brown, and Northern Exposure. 14 December 1993 Tuesday After breakfast and cribbage went to Sr.Nut. for crafts. Jill wasn't there but would be Thursday, so we went to Kailua to the Post Office and Holiday Mart, before Sr. Nut. Back to McNeil's. Don tried to start the Concord, but it had started and then stalled. He had flooded it, so I had him hold the foot feed all the way to the floor. It started but wouldn't clear itself. It seemed to be constantly flooding itself. We finally stopped but the over-rich mixture nearly set fire to the rear seat above the muffler. Took Bickerton's to the airport at 3:30. We are house sitting their apartment and their house plants while they are in the Carribian. They will be back on the 11th of January. Took some tools from Ron's shop back to Waimanalo. It took us 45 minutes to get from Lunililo Home to McNeil's. 94 tomorrow morning. Ron stopped after work and disassemblied and cleaned the carburetor. I will install it tomorrow and see if that corrects the problem. Afterwards Laura, Ron and I ate at Lung Fong's. 17 December 1993 Friday Up at 6 AM. After juice and toast, we loaded up McNeil's luggage and boxes in Bickerton's Tercel. I took Don and Laura took Joanne in the TR-6 and we were off for the airport. Traffic was surprisingly light and we got there by 8 AM. Traffic was heavier going back and we had about 10 minutes of bumper to bumper. Took the Tercel back to Bickerton's, and Laura and I returned to McNeil's in the TR- 6. Had our cribbage game. then to Sr. Nut. In the PM I installed the carb on the Concord. We then went to the Ala Moana Shopping Center. What a mess! It's so big, it's difficult to keep your orientation. Finally bought some presents in Sears and returned to McNeil's. Ron was already working on the Concord making the final adjustments. When it was all together, we tried it, and halleluja it ran. Sounded good to me but Ron is going to do some more checking Monday. We drove it to Nui Valley Center, and later to Hawaii Kai Center and it seemed OK. Watched Picket Fences in the evening. 18 December 1993 Saturday Omelet, toast, juice and cribbage. Laura cooked her casserole, while I loaded the Concord and broke up the wood from the monkey pod tree. Went to Bickerton's and watered the plants and packed the fudge. Drove to Sr. Nut. and had lunch. Got a package of goodies from the Methodist Church and probably the others who serve the Saturday's lunches. Drove to Woolworth's for the reprints and then to Kailua for fireplace logs. Then on up the east coast to Hale Kekela 95 Rachel and Ali, put the turkey in the oven, and went to Cheryl's for breakfast and opening of presents. Back to McNeil's at 11 AM to finish preparing Christmas dinner. Ron and Cheryl arrived at 1:30. Carved the turkey and had a real nice Christmas dinner. 96 less than a mile but a rocky path, 99 stairs, a dark tunnel and dark spiral staircase. Your're supposed to have a flashlight, but we didn't. On top in the old battlement, we had a great view of Waikiki Beach and Honnolulu. Afterwards we went to the movie "Grumpy Old Men". It was hilarious. 5 January 1994 Wednesday After Sr. Nut. we walked Chinatown. It is mostly one big gift shop. Lots of Jade, some figures up to $3000. In the evening went to Ali Wai C/C for a special dance. Supposedly 110 dancers from the east coast -- Mac McCall from Fairfax, Virginia was their caller. Not many of the 110 showed up, but we had a few good tips. 6 January 1994 Thursday After poached egg, toast, and cribbage we went to Ron's to check the mail 97 us to stay at his place tonight, so after toast, fruit cocktail, and cribbage, we packed up and went to Waimanalo. Had a real good lunch at St. George's 98 system, ot the Scottish burr and dialect when they were quoting Robert Burns. The Royal Scottish Country Dancers put on a couple of dances that were good -- Ron danced in one of them. Most of the people at our table were Scottish dancers, so we knew them from previous contacts. It was a delightful evening. Home about 11 PM. 23 January 1994 Sunday Rainy day -- laid carpet in bathroom. Watched football - AFC and NFC Championship games. 24 January 1994 Monday Still raining. Laid carpet in the kitchen and put some props in the sagging bookcase shelves. 25 January 1994 Tuesday After lunch at St. George's, went to Kahala Community Center to help Bill Peters and Stan Burdick at their Caller School. Six callers were signed up. We helped make up the practice squares for the new callers. It was interesting. 26 January 1994 Wednesday After cereal, toast, juice, and cribbage, we walked to St. George's for lunch <1-1/2 miles each way>. Afterwards we drove to Honolulu via Pali. After quite a search we found the shop Ron had recommended for Cheryl's birthday gift. He said it was near K-Mart and was Batik or something like that. It was the Baik. We got a group of 3 clay decorated pots from Indonesia. We drove by the Hotel where Cheryl's lunch is to be held Saturday. Then to Caller's school. They asked us to come back in the evening, so we ate at the Harvest House and went to the final session in the evening. 27 January 1994 Thursday In the evening we went to the Trail-in dance of the Aloha Festival -- 29th. 99 toast, cereal and cribbage, we went to St. George's for craft day. I made a trial design of a vine heart on a piece of fabric. It turned out pretty good so I'll get a sweat shirt and put a vine heart on it for Laura's valentine. Went to Cornet in Kailua; then on to Nutri Cookies on Kapiolani Ave. Laura bought a 22 day supply of cookies and a 30 day supply of vitamins. Returned via Hawaii Kai. Stopped at Costco -- no sweat shirts. Went to Ben Franklin in Coca Marina and got sweat shirt and marking pen. 1 February 1994 Tuesday Nice day but cloudy. Walked to Sr. Nut. In the PM, drove to Olamano Golf Course. Couldn't get on until 2:30 so made reservation for Thursday. Stopped by Bellows AF Station and Waimanalo Beach State Park on the way home. 3 February 1994 Thursday Cloudy day and looks like rain. A few passing showers but we went golfing at Olamano GC. For nine holes green fee was $15.50 including the cart. Not bad but rental clubs cost $20. Laura had to pay $9 to ride along and 4 balls cost $8. They did give me a bag of tees and markers. I shot a 58, not bad for me. It is a nice course and quite long; <2> par 3, <4> par 4, and <3> par 5. The putter in the rental bag was so short, I practically had to get on my knees. Half way through I started using Harry's putter. Harry and Sally were the other couple in our foursome. I used a #5 wood for the first time, and hit quite well with it. Oh well it was fun. Next few days, nothing special - we called Ali on her birthday; helped Ron recarpet the TR-6, spent some time on the beach, and finished the sweat shirt for Laura's Valentines Day present. 9 February 1994 Wednesday After breakfast, we went to Honolulu to have lunch with Cheryl. Before lunch we walked to the Aloha Tower. It is being renovated, but we went in the Pier 4 Arrival and Departure building. They have beautiful murals on the walls depicting the early days of Luxury Liners. We went up on the balcony and looked over the Nippon Maru, a training vessel that has sails as well as engines. About that time we were discovered and told we weren't supposed to be in the building. We went to Cheryl's office and she gave us a tour. She is a lawyer and works for an architect 100 had planned lots of beachtime the last three weeks while staying at Ron's, but the weather didn't cooperate and we have had mostly cloudy weather. After breakfast we drove to St. George's for lunch. It rained all the time we were there so it's well we didn't walk. 13 February 1994 Sunday Finally a nice day. After breakfast, we went to the beach for 2 - ½ hours. At 3:30 we went to MacNeil's. Joanne fixed supper for us -- sort of a "bon voyage". Afterwards we went to the Square Wheeler's Valentine's dance at the Ali Wai. Started raining while we danced and rained practically all night. 14 February 1994 Monday Still raining at 5:30 so Laura took Ron to work. Drove to lunch because of rain. Went to Connie Gayle's in PM for Laura's manicure. Afterwards went to the airport and picked up rental car. 101 can be royally entertained and not spent a dollar in a slot machine or other gambling. Next day, 2nd of March, we went to the MGM and walked around the casino. It is the newest of the casinos on the strip. They have a theme park connected with it but we left it for the next day. In the evening we went to Debbie Reynolds theatre. She puts on a real good show and we enjoyed it very much. Next day we went to the MGM again and went to the theme park. They have many attractions similar to Disney Land with rides, etc. Each day we ate in the various casinos, and played the slots some. I got introduced to Acey Duecy, which is a game similar to Black Jack. I even won $35 at it, but mostly we left a little for the casino economy. We went to the Riviera and played what they call $20 for $40 Action. You pay $20 and play slots until the money is gone. If you don't win anything else you are guaranteed a little boom box style radio. Laura thought it would be nice for Rachel's birthday. We ate in the Aladdin and had a real good prime rib dinner. In the evening we drove over to the Hacienda where their RV park is Coast to Coast. It was jammed but we were able to use their showers and Laundry. We also used the showers in Vegas World, where Waelbrocks and Smoot's had rooms as part of there coupon package. All in all we had a good time with the group and enjoyed seeing them all again. We left Las Vegas midmorning of the 4th, and went to Riverside where we stayed until the 11th of March. Before Ron had moved to Hawaii, he had wrecked his TR6. He had had it stored out Mother Shooks (which was now owned by Laura). Ron had gotten another TR6 in Hawaii, and was having David disassemble the parts that Ron needed in Hawaii and ship them to him. We packaged and shipped several boxes, and packaged several other parts, which we took back to Paradise for later shipment. A body shop from Orange County was to pick up the body, do some work on it and ship it to Ron. I don't know if that ever happened, since Ron took care of that part of the renovation. While there, I played golf with David and Frank, Laura's brother- in-law. visited with relatives and with our good friend, Hazel, had headers put on the rig, and bowled a couple of times with Hazel. We were at her place for a couple of days, and played a lot of cribbage. We had dinner with Aunt Dorothy and Uncle William Rich one night, and visited cousin Billy Rich one day. We saw John and Olive Turrow and Nadine Weber while we were there. We hooked up the Ford Courier, to the rig and took off for LightHouse Marina, our home park on the 12th of March. David had been using the Courier when he worked for the cable company, but he no longer wanted it. After a pancake breakfast, at LightHouse Marina, we returned to Paradise. Back in Paradise, I started playing golf once a week with Ray and Donna Knapp. Bill and Tiny played with us some times. Sure miss playing with Wes Chapman. Both Laura and I started driving the Vets Van again. I drove 15 trips, #76 thro # 91, during the balance of 1994. Back to Senior Nutrition for lunch and exercise classes. Lil French has been leading us since we started out at the Church of the Brethern so long ago. Les Kovach and I have been playing cribbage for .50 cents a game before lunch. I generally lose to him but it's fun and passes the time. Les at one time in 102 Los Angeles sprayed bugs professionally, so he showed me how, I bought a good stainless steel sprayer from Costco, and I now spray each month instead of paying $30/mo. 2nd through 8 April --- Easter vacation, so we picked up Rachel, and headed for Oregon to visit Cora Mae and the Davis's. We had lunch in Klammath Falls and stayed the night at Land of Lakes Resort south of Bend, Oregon. Next day we crossed the Cascades. We went through a snow shower near the summit. Stayed at Chinook Bend, Lincoln City that night. Next day on to Long Beach, Washington. We stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for lunch. Arrived at Cora Mae's in the afternoon, and I and Rachel walked the beach. Ate at 42nd Street Cafe. Next day went through Marsh's Musuem. went over to Astoria for lunch and ate at the Dutch Cup. Rained all day, but we walked the BoardWalk anyway. Laura fixed a nice supper in the rig. Next day we ate lunch at the Senior Nutrition in Ilwaco. Cora Mae volunteers and helps out there. After lunch drove to Salem and stayed in Claude and Eileen's driveway. Eileen fixed a nice supper, and we played Cribbage, Kings Corner, and Penouchle. Next day we drove to Redwood Trails. Rain - Rain - Rain We had nothing but rain the whole week it seemed. Next morning it was still raining and I had pains in the chest, so we headed for home. In Chico I stopped at Northstate Cardiology. I went into Enloe for observation even though the cardiologist said he could nothing wrong with my heart. I went home next morning. The following week, I went to Dr. Reed. He diagnosed my problem as an acid condition and put me on Zantac. At that time Zantac was prescription only and cost around a dollar a pill. Rusty was on Zantac from time to time, and she gave me a Mexican address where I could get the pills for about .30 cents a pill. It wasn't a reliable source, but I got pills from the Mexican druggist for over a year, and finally switched to Pepsid AC when it went over the counter. Anyway it had rained so much on Rachel's Easter vacation that Laura told her we would go again during the summer. Had Pacemaker checked on 12 April. Battery was gone, so they scheduled me for a new Pacemaker on the 18th of April. On the 16th of April we had a house full. Ron and Cheryl were over from Hawaii, and they, John and Kathleen, Harmony all came up from Napa, and Ali and Rachel came down from Quincy. Had a nice supper, breakfast next morning, and after a good visit they all left Sunday afternoon. At 6 AM I was admitted to Enloe, and at 8:30 they took out the old Pacemaker and inserted the new. The surgeon didn't do a great job and the pacemaker did not lay nice and flat on my chest. I told Dr. Wright, my cardiologist, I thought he must have had a hangover. She didn't appreciate my thoughts but did admit it didn't lay very flat. Anyway the new Pacemaker had an exerciser feature. As the body exercises it automatically raises the setting. I told Mr. Parsons, I wanted it set at 70, where my old one had been set. It wasn't right so he raised it to 80. That really made my old heart beat fast, so he lowered it to 60 which seems about right, and where it is currently operating. On the 27th of May, I had my 75th birthday. We celebrated on the 28th which was a Saturday and all the kids would be here. David and Nancy and three kids arrived at 10:30 AM and soon after, John, Kathleen and Harmony; Ali 103 and Rachel; Rod and Michael; and Artand Tamey. I thought that should be enough, but Kathleen asked me to go with her to Pine Ridge Mobile Park to check on some her friends there. She took me to the Rec Hall, and lo and behold -- a surprise party. I was really surprised. In addition to all our kids, Hudson's, Knapps, Carver's, and Kovachs joined in the festivities. It was a very enjoyable birthday. We smelled raw gas in our Taurus, so took it to Geweke for a check. Tank was ruptured and it was obvious, someone had ran over something that caved the tank in. Never did find out who, but had the tank replaced. Insurance paid for it under the comprehensive part of the policy. June 8th we went to Rachel's graduation from the 6th grade. It was quite impressive and I'm sure Rachel enjoyed it very much. Next day we went to Napa for Harmony's High School Graduation. It was at the football field and, while it was a great day for Harmony, there were so many graduates and such a crowd of parents, it wasn't nearly as impressive as Rachel's. On the 10th of June, Ali and Rachel came up, and next morning we all hopped in the rig and took off for Redwood Trails, to fulfill grandma's promise to Rachel. Next morning we had breakfast in the Red Barn, and explored the Big Lagoon and Stone Lagoon -- beach time. Hot Tub in the evening. Next day we drove to Crescent City to the Aquarium. It was nice but quite small. After pie and ice cream, we went to the Trees of Mystery. Then back to Redwood Trails for our third night there. Next day, beach time until 2 PM and then drove through Newton Drury Parkway to the "Big Tree". It was a short hike to the tree, so Laura opted to stay in the rig. As we walked thriugh the Redwoods, we heard a sound like a machine gun, that we decided was a branch falling. When we got back we found it had been a falling branch, and it fell on the rear end of our rig. It broke the ladder and the rail around the luggage area, but didn't look like it had perforated the roof. On the 15th we started for Crescent City and for Noah's Ark near Grants Pass. We had seen it on our Easter trip but didn't have time enough to stop. (another promise to Rachel) About 10 miles out of Crescent City, the fuel pump failed. We had to be towed in and a new fuel pump had to be installed. When the mechanic started it up, it ran fine, but the next time it was started, it flooded out. The mechanic said it needed a new carburetor, but he didn't have the right one. We drove on to Cave Junction and stayed at a USDA campground, Grayback. The next morning the carb was still acting up and we decided not to try going up to the Oregon Caves. Ali and Rachel didnt seem to thrilled about it and Laura and I had been there. So- next stop Noah's Ark. We got there and it didn't open until 10 0clock so we waited. It didn't seem to busy and we soon found out why. The place was closed. We drove on to Grants Pass and stalled out on the outskirts. Got a tow to a filling station that had a mechanic. He figured it needed a carburetor too, but had to order it out of Portland. Next morning delivery. We stayed the night. Next morning we bowled, while waiting for the carb. Guess what - wrong Carburetor. Oh well we saved $738. We decided to make a run for Paradise. The problem seemed to be, if we slowed down, and didn't keep our revs up, it would die, and then not start. We reasoned that we would be 104 very careful in those situations, and keep running until we got to Paradise. (about 275 miles). We made it, and drove directly to Independant Auto. Roy checked the carburetor and said nothing was wrong with it, but did recommend an engine overhaul. He said he wouldn't drive 25 miles in it, the way it sounded. Since we were about to start on our mid-western trip, we did two things. First we contacted our Insurance company about the damage caused by the branch, and arranged to meet the adjuster the following Monday. We got an estimate from Arlin's. Second we had Dennis Sciligo listen to the rig motor. He said it didn't sound bad to him. We had the tires rotated on the rig, and then felt confident we were ready for a 3000 mile jaunt. Adjuster finished up about 1 PM on 20th. 20th June through 26th June (Williams reunion) Left Paradise about 1:30 PM for Arkansas. Blew a tire in Sacramento-- Not a very good start. The helper spring on the left side broke, and jammed between the frame and the tire. We bought a new tire and drove on to Merced River Resort for the night. Next morning in Fresno, Carburetor flooded out. We finally got a guy to look at it. He took the carb apart and cleaned it. The new fuel pump had apparently had foreign material in it and had fouled up the carb. Hopefully now it will keep going. We still have to be very careful in the morning. It starts right up, but if you let it die before it is warmed up, the automatic choke stays closed and you can't start it until you remove the air cleaner and hold the butterfly valve open. This requires removing the engine cover. So-o we are very careful when we start out each morning. We stayed in a rest area between Essex and Needles. (434 miles). Next day 584 miles and stayed in Sandia Crest near Albuquerque. We were trying to get to the reunion by 24th, so drove 500 miles to Cherokee, Oklahoma. Stayed in a truck stop for the night. Had Buffalo for supper. We arrived in Clinton, Arkansas, at 3:30 on the 24th, but couldn't find the Lake where the reunion was to be held. We finally called Neil. He had his invitation, and what do you know, we were in the wrong Clinton. Reunion was at Bucksaw Lake outside Clinton, Missouri. (about 150 miles north). We stayed in Harrison, Ark., at a rest area, and the next morning drove on to Clinton, Mo. and found the reunion at Bucksaw Lake as advertised. We met several Wiggin's and Williams, some whom we had met previously and some new ones. We had a nice supper and next morning, a community breakfast and Church service. By afternoon we were on our way back to Arkansas. June 27th through June 30th (Wes and Dorathy Chapman's) Left Clinton at 7:50 and stopped in Harrison to do the laundry. Arrived at Chapman's at 3 PM. After a nice supper, played cribbage. Dorathy and I played Laura and Wes. They won. For the next three days, had a very enjoyable visit. Wes worked on the generator and found the problem. Changed the oil, and used the DuPont Teflon oil treatment on the rig. Seems to be less noisy and to run smoother. Played a round of golf. I did lousy. Went out to eat several times. Napped and played a lot of cribbage. Wes got a 29 hand. Watched some TV and had a relaxing and fun time. July 1st throughJuly 10th (Neil and Maxines) Left for Neil's at about 8:30. Drove to Perry, Kansas, and stayed at Hendrix Acres. (Cto C) That night had a Bad wind storm 105 and lots of rain. Next morning we took Highway 24 rather than I 70. It was a slower paced drive and much nicer than the Freeway. Lots of debris and downed trees from the storm. Stayed at Rest stop #133 for the night, and arrived in Bridgeport mid-morning. Stopped to see Marge, and lo and behold, Shorty was there. After coffee and a short visit, we went on to Neil's. Next day was the 4th of July. Worked on the rig and tightened the exhaust manifold bolts, sanded the rear bumper, and velcroed the cruise control relay in place. Marge and Shorty came up for lunch and we had hamburgers and weiners. In the evening we went to Scottsbluff for their community Fireworks. There were home generated fireworks all around us, so we got quite a show. Over the next five days, we relaxed and visited. I painted the rear bumper of the rig. We had the front wheels packed and had scheduled a replacement helper spring. Heilbruns forgot to order the spring, so we canceled it. Helped spray weeds, grind corn, and look for a lost calf. A calf had been born but wasn't with it's mother. Laura finally found it in the pasture, but it was dead. Had rain a couple of days and some hail. Visited with Velma and Darrell. She is not well, and she seems to glory in it. Not a pleasant visit. We toured the new City Center Auditorium in Gering, and ate out several times. Played Pinochle and Kings Corner several evenings. Sunday went to Church and Sunday School. The attendance at church is minimal, but the little old church keeps going. In the afternoon went to Elaine's and Rinie's. Had kabobs and three hours of visiting. July 11th through 15 July (Wreatha's, Elva's, Dan's) Drove to Wreatha's via Fort Morgan. Visited with her and Vern, played Kings Corners, and had a nice dinner. Next morning drove to Casper, Wyoming. Elva and her daughter, Bobbie, had a nice supper for us and Justin and Kelly, Bobbie's son and wife. After breakfast in the rig, we played Kings Corner for a couple of hours, and then took a mile walk. Bobbie took us for a drive up on the mountain in the evening. It was a beautiful view. We fed the deer; they walk right up and eat out of your hand. Visited Justin and Kelly in the evening. Breakfast with Elva, then off for Colstrip, Montana. We stopped at the Little Big Horn Battle National Monument. Arrived at Dan's, Neil's youngest son, about 5 PM. Dan took us around. It is a small town and sort of desolate. Had supper at the Country Club. Dan's wife and two boys seemed sort of standoffish, but they had only seen us once before. Toured the Power Plant where Dan is the Chief Operating engineer, in the evening. It is the largest coal burning plant in the United States. Delivers 800 megawatts of electricity from each boiler. Next day Dan came home for lunch and afterwards took us to the visitor center. We took the 1 PM tour to the coal mine that supplies the fuel for the power plant. A huge crane removes the overburden, and a smaller cranes loads the trucks. They dump the coal in a plant that delivers coal of the right size to a conveyor belt that supplies the power plant a couple miles away. A very interesting tour. In the evening, we took Dan, Jean and Cody out to dinner. In the evening walked the dogs. July 16th through July 22 (Sidebottom's, Girvin's, Home) Left Colstrip at 8:15. Stopped in Billings for groceries. Took Highway #87 through Montana instead of the freeway. Not really much to see - miles and miles 106 of nothing. Stayed overnight in a rest area near Great Falls. Next morning drove to Fort Benton. Saw the statue of Shep, a dog who was so loyal to his master, he waited at the place where his master boarded a boat, for the rest of his life. His master never came back, but shep kept waiting. Such loyalty. Saw a reconstructed keel boat, like those that plied the Missouri River in the pioneer days, and a statue of Pioneers. Not much else to see. Back to Great Falls to the Russell complex. It is an Art Center dedicated to Charles Russell, a pioneer artist, who painted many fine works of Indians and cowboy activities. We started for a resort to spend the night, and stopped at the Buffalo Cafe to eat. We discovered we were only a few miles from Plains, where Ralph and Connie Sidebottom lived. They had been members of the Morgan Hill Methodist Church, and good friends while we lived in Morgan Hill. We decided to surprise them and drop in on them. We tried to call but got no answer. We drove to Paradise and Plains. Connie had been ordained a minister, and, though she tried to get a church in Northern California, was unsucessful and ended up as pastor for both Paradise and Plains, Montana. Both very small churches. We finally found their home and rang the doorbell. Connie answered and was she ever surprised. So were we. They had company from California, and were leaving on vacation next morning. Ralph and his friend had gone fishing but arrived home shortly after we came upon the scene. They made us welcome and we had a nice visit, and next morning, Ralph introduced us to his Oatmeal sundae; A bowl of oatmeal, with scoops of ice cream, and any topping you desired, then, smothered in whipped cream. It was surprisingly good. Drove to Cour-de-Lene, and shopped. Then down to Lewiston, and east on Highway 12 to Lewis and Clark Resort. Ate dinner at the resort. Stayed at the resort the next day. Did laundry, went swimming, and napped. Next day drove though Clearwater Canyon. Very scenic and a nice drive. On to Vale, Oregon. Called Rusty Girvin. We went to his place and parked the rig for the night. Had dinner with Rusty and his wife Margarite, Margaret (used to be Parmenter), and Bob and Eunice Girvin. I didn't know any of them very well and it wasn't the greatest evening. Next day we drove to Burns, and stopped for gas and groceries. It was very, very windy. Then on south on Highway 395, through Alturas and Susanville to the rest stop south of Susanville, where we stayed the night. It was windy all night long, and shook the rig. Calm in the morning, and we went on to Halleluja Junction. We called Wayne and Barbara Yoakum from there, but no answer, so we went on to Quincy. Picked up Ali and Rachel and on to Paradise. Arrived at 12:30, after 6264 miles and one day over a month. For the next two and one half weeks, worked around home, had the rig repaired (damage from the falling branch), and went to the doctors. Went to church once and drove the Vet's Van once. 10 August through 19 August, 1994 (Coast w/Smoots and Knapp's) Left for Redwood Trails about 10 and arrived at 4 PM. Had ice cream in the Red Barn and soaked in the hot tub. Next day played cribbage and went to movies in the evening. Movie was lousy, so we left early and soaked in the hot tub. No sign of the Smoots. Next morning Laura was sick, 107 so when the Smoots and Knapp's arrived, they went on to park on the beach. We will join them when Laura is feeling better. In the evening we played Bingo, and next morning joined the Smoot's and the Knapp's on the beach. For the next five days we caught smelt, cleaned smelt, had a fish fry of smelt, and got tired of smelt. They are oke I guess, but are so small and hard to clean, that in my opinion they aren't worth it. Smoot's and knapp's enjoy them and can them. Canned they are like sardines. We played cribbage and a game called 31, both fun games. Played a round of golf at Mckinleyville. Had several pot luck suppers (sort of planned pot lucks). Ed and Greta White stopped by. They saw our rigs and recognized us. We went to the visitor center at the Avenue of the Giants and hiked in the Redwoods. It was an enjoyable week. We left on 18 August for home. Stayed in a rest area north of Williams. Home by 10:30. 598 miles. On August 24th, DAV recognized the volunteer drivers who had been driving the DAV Van to Sacramento and Martinez. The new Van was dedicated, and I had the privilege of driving it down to the Veterans Service Center in Chico. Ralph and Bette Liljedahl dropped by and we went to the Blueberry Twist for lunch on the 25th. They travel considerably and whenever they are in the neighborhood, they drop by. They are good friends. Jubilee time again, and although we were not Wagonmasters, we volunteered to help. John Davis was Wagonmaster, but he was overwhelmed by the job, and appreciated our help. Clyde and Nancy Tynes brought their rig down and helped. This was the second Jubilee and it was easier than last year. We had about the same number of rigs, but we were more familiar with the facilities. Each year should get easier and easier. I guess we are signed up for next years Labor Day Jubilee, the Third Annual. Laura and I were Assistant Treasurers for September. Although I am the Ridge Runners Treasurer, we still take Asst Treasurer at least once a year. We collect the money at all the workshops, classes, and party dances during the month, bank the money, and prepare the reports. For Laura's birthday, her 68th, I baked a cake. Ali and Rachel came up and we had ice cream and cake. In the evening we went to a Marcy Bros. Concert at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. Ali provided the tickets as a birthday present for Laura. It was so - so. Went to Kalico Kitchen afterwards. Rachel is into Soccer, and we went to several of her games. Some are in Quincy, some in Truckee, and some in other area towns. Laura and I both started bowling again, but not on the same team. Laura bowls with Fay Bosserman on the Pin Ups. I sub on Mondays and Thursdays with the Young at Heart and the Fun After Fifty Leagues. D. J. finally called. (It's getting close to his birthday) He had problems with Grandma Susan's husband, and after running away a couple of times, Susan had him picked up and put in Juvenile Hall. The judge had him put in foster homes, and they didn't work out to well. After two or three he ended up in one he liked pretty well. They had animals for him to take care of, and his school work was improving. He said he didn't think he was going to be kept there either. We told him to stay in touch and improve his grades so he could get in College, as we were going to help him with his college education. That was on the 10th of 108 October. We sent him a birthday card with money in it. And that's the last we heard from him in 1994. October 13th -- 26th Anniversary. Had dinner at the Royal Oak, (formerly Ron's and not long for the Paradise scene). Following weekend went to Napa for the Buzz Steppers Anniversary Dance. Next morning Kathleen had an Anniversary Brunch for us. Kathleen had just gotten John through class, and he wasn't to sure about the wonderful world of square dancing yet. October 30th -- Darling's Halloween Party. Pot luck and we all get a pumpkin to carve from the Pumpkin Patch, about a block from Russ and Patty's. It's sort of fun, but guess I'm getting to old to enjoy it overly much. Kenn Reid had an advanced square dance going, so we dropped in one night. Had no problem keeping up with them, but several of them looked anxious until they had danced with us. Had quite a bit of rain in November. Left for Southern California on November 10th. Drove to Lighthouse Marina and stayed the night. Next morning rig wouldn't start. The mechanic at the resort got us going. Starter relay was bad and battery was shot. $141. Arrived in Riverside at 7:55 PM. Next morning separated parts for the TR6. Ronnie arrived at 11 AM, and we ate lunch at Gay and Larry's Mexican Restaurent. Watched David bowl in the evening Next morning Ron and Steve came over in the morning. In the evening we went to Hazel's and played cribbage. We stayed at Hazel's for the next three days. Went to her exercise class, senior Nutrition at Perris Hill, dinner at the Mediterranian, and lots of cribbage. Back to Riverside on the 16th. Called several packagers to try to get the TR6 parts packaged and shipped. Ronnie got together with Jerry from Orange County. He is to pick up the body and frame and do some work on them and then ship it to Hawaii. Ate lunch with Uncle William and Aunt Dorothy at the Golden Corral. Visited Frank and Lorraine Friday morning. Laura's 50th Class Reunion on Saturday evening at the Victoria Club. She saw a few people she had gone to school with and enjoyed the visiting. On Monday, put the bed on top of the rig, and the Transmission, the windshield, dashboard, and box of parts in the rig. We had decided to take them back to Paradise, and ship them from there. We picked up Nancy and the two boys and headed for Paradise. Arrived at 5 oclock -- 538 miles. The VW had been in the shop. Transmission problems. The European Motors Shop had dissassembled the trans and repaired it. Other shops had said the trans would have to be replaced. Saved a couple hundred bucks. We picked it up next day, and checked Nancy out in driving it. She will take it back to San Bernardino, since Laura had promised it to her. (even though she and David had broken up) Ali and Rachel were up for Thanksgiving. We had a house full. Everyone pitched in and we had a real nice dinner. Attendees - Ali and Rachel, Art, Tammie, and Kyle, Nancy, Jaime, and Christain, and Hosts Laura, and Roy. On the 15th of December, Ridge Runners had their Christmas Party. We took Art, Tammy, and Kyle with us. Good dinner as usual. Danced a few times. Next week end Ali and Rachel came up. We got our Christmas tree and decorated it. We ate at the Twi-light Kitchen. Rachel stayed with us until Christmas, but Ali had to go back to work. She has found a part time job cooking at the Senior Center in Quincy, 109 and likes the job very much. December 24th, Ali, John and Kathleen arrived for Christmas. We went to Candle light Service at the Methodist Church in the evening. It is a tradition and I enjoy it very much. After Christmas dinner, John and Kathleen took off for Medford, Oregon to see her dad. To close out 1994, we attended the Ridge Runners New Years Eve party. It was sort of a drag, and we decided it was our last one. New Years day, watched Nebraska beat Miami, 24 to 17. Nebraska is finally National Champion. 1995 ---- We had had the TR6 parts packaged at Sorenson's in Chico, and Ron had made arrangements with Acura to ship them out of Honda - Stockton. We took them to Stockton on the 16th of January, and were finally through with them. Laura left for southern California on the 21 January. She took the Pick-up, and plans to stay until the house on Wallace is sold. David had decided to become an over the road truck driver, and was going to truck driving school. It took her until the 18th of April, and she had to sell it for considerably less than she had figured. The neighborhood had deteriorated so much and real estate was down all over, so she was glad to finally be rid of it. While waiting for the buyers, she started going to the Senior Nutrition in Rubidoux and met some nice people and enjoyed herself. In the mean time, our rainy season started in ernest. We got over 100 inches during the 1995-96 season. (Average is 54 - 55 inches). We had our tax school the last week in January in preparation for the 1996 Tax season. We prepared Tax forms for Seniors each Thursday morning of February, March, and April until April 15th. Ali came up the last week-end of January. When she got ready to leave, her car wouldn't start, so she took the Taurus to Quincy. There I was without a car. Art and Tammy still lived at our place, but were hunting for a place in Chico. I had a couple of crowns put in, and Art took me to the dentist. Ali came back that week-end and her and Mark finally got the starter fixed on Tuesday. I have a car again. I was bowling on a team on Monday afternoon, and subbed nearly every Thursday afternoon. Finished up the season in May, and started up again in September. Our team was called the Ups and Downs, and was quite descriptive. Besides myself, Bob Willet, Betty Leyshock, and Lisa Walterspiel make up the team. My bowling doesn't seem to improve, but I have fun trying. Art and Tammy moved to an apartment in Chico on the first of February. It is so quiet around here. Tammy has such a shrill voice, and when she yells at Kyle, my hearing aids reberberate. On the 3rd of February, we had a one car accident that ended up in our driveway. A young man (probably 17) and his girl friend were cruising west on Nunneley. He said a dog darted across the road, which he tried to avoid. The car turned 180 degrees and proceeded west on Nunneley going backward at a good rate of speed. Skid marks were laid for at least 200 feet, and the car went right through my picket fence and came to rest across our driveway. I'm sure the poor kid was scared to death. He had his Dad's car, but the damage didn't look to be too great. I picked up the pieces of the picket fence, and, over the next week, reconstructed it. It needed re-painting anyway. The boy and his Dad came by the day after thr accident, and offered to pay for the fence, but I told them not to worry about it. I was just glad nobody was hurt. During 110 1995, I drove the Veterans Van 19 times, #91 through 110. I enjoy the driving and helping the Vets. They really appreciate it. Played Penuchle on Wednesday evenings for a couple of months. Enjoyed it but hearing was difficult in a crowded room, and I quit after the first Wednesday in April. Not much golf during the winter months because of the weather, but played with Ray and Donna Knapp and Bill and Tiny Smoots starting in June. They took off in July, and I started golfing each week with Bob McAlister, Linda Merrill's father, in mid July and have continued playing with him till the present (October 1996) and hope to continue for some time to come. Bob is quiet and easy going. He is a good golfer and usually shoots in the low 40's for nine holes. In comparison my score is usually in the mid 50's for nine. We get along good and we should continue playing until I am no longer able to. When we started, I walked the eighteen holes, but as time deteriorated my body, I started using a golf cart for the second nine and finally for both rounds. Finally I got word the the house was in escrow, and escrow should close around April 12 - 15. I got my airline tickets, and left from Sacramento Airport on South West at 9:55 AM on 11 April. Arrived in Ontario an hour and 10 minutes later. Much faster than driving. Laura met me and we went to Senior Nutrition for lunch, and I got to meet some of her friends. Closing of escrow was delayed naturally, but finally on the 19th of April, we got our settlement check. While waiting we visited Hazel and played a lot of cribbage. On the 19th we picked up our rental truck. We took the washer and dryer to Diannes, then loaded up the rest of the furniture and stuff we were taking to Paradise, hitched the pick-up on behind and took off for Paradise, via Napa. We had pie and ice cream that night with John and Kathleen. We unloaded the roll top desk. John plans to recondition it someday. Next morning, back to Paradise. On Saturday we turned in the rental truck. Ali and Rachel came up and we went car shopping for Ali. Laura had always said when she had the money, she was going to buy Ali a good car, so her car wouldn't always be breaking down. We found a 1993 Ford Escort Station wagon that seemed to fit her and bought it for her. Sure seems funny to pay cash for a car like that. (around $10,000) Next morning Laura was sick. She had pains in her groin and lower back area. Finally got her in to Dr. Edgar Clark. While she was gone, her doctor had sold his practice and had moved (Dr. Ephrain Robinson). His replacement couldn't be reached (it was Sunday), and Dr. Clark was on call. He saw her at 6:30, and thought it might be Kidney. She went for a Renal Ultrasond next day, but it was negative. Clark decided it was a muscle spasm. He would'nt refer her to a Chiropractor, since he didn't believe in them. She went to a chiropractor several times on her own, but the HMO, which we now belong to, doesn't pay unless you are referred by your primary physician. She continued to have pain in her groin and up and down her leg. She stopped square dancing because of the pain. She went to cribbage with me one Monday night, but sitting on the straight chairs caused her too much pain, so she didn't try it again. As I write this in October 1996, she still has the pain, although a new chiropractor, (Engler) and physical therapy, which Clark finally referred her 111 to, have helped some. On the 29th of April, we looked at the Toyota Avalon, Ford Crown Victoria, and Ford Taurus. We liked the Avalon very much but it was at least $5000 more than the Taurus. The salesman quoted us a very low price, so we bought our Taurus Special Edition. We have been very happy with it. We gave our 1988 Taurus to Art and Tammey. Now everyone has a decent car. On the 9th of May, we picked up David in Oakland and brought him to Paradise for the week-end. He had been driving eighteen wheelers for nearly a year, and I guess he is going to stick with it. We took him to Sacramento Airport on the 11th and he flew back to Fontana, to pick up his next truck. Art and Tammey were married on 20th of May,1995. They had lived together for a couple of years and finally tied the knot. They had a nice wedding in a friend's back yard. Kathleen, Harmony and John came up to it. After they took off for a short honeymoon, We celebrated Rachel's birthday and had dinner at the Spinning Wheel. We celebrated my 76th birthday on May 27th. Rachel, Ali, Art, Tammey and Kyle had a nice Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner at our house. I got a moustache and beard trimmer. We had looked at recliners and a week later I bought a belated birthday present for myself. A recliner from Sears. On Memorial Day I participated in the Veterans observance. We put up flags for the Avenue of Flags, 3 x 5 flags on a 10 foot staff every fifty feet along the cemetery road. I don't know how many flags are put up but it must be over 200. Small individual flags are put at each veterans grave. Between 10 and 11 o'clock, ceremonies are held to honor the veterans, and organizations place wreaths on the Veterans Memorial obelisk. I placed the wreath for the California Veterans Square Dance Association. We were Assistant Treasurers for the Ridge Runners for June. We collected the money for classes, workshops, and party dances, and deposited it for the Treasurer. We attended the Ridge Runner picnic in June. It was held at the Durham City Park. It is a super place to hold it, Shelter, playground, etc. On the 16th of June we went to Morgan Hill for Michelle's graduation. We stayed in a motel in Gilroy. Her graduation was at Live Oak High School in the football stadium. It was a nice graduation, and afterwards we all went to the Bold Knight for dinner and a celebration. Katie paid for it all. Next day after breakfast, we went back to Paradise via an overnight stay in just right. I guess someone didn't like to be operated on on April Fools Day. It didn't bother us and Laura received her hip replacement in the afternoon, and the operation was completed about 5 pm. She lost a lot of blood, and had several transfusions, a total of three pints. The first few days she was hurting quite badly and they kept her sedated. After six days in the hospital, they sent her to physical therapy. It's still in Feather River Hospital, but is a separate section. I visited every day, and when she felt like it we played cribbage. Ali and Rachel came up twice and visited her. She was discharged from the hospital on April 17th and I took her home. I had installed a helper bar by the stool, and borrowed a high seat from the church that sits over the stool. In effect its raises the seat about 12 inches and has arms which helps the invalid set down and raise off of it. I also got a hand held shower and installed it in our shower. It has a diverter valve so it can be used as a hand 112 held or as a regular shower. We found we could move the high seat from the stool and put it in the bathtub, and it worked great for her showers. It was hard to get into and out of the tub, but she managed. We had another potty chair by the bed to be used during the night. We borrowed a wheeled walker from the church and she used it for the first two or three months. She had about 10 days of physical therapy in the hospital, and the therapist came to the house for five sessions. She said all they did was supervise her exercises, and she didn't need them for that, so they stopped coming. On the 30th of April, Laura went to Dr. Jones, and he x-rayed her hip and proclaimed her well enough to take the plane to Hawaii on the 20th of May. That evening I took the garbage out, climbed three steps to the garbage can, took two steps down, and fell flat on my face. I had missed the last step. No great damage, - broken toe, and badly bruised hand. Dr. Reed taped two toes together and had the hand xrayed. No broken bones but it stayed sore for six months. On the 5th of May we had the bowling play- offs. Our season was divided into two halves, and since we had won the second half, we were in the play-offs, and ended up winning. My share was $15. In addition our prize money was $48, and I won 6th in the sweeper for another $6. Total of $69. Not bad. On Mother's Day weekend, Ali and Rachel came up and I prepared Country Style ribs for dinner. Next day, Mother's Day, we had dinner at Blueberry Twist. Art, Tammy, and Kyle joined us, and we had a nice Mother's Day. Since we were going to Hawaii, and immediately afterwards on our long trip, I turned the Finance Officers duties [American Legion] over to John Schacht. He had agreed to finish out my term which ended on 30th of June, and to be the Finance Officer for 1997-98. We had new signature cards made out and signed. I took another computer class. The instructor was Mr. Couch, who had been D.J.'s Scoutmaster. The class didn't help any because my computer is years older than the ones being used in the class, and the class was so big, we didn't do much besides turn on the machines and do a little typing. Oh well, maybe I can hire Mr. Couch as a tutor to answer some of my questions. On 17th of May went to Quincy for the next birthday - Rachel's. Actual birthdate was 20th, but we were scheduled for Hawaii that date. We went to the park and had a nice picnic in celebration. On 19th we drove to Napa. John had prepared a nice roast in the crockpot for our dinner. To bed early since we had to be at Evans Airporter at 5:45 AM. We made it and the Airporter made SFO in time for us to catch Flt 825. We took off at 8:55 for Hawaii. Arrived at 11:08 their time. Cheryl met us with Leis and hugs. We picked up our rental car, stopped off to say hello to Ron, then on to Waimanelo. When Ron got home we ate at a Chinese place in Kailua. Next day we lunched at the "Shack", then went to the Aquarium. It had been under repair when we were here before. It was a nice little aquarium. Didn't compare to the one at Monterey, but was OK. In the evening we went to the Moiliili Center and watched the Scottish Dancers - mostly Ron and Cheryl. We knew a couple of others from before. Back to our away home in Waimanelo. Ron stayed with Cheryl. I don't think he minded. We had contacted Jo Robello and found out her address. Since we scheduled lunch with 113 her on the 26th, we drove to her place, so we could find her on Monday. We had planned on having lunch at St George's Senior Nutrition, but everything had changed. St. George's had been been condemned. Carol was on vacation, and we couldn't find out about the Nutrition program. Some were held in Kailua, and some in Waimanelo, but we couldn't sign up for some reason. We talked to Carol Hong's mother and finally got to talk to Carol on the phone. The Pali Twirlers had changed their dancing site. The danced at the Rec Hall at the Yacth Club where Hank and Lallie Parker had their condo. We drove past it so we could find it later. We drove to the Punch Bowl, which we had missed on our earlier stay. It was awe inspiring - thousands of graves of veterans - many from the Pearl Harbor attack. They had a beautiful memorial - wall murals and relief maps of the various campaigns of World War II in the Pacific. It was terrific. In the evening we visited the Pali Twirlers. Laura could only observe, of course, but they were short one man for two squares. Guess who was volunteered. The caller was still learning and many of the dancers too. It was raining but it was still an enjoyable. We had a nice visit with Hank and Lallie and arranged to meet them at Cisco's on the 27th, where Hank and his Band had a gig. Next day, the 23rd, we went to Aloha Tower and Marketplace. When we were there before it was being remodeled or I should say renovated, and the Marketplace was being built. It was very nice, but just like all the other malls. In the evening we visited the Diamond Heads and Sides. They have a new caller, Ken Jordan. He is very good and is teaching them some Advanced Calls. We visited with Don and Joanne McNeil, and agreed to house sit for a couple of days. They were heading for Idaho on Sunday, and had a couple coming on Monday for the Bed and Breakfast. Next day was Ron's Birthday. We had celebrated four already and after Ron's only had one more - David's. We met Ron and Cheryl, and Don and Joanne at the Hau Tree, a very exclusive place for a very nice lunch. I picked up the tab and it was a very enjoyable day. Ron's 50th. In the afternoon, we went to the Savers in Kaneohe. It is a huge second hand store, and Laura loves to shop there. Next day, Sunday, we moved to McNeil's. In the evening my birthday was celebrated at the Swiss Miss Restaurant. Ron and Cheryl, Don and Joanne, and Laura and I. We had an excellent dinner and I'm sure it cost Ron over a $100. My 78th. On the 26th the young couple from Iowa City arrived and we greeted them. They had their agenda all planned, and we only saw them a few minutes in the morning and a few minutes in the evening. We picked up Jo Robella at 11:30 and ate at the Four Star Chinese restaurant. It was a nice lunch, and I insisted on paying for it. Jo finally agreed as long as we would have lunch Wednesday and let her pay. Ron and Cheryl came by in the evening, and we got our supper from KFC. Next day was actually my birthday. We went down to the beach and laid around, and put in the only beach time we had on our Hawaiin junket. It was a beautiful day. Many of the other days were rainy or cloudy, so we picked a nice day for our beach outing.. We met Hank and Lallie at Cisco's in Kailua at 5:45, and ate Mexican food, while listening to Hank's Band play. When their gig was over, Hank and one of the band joined us. We had a nice visit. On the 28th we 114 again had lunch with Jo at Brett's in Kailua. It was a very nice lunch and after a visit, we bade Jo goodbye. Ron stopped by in the pm after work and told us goodbye because tomorrow was our departure date. On the 29th we turned our rental car at 11, caught our plane at 12:20, caught Evans Airporter at 8:30, and were back in Napa at 9:40. We stayed at John and Kathleen's, Friday and Saturday. Friday evening we went to the Farmer's Market celebration. It was too crowded and Noisy for my taste, and after eating in a downtown cafe, we went back to Kathleens. Saturday we had a nice breakfast, watched baseball, and had a nice meatloaf for dinner. 1st of June back to Paradise. Prepared for our LONG TRIP. On 4th of June Dr Jones x-rayed Laura's hip and pronounced her OK for a two months motor trip. He did say she should walk at least 10 minutes twice a day. We drove to Quincy and stayed with Ali and Rachel the first night. Next day, 5th of June, we drove to Wells, Nevada. Just as we got in Wells the heavens opened and we had a regular cloudburst. Didn't last long, but we drove thro hub deep water when we went out to dinner. We stayed in a motel that night, and ate breakfast in the motel. We had bought a portable refrigerator for the trip. It plugged into the cigarette lighter, and kept things nice and cool. We had a box of supplies in the trunk for the non-perishables such as cereals, bread, snack crackers, and canned goods. Each night we would take our refrigerator and box of supplies into the motel. Next morning we would have our breakfast, and play our game of cribbage. At noon we would find a city park, or roadside rest, and have our lunch - sandwiches, fruit, snack crackers, etc. It worked out great, and saved lots of money. We usually ate in a restaurent for our dinner. Drove to Salt Lake City next day. When David worked for FFC, his contact at the head office was Greta Ownbey. Laura had talked to her several times, and wanted to stop and say "Hello". We located the office and naturally she was out to lunch. We waited and when she returned, Laura visited for a while. David had left FFC by then, but it was nice to meet Greta. Drove on to Montrose, Colorado. We arrived after dark, but finally located the apartment where Wendy and Bill were supposedly living. No response, so we went into Montrose (the apartment was about five miles out of town) and stayed the night in Super 8. Next morning we went back to the apartment to leave a note, and they were there. They had moved out and were staying with Bill's mother. We followed them back to his mother's place and had a nice visit with Wendy , Bill, and his brother. Since they had no room for us we took off Rifle, Colorado at 11:30 AM. We tried to find Leonard but couldn't find hide nor hair of him, so we drove on to Englewood. It rained hard all the way across Colorado. The Colorado River was really booming, and we saw flooding in several places. We got into Eddie and Wreatha's fairly late, but we had called ahead, so they were waiting for us to go out to dinner with them. Spent a nice evening with them. Eddie had had a knee replacement a month earlier, and Wreatha's emphysema required her to be on oxygen all the time, so we were sort of the Hospital Corps. On the 8th we visited Doris De Chastain Adams in Black Forest, a few miles south of Englewood. Laura had grown up with Doris 115 and they had attended the same schools, but Laura hadn't seen her for nearly fifty years. They had a grand reunion and recalled many things from their childhood. We had lunch at the Red Robin in Black Forest and it was a great day. We returned to Eddie and Wreatha's for dinner and the night. Next morning we left Wreatha's at 11:30 and arrived at Neil and Maxine's about 5pm. While there I left the refrigerater plugged in all night to see if it would run the battery down. It did so I bought a converter so I could plug it into 120 volt circuits when we weren't traveling. We stayed at Neil's through the following Sunday (15th of June). We fixed the church's downspouts one morning. We visited Velma and Darrell one morning and I picked up some Arby's sandwiches for lunch. Christy, Dick and Kathey's daughter, works there, so we visited with her for a bit. In the evening we visited Riney and Elaine and had a nice dinner and visit. We learned a new card game, but I don't remember the name of it, so I guess it didn't impress me that much. Helped spray weeds one morning. Played quite a bit of penuchle with Neil and Maxine. Neil and I played against Laura and Maxine, and we had some rip roaring games. I don't remember who were the champions, so probably they beat us. We had lunch at Ruthies Cafe in Melbeta, and visited the Chimmey Rock Musuem that afternoon. It's small but is a nice museum. On Saturday, we went to Gering. I got a haircut and we ate at the Giggling Gourmet, a nice little sandwich shop. In the evening we went to an ice cream social at Hull church in Banner County. Had a real hard rain while we were there. In fact we had rain three of the seven days we were at Neil's. On Sunday we went to church. Attendance was low, and it seems like the church may disappear when the current attendees die off. No young people at all. In the afternoon we had a picnic for all the relatives. Dick and Kathie, Elaine and Reinie, Margie, Rick, Connie and Alex, Jama Lee Steve and Lacey, Paul, and Christy were in attendance. It was a real nice get-to-gether. All in all it was a nice week. Next morning we took off for Holdredge, by way of Cabella's in Sydney . It is the greatest sporting goods store in the world -- bar none. It is a huge high ceiling building and the walls are covered with mounted heads and fish. They have a small mountain in the back of the store that is covered with mounted deer, elk, mountain goats, and many small critters. With the trees and such it looks so natural, it is just mind boggling. They also have a wide selection of merchandise to sell to you. It's quite a place. We arrived in Holdredge about 3:30. We knew that D.J. went to work in KFC at 4:00, so we were waiting for him. He was really surprised. We ate supper there, and then got us a motel for the night. We picked D.J. up after his shift and went to a park and visited. He had left Debbie and had struck off on his own. He had also left Highschool and wouldn't graduate with his class. We had known that by calling ahead to his school counselor. His teeth were in terrible condition. He promised that he was going back to school so he could graduate. We emphasized again that we would help him with college expenses and told him we would get his teeth all fixed if he would go to a dentist. He agreed and next morning we met with a dentist, who agreed to do the work and bill us for it. D.J. is so tall and skinny, but so was I at 116 that age. We pray that he will indeed straighten his life out. He did keep his dental appointments and we spent about $1700 on his teeth. Next morning we drove on into Iowa and stayed in Creston at the Happy Hollow Motel, a very nice place operated by a retired couple. Cheaper and better than Motel 6, etc. We called Mark and Leona Wegener from there so they would be expecting us next afternoon. We ate lunch in the Ottumwa City Park and arrived at Mark's about 2 PM. He took us for a ride in his 1958 Fairlane Skyliner, a retractable hardtop convertible in perfect condition. I asked him what it cost him and he figured about $800 - he had bought it new and had kept it all those years. A couple of years ago he had gotten it out of the garage, put in a new battery, and fired it up. Ran like a new car. It had a couple of dings, which he had repaired, and then made the mistake of getting a new paint job, instead of matching the original paint. That cost him Best of Show in Kansas City, because it wasn't original. It was great cruising around Burlington with the top retracted. We drove by 183 Indian Terrace, where Theda and I lived when we were there. It looked the same, even the flat top garage I had built. Mark barbequed fish for dinner. Next morning (19th of June) we had breakfast in Perkins Park with a group from their church who had monthly breakfasts together. It was enjoyable. In the PM Mark bought a 1969 Mustang Convertible to restore. It looked in fair shape, and we moved it to Leona's mothers garage for storage. We took them to Gator's for dinner, and we watched Mr. Hollands Opus in the evening. Next morning we told them goodbye, and drove to Nauvoo and toured old Nauvoo where the Mormans had stayed for several years before their migration to Utah. It was interesting and we picked up some literature for Morman friends or relatives. On to Galesburg, Illinois to visit Jerry and Emajean Stambaugh. I had worked with Jerry at LPC. When the plant was closed, he went to AeroJet General. He had suffered a stroke which paralyzed him around 1990 and he and Emajean moved to Galesburg to be near their boys in 1994. We arrived about 2:30, and of all things got lost in a parking lot. We drove by the Retirement Home where they live, and I figured - no sweat -, I would pop a u- turn through the parking lot of what looked like a college of some kind. We got in oke, but couldn't find the exit. Every time we got close, it would be a one way off of the parkway instead of on the parkway. We finally found an exit and got to their place. We had dinner in their dining room, and had an excellent meal. We played scrabble in the evening. It was surprising to see Jerry able to play scrabble. He can only say a few phrases such as yes and no. He is better then when we had last seen him in Sacramento, but it is heartbreaking to see him not able to express himself. He was such an intelligent man. I guess I am more afraid of stroke than anything else. We stayed in the Home's guest room for $32. It was a very nice facility. Next morning after breakfast, we took off for Allegan, Michigan. When we got into Indianna, we were surprised to find the speed limit on the freeways at 55 mph. All other states, before and after, had raised their limits to 70 or even 80 mph. We got into Niles, Michigan and ate supper. We called Earl and Marie Gardiner, from there and told them we would 117 come on in but would be late. We arrived in Allegan about 8:30 and finally found their place about 9:00PM. Naturally it was raining. Next day the park manager, Charlie, had a birthday, so the park celebrated it with a pot-luck. It was a good one, and although he is diabetic, Earl ate two huge pieces of cake. He and I went on a couple of walks. His eyes are getting real bad. In the evening Marie retaught us Pedro and Pepper. On Monday, 23rd of June, we went to Kalamazoo for Earl's eye appointment. He had had one eye operated on and was getting ready for an operation on the other one. He said the first operation made his eye worse. The doctor said his eye condition was caused by the diabetes and was macular degeneration. We napped, took a walk, and played Pedro and Pepper in the evening. Next day we watched a video of Mackinac Island. Marie, her grand- daughter Christa, and Christa's mother-in-law had taken a trip to the island and video-taped it. After a nap we drove to Amber Inn on Gunn Lake for dinner. Nice place and nice dinner. Pedro and Pepper in the evening. Next morning had ham and eggs for breakfast, and played Pedro. Christa came for lunch. In the afternoon, we went shopping in Allegan. Pedro and Pepper in the evening. Left Allegan next morning (26th of June) and drove to Columbus, Ohio. Ate at Bob's Big Boy. Called Rachel. Laura had agreed to call her every 10 days or two weeks. During each call they would agree on the next date. That way we sort of kept up with what was going on. We also called Tammy each Sunday to keep up with the mail that had came in the previous week. Arrived in Dares Beach at 7 PM. Long day - almost 500 miles. We took the belt way around Washington D.C. just at the 5 oclock rush. Lots of traffic. Dares Beach is about 5 miles north of Prince Frederick. We ate at the Ponderosa in Prince Frederick and ask questions. Peg had said that they would probably be at baseball practice, and had given directions to the practice field. After eating we started looking for the school where they practiced, and found it about 9:00 oclock. Surprisingly it wasn't dark yet. A woman and a couple of boys were still at the field and it turned out to be Peg and Stratten. We followed her home - about ten miles. It seemed odd that the practice was so far away, but Peg volunteered at that school, and the team Stratten played on was sponsored by that school. Bill got home shortly afterward, and after a short visit we hit the sack on the sleeping porch. Bill is Laura's brothers youngest boy. He is an attorney and after being an aid to the representative from Montana for several years, joined a lobbyist organization after he got his degree. Commuting to D.C. and sometimes haveing to work late made for long days. There place in Dares Beach is nice but unfinished. With both of them working, (Peg is a substitute teacher) it takes a while. They have a real nice yard and garden, and it is obvious that the garden and Stratten's athletic activities have the highest priorities. Next morning more baseball practice - they are getting ready for the all star game and Peg is the Coach of the all Star team. In the afternoon we took a boat ride to Parker's Creek, about a mile from Dares Beach. Mailed an electric knife to the Gardeners in appreciation for our visit with them. In the evening we went to Rockey's for Crab cakes. Good but 118 expensive. Next morning we went for a walk on the beach. Chesapeake Bay is real nice. In the evening Bill took us into DC to an indoor soccer game. The professional teams, Warthogs versus the Sidekicks from Dallas played. It's a really fast game because the ball never goes out of bounds. They play the rebounds and keep on playing. Afterwards Bill took us to Adam's Rib for a rib dinner. It was great - very good ribs. Left Dares Beach next morning (30th of June). Drove to Florence, South Carolina and stayed at Young's Plantation. Very nice Motel and we ate in the Magnolia Dining Room - very good. Next day we stopped in Beaufort to see the Don Gatch Memorial. The Chamber of Commerce were very helpful, but we never found the Memorial. Library had a file on him about his work among the Negros. We later found that the Memorial was in Hardieville, S.C. Drove on to St. Augustine, Fla. and arrived in a rain storm. Next day we traveled on US #1 for a while, then shifted to US #95. A little less traffic -- but the same rain storm. Arrived at Elva's in Lauterdale Lake at 3 PM. She taught us Clean and Dirty and then fed us a nice supper. On the 3rd of July, took the car to Tire Kingdom for alignment and oil change. In the afternoon we went to the bowling alley with Elva for her Thursday Bowling. A group get together and bowl, so I joined them. With alley shoes and ball I did lousy, but it was all for fun. Jenine came home with us and stayed for supper. Next morning we went to the Flea Market/ Circus. It is a quite an extensive flea market, and at 11 AM we sat down and watched a little one ring circus perform. Had a nice lunch of left- overs, and then watched a baseball game. Played shuffleboard on the condos court, and then more Clean and Dirty. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for supper. Laura's Debit Card had expired and her new card had been mailed to Paradise. Laura told Tammy to mail it to Elva's address. We figured it would surely be there by Saturday. It wasn't so we did the laundry, read, played Clean and Dirty, went swimming, and had a hamburger fry. Sunday we bowled again, watched baseball, swam, and played Clean and Dirty. As you can see, we had a good, restful visit without rushing to see something. We had told Elva when we arrived, we had seen all the sights we wanted to in Florida, and all we wanted to do was relax and visit. Next day we went to Stacey's Buffet for lunch. Nice but since it was a buffet we ate too much. The debit card didn't arrive in Monday's mail, so at 4 PM we left for Florida's west coast. The debit card never did arrive because Tammy had mis-addressed it. We drove to Sarasota and stayed at the Cadillac Motel. Called Peg Sanders and got some rather complicated directions to her place, which is a few miles out of Monticello. Next morning (8th of July) drove to Monticello and located Peg's after wandering around the county for a spell. The directions weren't so bad after all. We knew she wouldn't get home from work until 5:30, so we drove into Monticello and Laura got a hair cut. The hair dresser said there were some Gatch's in town that were printers. Naturally while she was in the beauty shop, it started raining. We found the print shop, and had a nice visit. He spelled his name with an E (Getch), but he was sure we were related. Peg got home a 5:30, just after Cecile let us in and re-introduced herself. She barely remembered our 119 visit in Oregon as she was only four then. Had a nice visit with her and Peg and a nice supper. Peg and Sandy had split up the previous year, and Sandy was staying in an old mobile on a neighboring farm. Peg said he knew we were coming and might drop by next morning. He didn't though and we bid Peg and Cecile good-bye next morning and took off for Brundage, Ala. Arrived at Bob and Maxine Fields just after lunch. They have nice mobile on several acres about a mile from Brundage. It is part of the property that is owned by their daughter and her husband, who have a beautiful house about a quarter of a mile away. Next morning we toured the farm and the town of Brundage. Went to Ozark, and visited Fort Rucker, a Helicopter training center. They have an Air Force museum there and many old planes are displayed. We ate at the Golden Corral in Ozark, and went home and played a new game called Mexican Train, a domino game. Lots of fun. Next morning we drove to Milton, Fla., home of Klein and Helen Fowler. Visited and watched a ballgame. Klein's health is not good, and Helen and Laura had a good visit, but we only stayed two nights, because Helen said it bothered Klein to have us there. We left Sunday morning and drove to Lafayette, La. It rained very hard that evening, and I guess the fringes of a hurricane hit Milton that evening. We ate in Shoney's and were disappointed in it. Monday the 14th of July we drove to Columbus, Texas and made contact with Wanda Edwards. We had met her and Jim on the Mexican tour and kept in contact with them through Christmas cards. The last card had said something to the effect that Jim was gone, and we had assumed that he had died. To our surprise, Wanda said - Oh no. he just left me and is living down in Lake Jackson. We are divorced and Jim has remarried. We had dinner with Wanda and then back tracked to Sealy and stayed the night. From there we headed south for Lake Jackson and made contact with Jim. He is the much nicer of the two, and we stayed two nights. The first evening, Leola, or Lee as she prefers, prepared a Gumbalaya dinner that was really good. Jim makes up a big batch of it and freezes up meal size batches. Next day we drove around Lake Jackson for three or four hours, and had some root beer floats. Jim had two or three semi- seizures that worried Lee, but he would snap out of them almost immediately. Lee arranged to see a doctor next morning, and we ate out at the Red Lobster that evening. Next morning Lee fixed a great brunch - sausage, bacon, eggs, juice, biscuits, etc. We met Jim's Grandson Jimmy of whom he is very proud. I think he was sixteen. We left at noon. We enjoyed our visit very much. They are a great couple. Arrived at Nell Webb's at 3:30, about 70 miles north of Houston. Jack had died the year before and Nell was still weepy. They had had a great life together. Nell with the help of a farm manager, and her brother was keeping the ranch going. They were into Beef Masters. They used invitro fertilization, and implanted the fertilized eggs into ordinary range cows, and the results were a blocky red calf that could either become a Beef Master Bull, or a Beef Master cow that produced eggs for the next cycle. Some of the bulls were worth $100,000. Nell fixed some delicious pork chops for supper. Next day had a great visit. We had met Nell in Redlands 120 where she had a dry cleaning plant, and Kathleen worked for her. She thought the world of Kathleen and we met her at the shop one time. We had visited her and Jack in Texas a couple of times before. She fixed Corned Beef and Cabbage for supper, my favorite. Next day we called Wes and Dorothy to make sure they would be home. Affirmative. Nell had invited Paul and Judy, her Ranch Manager, and Earl and Edna, her brother, for a steak fry. It was super. Afterwards we played Pitch, first time I had played since I was a kid, but it came back fast. It was a great evening. Next morning after breakfast, she loaded us down with clothes. I got a pair of Jack's boots that probably cost $150. The rest were clothes that some of the kids could wear. We left at 9:00 for Livingston, Texas. (20th of July) We had lunch with Kenny Burns and his wife Jan. Kenny is Leonard's brother, but is much more responsible. After lunch we drove on to Texarkana, Texas for the night. Left Texarkana at nine and drove to Conway, Ark. We checked out the Courthouse, which Laura believed her Grandfather had helped build. Drove on to Wes and Dorathy Chapman's and arrived at 3:30 in Mountain Home. Played the first of many games of cribbage. Laura called Rachel. we stayed at Wes and Dorathy's for four days. I had brought my golf clubs, but found that Wes didn't play golf anymore. Next day we shopped at 101 which is a large variety store. It's fun to brouse in it. We stopped at a craft store to look at a Mouse, that Laura had admired at Dorathy's. It covers up the vacuum sweeper. Laura didn't like the Mouse they had in the store, and got the name of the lady that makes them. She was on vacation and would be back in a couple of weeks. In the evening we went to the Lone Wolf for dinner. It was a new place and featured Cajun cooking. It was a major disappointment - It was expensive, but the food wasn't that great. Wes got Jambalaya, but it was different then any he had had before. Laura got Alligator tail and expected a piece of meat she could share with us. She got a sort of stew that wasn't that good. Oh well - we went home and played cribbage and that was oke. Next day I got a haircut and we shopped the National $ store. In the evening Wes took us to Hoppers for Ribs, and they were excellent. More cribbage. Next day we played cribbage in the morning, cooked hamburgers, played more cribbage, and switched to Arkansas Rummy. Left Wes and Dorathy's on 25th of July. Played more cribbage in the morning and had strudal and doughnuts. Left after lunch. Very enjoyable four days. Arrived at Shorty and Elizabeth's about 3:30 in Kimberly City. We went to Michaels for dinner. Next day Shorty toured us around Kimberly City and Bransom. We went to Silver Dollar City where Elizabeth works, and then allover Bransom. Shorty stopped at one Theater where an oriental violin player performs. He had us go in the rest rooms, and they were the fanciest I ever saw - gold fixtures, overstuffed sofas and chairs, and beautiful wall decorations. We went to the College of the Ozarks and drove around the campus. We went to an overlook which was high enough so we got a nice view of Bransom. We went in several Theater lobbies, but didn't go to any of the shows. We met Elizabeth at the Golden Corral and had dinner. It is a buffet and as usual I ate too much. While there we attended a lounge show put on by Allen Edwards. It was 121 oke but not outstanding. In the evening we played Mexican Train. All in all a very nice visit. Next morning we went cross country and caught the Tulsa Turnpike ($3) to Tulsa and then followed Route 66 into Oklahoma City where we spent the night. Route 66 wasn't as fast a road as the Turnpike, but it was free and went through small towns so was much more enjoyable. We called Helen Prince that evening, and got Gary, her son. Helen had passed away the previous April 21st, and Gary hadn't known how to get in touch with us. So we drove on through the Texas panhandle all the way to Moriarty, New Mexico, nearly 500 miles, and spent the night. Lots of rain all day long. Next stop was Show Low, Az. We drove around until we found where Randy and Shirley Goins lived. Wouldn't you believe it, they were on a trip of their own. We left a note, and drove on Marana, Az. We went through Salt Canyon, and it is beautiful. More rain. We stayed at the Red Roof Inn, because cousin Maxine Elder didn't have extra room. We ate at the Waffle House, and it was great. Next morning we finally found Maxine's place. It was really junky and worse than Kenny and Jan's place in Livingston. I don't see how people can live like that. We visited for an hour and then hit the road for Needles, Ca. We didn't call Betty Liljedahl in Mesa, because we knew she was visiting in California. We'll visit her next spring. It was a long day to Needles due to the late start. We stayed in Motel 6. Next day, 31st of July, drove to Button Willow for lunch. Tried unsuccessfully to contact Grant and Gay Whitford. It's been a while since we were in contact, so maybe they have passed on. Our batting average the last part of the trip has been very low. Continued on to Morgan Hill and took Tom, Rita. and Amanda Auser out to Pizza at Round Table. Played cribbage. Tom beat me 7 out of 10 games. Since Amanda was staying with Tom and Rita, we stayed at the Economy Inn in Morgan Hill. Back to Auser's. More cribbage - this time I won 12 of 23 games. We took Rod, Michelle, and Michael to Lyon's for dinner, and left Morgan Hill for Napa at 9:30 PM. We knew John and Kathleen were in Hawaii, but we thought Harmony would be there. We got to Napa about 11 PM, but no Harmony. We knew where the spare key was so we stayed the night. Arrived back in Paradise on the 2nd of August. We covered 10060 miles in two days short of two months. It was a great trip. During the month of August, I uncovered the rig, and checked out the batteries. The deep cycle battery was taken out of the rig and checked by Schwab. It was pronounced dead and since it had exceeded its warranty, was replaced. The battery for the engine was a four year battery and was only two years old. Took it to Paradise Auto for a check. They pronounced it dead and suggested I take it to K-Mart for adjustment. K-Mart said although they sold Exide, they didn't handle the model that I had. I finally found the number of the distributor. He was in Anderson, and was most helpful. He said he would be in Chico the following week, and would contact me. He suggested I put the battery back in the rig, and put it on the charger over night. I was dubious but tried it, and voila, the rig started right up. I started it several times over the next few days, and finally decided Paradise Auto just wanted to sell me a battery. Prepared for the Jubilee - walked the fairgrounds and absorbed the changes that had been 122 made. On the 28th of August Laura and I took the rig down and set up. First square dancer arrived at 12:15, and in all I parked 16 Square dancer rigs, 3 Vendors, and 4 committee members that afternoon. Next day Max Maxwell was on hand to help. Gino Catteran also helped and 58 more square dancers arrived. Actually the rigs arrived in such a fashion that I could have taken care of them by myself if I had had to. The attendance of rigs was down from last year by 30% and we figured the callers would call a halt to the Jubilee. Though they surprised us and decided to do it one more year at least. On Monday we cleaned up and had a farewell breakfast at Blueberry Twist, and returned to Paradise. Next day, 2nd of Sept, we loaded up the pickup, hooked it up to the rig, and headed for southern California. The pickup had failed the smog test the previous May, and rather than spend money on a cylinder head overhaul (burnt valve), we gave the pickup to David and were using it as a trailer to transport his stuff back to Riverside. We drove to Light House Marina the first night. Laura followed in the Taurus. We considered renting a car in Riverside, but a few telephone calls convinced us it was cheaper to drive the Taurus down and have a more comfortable car down there. Next day was a tough day - 577 miles to Nuevo. We arrived at 9 PM. No one was home at David's, so we set up the rig and adjourned for the night. David was on a run to Phoenix and would arrive home on his birthday, 5th of Sept. Dianna and Rayna came home during the night. Next day we had lunch with Aunt Dorothy at the Golden Corral. Had a nice visit and then went to Frank and Lorraine's in the afternoon. Visited for a while, then went over to Warren's and met his new wife, Chris. We toured his house. He and Chris are doing a lot of work on it and it is very nice. Later in the afternoon we visited Hazel at the convalescent hospital. As Rick had told us, she was completely comatose and didn't recognize us. They had her listed as Helen instead of Hazel. We corrected that, but it didn't change much. We went back to see her again next morning. It was the last time we saw her. She passed away on the 10th of September. They didn't have the funeral until the following Monday and we had to be back in Paradise. It was so sad to see Hazel like she was, and I'm sure she is much happier now that she's back with Larry. They were such good friends for so many years. We will miss them. Back to David's where we unloaded the pickup and pulled it to a location we thought he would approve of. Located the rig in a more convenient spot. David arrived home at 6 PM and we had ice cream and cake for him, to celebrate his 44th birthday. Saturday we went to Donnie's in Garden Grove. David went with us. We met Julie, who Donnie was living with and later married. We visited a couple of hours, and stopped at a big computer store on the way back to Nuevo, so David could get something he needed for his computer. Next day we contacted Del and Trish Carney, who Laura had worked with at the city of Riverside. Del had retired and we met them for brunch in Rialto at Billie T's. Had a nice brunch and visit. They have a nice mobile in Rialto. In the afternoon we drove to Redlands and visited Jim and Diana (Neil's daughter), and after a visit and ice cream, drove on to Beaumont and visited Julie Rogers. Julie had married Will Rogers, our Best Man, 123 after Elsie died. We had seen Will and Julie on a previous trip. Will had subsequently died and we felt we should see Julie on this trip. She was cordial but you could feel that she really didn't want to see us. Home by 5PM. Next day I fixed Rayna's bed, we visited the Salvation Army, and we drove to Lake Perris in an unsuccessful attempt to locate Phyllis Williams. Back to Nuevo and dinner at Jennie's. Laura's birthday - went to DMV to transfer the pickup and got the car washed. We had called the Nusbaum's and had arranged to be at their place that afternoon, in Vista. We got there about 4 PM, and after visiting for a while, we went to Mollie's for dinner. In the evening we played Chicken Trace -- similar to Mexican Train. Next morning we went to the Activity Center, where Bert conducts an exercise class. We did some of the standing exercises, but mostly we watched. They had found one of the old mission bells, and had it mounted at the entrance of the park. After the exercise class, they had a dedication of the bell and a reception. By then it was lunch time, and we went to the Mission for lunch. It is a senior nutrition deal and we had a nice lunch. After lunch we returned to Nuevo. It was a nice visit but talking to Bert and Helen is a bit wearing. They have so much and have gone to so many places, it gets tiresome listening to them. Anyway I think Laura agrees and she was ready to leave. When we got back to David's, Rick called and told us Hazel had passed away at 5:45 AM. Goodbye dear Friend. Next morning we left at 8 for our return to Paradise. We had gotten a C.B. from David but it didn't have an antennae, so we went to Radio Shack and got one that attached to the top of the car with a magnet. We checked it out and it seemed to work, so we figured to have contact with each other during the trip back. It worked after a fashion, but I had difficulty receiving because of my hearing aids. When we gassed up in Bakersfield, we switched drivers, and I drove the Taurus. It worked better that way and we got some use out of the system. We arrived at Light House Marina at 7 PM --449 miles. We had a nice dinner at the Lighthouse Marina Restaurant. Back to Paradise on 12th of September -- total round trip 1157 miles. On Saturday we drove to Portola and watched Rachel's soccer team beat Portola in a shoot - out. Score was tied at the end of the regulation game, so three girls from each team take turns taking a free kick. Rachel was one of the girls and she kicked a goal that helped Quincy win. She was really thrilled and of course her grandparents were too. We ate in Portola and then returned to Paradise. On the 18th of September we took the rig to Antelope Lake and joined Wayne and Alice Putman for a couple days of relaxation while they fished. Alice used to be Jackson and we had been friends for twenty years. We arrived at 11:45 AM. It had taken us 2 ¾ hours. It's only about 90 miles from Paradise but much of it is curving uphill roads, and is slow going. They had just gotten back from a morning of unsuccessful fishing, and we played cribbage and visited until a potluck supper. That night it hailed and rained and turned cold. Next day Wayne and I drove to Susanville while Laura and Alice visited. Fishing was bad, so we had a dinner of Impossible Bacon Pie and salad. We played cribbage and Triominos. Next morning we broke camp and drove to Quincy for another 124 soccer game. We thought Wayne and Alice were sleeping in and left without saying goodbye. Later Alice called and said they were awake when we left. Anyway Quincy beat Incline 1-0, and if they win their last game they will be in the championship game. Bowling has started again and I am trying again. Same team - Ups and Downs - with Betty Leycock, Lisa Walterspiel and Bob Willet. Had a grass roots cribbage tournament to start off the season. We play every second and fourth Monday during the winter (Sept thro June). For $6 we play nine games. The winner usually gets $75 or $80 depending on how many are playing. We usually have about 48 players. Anyway on this first night of the season, I ended up with 14 points and won 5th which was worth $10. I generally end up with 10 or 12 points, not enough to win but above the average. American Legion -- Meeting first Wednesday of each month. I am also on the Executive Board as a member at large. We meet the third Wednesday of each month. I am also the alternate delegate to the Paradise Veterans Council for Post #259. We meet the first Friday of each month. The Legion and the VFW have a joint Firing Squad to provide Honor Guards and 21 gun salutes for Veterans funerals. During 1997 I have been on the Firing Squad for nine Funerals. Veterans Van -- Due to our long trip, I only drove the Van seven times in 1997. On October 13th we celebrated our 29th Wedding Anniversity with a dinner at Pinochios. On the 23rd of Oct. we drove to Napa to celebrate Harmony's birthday the following day. Kathleen had gotten tickets on the Wine Train dinner trip. We rode the Vista Dome and had a very nice dinner. We got a check for $134 but Kathleen convinced them she bought tickets that included dinner, so she only had to pay for the wine that Harmony had ordered. Next day we celebrated Harmony's birthday with a breakfast and then returned to Paradise. We picked Art up in Chico. He had gone to Hollister to check on a job. He and Tammy had gotten a divorce, and he decided to go back to Hollister where he had several friends. He got the job and will move November 17th. On 25th of October, to Quincy. Rachel's soccer team had won their division and played Greenville for the Championship. They lost 4 - 0, but they played hard and did their best. We ate in Greenville before returning to Paradise. Marlins won the World Series. They knocked off the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees along the way. Fender bender on 7th of November. Didn't look so bad, but when Wittmeier finished up it was over $3000. Veterans Day dinner that evening. On the 11th we had a Veterans Day celebration. I was on the Firing Squad. Nice celebration. I was Litergist on Nov. 23rd. I go to church once a month and go to Methodist Men's luncheon each month. We picked up Rachel and Stephanie at Tobin. They will stay until Thanksgiving. We bought a complete Thanksgiving dinner from Safeway and took it and the two girls to Quincy on the 23rd and had an early dinner with Marvin and Ali. Returned to Paradise after breakfast on Thanksgiving. Had our Thanksgiving dinner at Spinning Wheel at 4 PM. Had the Ridge Runners Christmas Party on 11 th of Dec. It is a pot luck with the club furnishing the ham. It was nice seeing a lot of the club members again. On the 13th we drove through the Drive through Nativity presented by 125 the Methodist Church. It was oke but didn't seem as impressive as the first time we saw it. On the 14th, Sunday, I was a timer at the American Legion sponsored Oratorical. Four students, three boys and one girl, from Paradise High School orated. First was a 10 minute speech on what it means to be an American, and then an extemperaneous three minute speech on a subject given them ten minutes before. The winner, Taylor Turner, will advance to the district, and then to the Regional. Taylor advanced to the Regionals because he had no challenger at the District. He took third in the Regionals. On the 19th I helped with the Legion Christmas baskets distributed through the Help for People organization. We attended the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at the Methodist Church. It was nice and something I enjoy every year. On Christmas day we enjoyed a very nice dinner and talked to all the kids on the telephone. Jan Sperry, one of our neighbors, got married. Jan and Dave had had a very rocky marriage. When we first moved to Paradise Jan worked at a florists and took reasonable care of her two daughters. Dave mostly drank beer. They had very loud fights and it was a very bad environment for the girls. Finally Jan started drinking too and then the quarreling got worse. Crystal, the oldest, finally got pregnent and dropped out of school. The court took Amber and placed her with her Aunt Debbie. Jan finally straightened herself, got a job at the Senior Center , and left Dave. She divorced him and married Patrick. Laura went to the wedding, ( I had a firing squad,) and we both went to the reception at the Senior Center. To end the year, the Senior Center had a New Years Eve party at 9 AM on the 31st of December. On New Years Day I watched Bowl games and on the 2nd of January 1998 I watched Nebraska slaughter Tennessee. Michigan was named #1 and they barely beat Washington. Oh well, I felt Nebraska should have at least been named Co- Champions. Later they decided that should be the case and Nebraska was named Co-Champions, and shared #1 with Michigan. 1998 Drove the veterans van fourteen times this year. The last trip in 98 was #148. Continued on the Paradise Veterans Council Firing Squad and during the year we had 12 funerals. World War II vets are dying off fast. Continued eating lunch at the Senior Nutrition and playing cribbage with Les Kovak. Unfortunately he usually beats me. At .25 cents a game, 1998 cost me $66. I go to church once a month and go to Methodist Men's luncheon each month. I dont care for the current minister but I still want to keep in contact with the church. I go to SIRS [Sons in Retirement] each month. They have their lunches at the Moose Lodge and have a program afterwards that are sometimes interesting. At the end of 1998, they were asked to leave the Moose, because of some hassle at the higher levels, and we returned to the Elks for our lunches starting in 1999. Last week of January, we had our Tax School, and during the tax season, I helped Seniors with their taxes for the eleventh season. I started in 1986, but missed 1994 when we were in Hawaii. Continued to be active in the American Legion. I volunteered to be Chairman for Boy's State and for Youth Environmental Conference. With the help of the High School, we select two outstanding boys to attend Boy's State. They spend a week in Sacramento at 126 Sac State, and learn first hand about local, State, and National government by actually doing the work of politicians. It is an outstanding experience and all of the attendees enjoy the experience very much. We also send one student to the Environment Conference. It is a week end conference held at Sly Park and administered by the State Forestry professionals with the help of Federal forestry professionals and private industry. Attendee can be either male or female as long as they are considering some environmental field for their vocation. For Boy's State we selected Tayler Turner and Joe Svetz and for YEC Amanda Booth was selected. They were all excellent choices. I agreed to be Chairman again in 1998-99. I helped Richard Burkhart with the Oratorical Contest. I was a timer. Each contestant speaks from 8 - 10 minutes on some topic of their choosing about the constitution. They then speak extemporaneously for 3 - 5 minutes on a selected subject. In June I agreed to be President of the Paradise Veterans Council for 1998-99 term. The council has representatives from American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and California Veterans Square Dance Assn. and their Auxiliaries. We had lots of rain in January and February, so we decided to go to Arizona and visit Betty Liljedahl and absorb some sunshine. We left for Mesa on 13 Feb, and drove to Tehachipi the first day. Stayed in the Sante Fe Motel. Not recommended. It seemed like a train went by every half hour. Next day drove to the outskirts of Phoenix and stayed in Motel 6 in Youngstown. Next morning we located Betty and met her friend, Clarence Stevens. We had Prime Rib at Coco's and played Tile Rummy in the evening. Next day was nice and I went walking with Betty and her friends. They walked me to death. [three miles] We drove to Coolidge, Arizona. and located Shorty and Elizabeth Kisner at their winter home. Had lunch with them and a short visit, then back to Mesa. Betty cooked corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Next day was cold and rainy. Clarence came in the evening and we played Chicken Trax, a domino game similar to Mexican Corn. Next day we drove around Leisure World and went to Costco. It was a nice day, but cool. We had gone to Arizona to soak up some sunshine but got rainy and cool weather instead. In the evening we went to Organ Stop and had Pizza. It was a nice place but terribly noisy. Went back to Betty's for more Chicken Trax and Cribbage. Next day we started back to Paradise. We stayed in Barstow that night and drove on to Morgan Hill next day. We contacted Buster and Midge St. Clair and stayed with them. They are moving to Fallon, Nev, and were packing and disposing of stuff they weren't taking with them. Anyway we had a nice visit, and in the evening, we, them, their daughter Jeri, Tom and Rita Auser, and Arthur went to a steak house in San Juan Batista. It was a great place, and I picked up the tab over their protests, to a tune of $142. Next day we had lunch with the Auser's. Tom and I played cribbage - nine games. Tom 4 - Roy 5. Stopped and visited Rodney, Michael and Michelle. Then back to Paradise. Total trip - 2014 miles. On the 6th of March Art came up to see Kyle, and he and Kyle visited us for cake and ice cream to celebrate Art's birthday. On the 25th of March we went to a 127 demonstration of Select Comfort air beds. The air beds are adjustable while you are laying on them, and each side has it's own air bed. They seemed fairly comfortable, and they had a ninety day guarantee. We bought one for $1500. We thought it might be the answer to our back problems. We used it for the 90 days but decided it didn't make that much difference for our backs. We sent it back and got our money back. On the 15th of April,1998, I went to Dr. Reed for a sigmoidscopy (or something). Anyway I had seen some blood in my stools, and although I thought it was probably hemmoroids, Dr. Reed insisted on the procedure where they introduce a scope up your rectum, and look for something. All he found were a few polyps that he said should cause no problems. He told me to take Metamusil and I did for about three days. It made me sick to my stomach, so I switched to Citrocel. Same thing, so I switched to FiberCon. Sameo sameo so I quit all of them. On the 27th of April we had our sweeper in our bowling league. In some fashion we had came in first in the third quarter, and were therefore in the playoffs. We all bowled fairly well and we ended up winning first place. They had voted to eliminate trophys, so we just got a little more of the money that had accumulated. On the 8th of May 1998, we took Amanda Booth, our Youth Environmental Conference delegate, to Sacramento for the Conference and picked her up on May 11th. She enjoyed the conference very much. On the 14th of May, Laura and I attended the Methodist Mens Ladies day luncheon. Some Seniors from the High School put on a nice program, and the luncheon was excellent. On the 16th we attended Theater on the Ridge matinee sponsored by the Methodist Men. It was the Coal Miners Daughter, and it was hilarious. On the Sunday before Memorial Day, the weather was threatening, so it was decided to not put up the Avenue of Flags. If two hundred cotton flags get wet, you can imagine the problems associated with getting them dried. The Memorial Day program was conducted in the Memorial Hall by the Cal Vets except for the firing squad, and yes it did rain. That evening we had our Grass Roots Cribbage Night. I ended up with 13 points and wonder of wonders I won $5. I guess that was 4th place, but it was welcome, because I usually get 10 to 12 points and no money. Earl and Marie Gardiner arrived from Allegan, Michigan, for a weeks visit on 7th of June. We had met them in Cozy Grove Campground in Florida in 1984-95. We had visited them in Michigan twice, and they had promised to come to California. We didn't really believe them, so it was a pleasant surprise when they called with Flight and a date. We picked them in Sacramento at 11 AM and ate at the Spinning Wheel for lunch/dinner. Then we played Pedro, a card game they had taught us. Next day we treated them to Honey Run Road and the covered bridge. Then on to Bidwell Mansion. One of Lauras great meatloafs for dinner, then more Pedro. Next morning we drove to our campground, Redwood Trails, where we had reserved a mobile for two nights. We ate dinner at the Palms Cafe in Orick. Played Pedro in the evening. Next day, 10th of June, we drove the Redwoods - Prairie Creek Visitor Center - Big Tree - Trees of Mystery - and Drive Thru Tree. Ate across from the Trees of Mystery. Stopped at Ocean Beach. Played Pedro. They 128 enjoyed the redwoods,but were wore out by evening. Next day we returned to Paradise via the Avenue of Giants. Toured the tree house and ate Chinese in Garbersville. Arrived in Paradise at 7:40 too tired to play Pedro. Next day we rested up by going to the driving range, where Earl and I drove a bucket of balls, shopped at WalMart, pitched horse shoes, and had country style ribs for dinner. Played Pedro in the evening Saturday we had planned to go to Burney Falls and Hat Creek, but changed our plans, and went to an Indian Casino in Oroville, and to Oroville Dam. We decided we had had enough driving. Pedro in the evening, after a Filet Mignon dinner. On Sunday we breakfasted at Spinning Wheel, and then we took them to their noon plane in Sacramento. Boys Staters to Sacramento, on the 20th of June.. Joe Svetz's parents took them down and Dr. Turner and his wife picked them up on the 27th of June. Both reported a great week. In early June we went to Woodland to Fabric World to see if Laura could find some underwear material. She has made me boxer shorts for some time, but material is hard to find. We found it and on the way back in Robbins we found a vinyl fence company. We bought five posts and caps. I built a four foot fence, separating our lawn from the lower "forty". I used plastic lattice for the fence part, and it looks pretty good. (if you don't look too close). On the 11th of July Vonda had a 60th birthday bash for husband Ken. We had known Ken and Vonda Perry in the San Jose area through square dancing and when they moved to Paradise, we found that Ardys Perry was Vonda's mother. Ardys lived in the mobile in front of us when we bought our place in Paradise. She later sold the mobile and married Bob Crosby,also a square dancer. Anyway it was quite a bash. Vonda must have invited at least a hundred people. It was very enjoyable. Vonda had learned Massage, and Laura had a monthly massage for her back for several months. In late July, Jan talked Ali into leaving Quincy and going to Carson City with her and her husband. Her husband supposedly had a huge construction project, (at least a million dollar deal) there. She needed someone to care for her cats, Zapper and Peaches. Guess who volunteered? We picked them up the 19th of July and kept them until the 27th of September. In the meantime, Ali and Rachel moved to Carson City and stayed with Jan and her husband. Ali was unable to find work, and, after a tiff with Jan, Ali and Rachel moved back to Quincy - no job and no place to stay. We took the rig to Quincy and got them set up in Pioneer RV Park on the 27th of September. She found work at Holiday Market and Rachel was back in school in Quincy, where she wanted to be. I guess the million dollar project folded too, as we heard Jan and her husband lost their place. So is life. The sprinkler system for the lawn was not adequate, so I talked to Paul Orlando about it. He suggested putting in rainbirds, and I had him do it. Paul had been our yard man for a couple of months, but he got so busy he was over extended, and we parted company. We got Jay Smith to come every thursday. Jubilee time. This turned out to be the Last Jubilee. Each year the attendance had dropped, and the callers finally decided they weren't making enough money. We set up as wagonmasters on the 2nd of September. On the 3rd, I parked 20 rigs, 1 vendor and 4 129 committeemen. Next day Max Maxwell and Gino Catterin helped and we parked 47 more rigs and 2 vendors. One rig came on Saturday. I could have taken care of the parking myself. Anyway the six Jubilees were fairly enjoyable. John and Kathleen came up and stayed at our place, while attending the Jubilee. Laura's birthday - We had Prime Rib at Smokey Mountain. Very good dinner and an enjoyable evening. On the 25 th of Sept., the Legion had the Boy's State/Girl's State/ YEC recognition dinner to honor Taylor Turner, Joe Swetz, and Amanda Booth, and the Girl Staters. They all spoke of their experiences and all were highly appreciative of being selected. It was a good evening. Laura and I both bowled this season. We paired up with Art and Marilyn Eldridge. We sort of stayed in the middle of the pack. Art suffered a heart attack and had a triple by- pass in March of 1999 and wasn't able to finish the season, but we kept the same team in the fall of 99, and he was back to bowling. Laura and I served as Assistant Treasurers of the Ridge Runners during September. There was no Party dance in September and the class hadn't started yet (they decided to try starting in the spring -Febr.), so we only had to collect money for the workshops. Laura still can't square dance, but I dance a couple of tips each workshop to keep my oar in. We decided to help out with Little League after so many years. When I was in Morgan Hill back in 1977, Laura was equiptment Manager for the teams, so after 21 years she decided we should volunteer again. We went to the organizational meeting and to a couple of meetings, but it was so different that we resigned before the season started. On November 3rd I served on the Election Board. I had been trying for a couple years to get on a board, and finally succeeded. It was a long day - from seven in the morning until eight thirty at night, but it was a new experience for me and I enjoyed it enough that I agreed to serve next year. I served with Darla Maggole, Mel Davis, and Dianne Doran. Each Wednesday a Community dinner is served at the Magalia Church. They charge $3/head and usually serve a good meal. We started attending on 28th of Oct. and have continued going on most Wednesdays. Several funerals this fall - Vi Maxwell died in early October. Ken followed a couple of weeks later. He had had bone cancer for some time and had said he was only hanging on to take care of Vi. Later in Oct. Helen Harris died unexpectedly of a heart attack. On 25th of October we went to Russ and Patty Darlings for the annual pumpkin carving pot luck. Patty had been down with pancreatic cancer for some time and was just skin and bones. She died a few days later and we attended her funeral. In November we attended a seminar on Living Trusts and ended up signing up for one. We put our property in the Gatch Trust, with us as Trustees. On Veteran's Day, November 11th, attended the Paradise Veterans Council's celebration. Each year a different veterans group puts on the celebration. This year the VFW did the honors. I was on the firing squad that fired the rifle salute at 11 AM. I also helped set up and take down the Court of Flags in front of the Vets Hall. Went to the Ridge Runner workshop Nov 12th and danced three tips. Since Laura is unable to dance I try to dance once in a while just to keep in step. Got new tires for the Taurus Nov 17th and got the 130 wheels aligned (44943 miles). On Wednesday, Nov 25th, drove to John and Kathleen's for Thanksgiving. Had a nice dinner. Friday watched Nebraska beat Colorado 16 - 14. Tough game. Home by 4:30 PM. Wes and Dorothy Chapman were visiting their daughter for Thanksgiving, so we had dinner with them on Sunday and played cribbage afterwards. They were tied up with family most of the following week, but we had dinner with them on Friday at the Chinese restaurant, and played cribbage afterwards. They are good friends and its too bad they live in Arkansas. Next morning we had three or four inches of very wet snow. It didn't bother us with front wheel drive, but lots of cars and drivers had lots of trouble. We were scheduled for a Dist Four American Legion meeting, but it was canceled. Bowling was canceled next day too. These people just don't know how drive in the snow. On 8th of December we attended Patty Darling's funeral in Orland. She and Russ were Square Dancers. Patty got cancer of the pancreas, and wasted away the last six months of her life. Ridge Runners Christmas party - December 10th. Art, Laura, and Liam came for week end - December 11th Legion Holiday Dinner - December 12th Legion Oratorical ( I was a timer) - December 13th Busy Week. D J called on the 21st of December. We had mailed him $200 on the previous Tuesday but it hadn't arrived. He wanted to come for Christmas, so we wired him another $200. He left that afternoon and drove straight through. He arrived about twenty five hours later. He was beat. I went to candle light service on Christmas Eve. Next day Ali and Rachel arrived and we had a nice Ham dinner for Christmas. We talked to Kathleen and John, Art, and David by telephone. Ali and Rachel left next day. Although D J had planned to get a job and stay for a while, his girl friend changed his mind for him. She couldn't survive without him. He left on the 29th of December. He broke up with her a month later. Arizona beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl 20 - 17. And so ended 1998 ------1999 - Still driving the DAV Van transporting Veterans to Mather Field and the Martinez Clinic -- Starting with #149 in January and ending with # 163 in December. We are both still bowling with Art and Maryilyn Eldridge. Our team is the Niners, even though I am a Rams fan. Laura's bowling average is going up, but mine is two feet forward and two feet back. Still active in the American Legion - Meetings on the first Wednesday and Executive Board on the third Wednesday. This year I am on the hall committee. I agreed to take Boy's State and Youth Environmental Conference again this year. Still go to church once a month and to Methodist Men each month. In January we had our tax school the last week of the month. February through April 12th we assisted people with their taxes, mostly senior citizens. This year we switched to Monday mornings. It's a very worth while volunteer effort and this makes my twelfth year of helping. I eat lunch at the Senior Nutrition site each week day and play cribbage with Les Kovach. It costs me about $1.50 a week, but it's cheap entertainment. Each Wednesday evening, Laura and I eat supper at the Magalia Church. We get a nice meal for $3, and socialize with some nice people. The fourth Friday of each month (excluding November and December) we go to a fish fry at the Masonic 131 Temple. It's $6.50/ plate, but it's well worth it. I am still a member of the Firing Squad. Only had 7 Veterans funerals so far that utilized our services. May have been others that I wasn't called for. We have about sixteen members now. I was a member of the Honor Guard and carried Old Glory in the Gold Nugget Parade. We led the parade and it was a great privilage. I also carried the flag for the Memorial day services, and was on the firing squad for the rifle salute. On the firing squad for Veterans Day program. In early April Ray Untiet, Richard Burkhardt, and I interviewed boys for Boys State and girls for Youth Environmental Conference. Boys are also eligible for YEC, but for some reason only girls apply. I had talked to the Principal Dixon and his Girl Friday, Shelley White in early February and asked them to select candidates for both programs. We interviewed Ken Fowler, Erin Brown, Kevin Witt, Nate Oscamou, Josh Nakamoto, Danny Newman, and Jeremy Walsh as candidates for Boys State. We selected Ken Fowler and Nate Oscamou with Danny Newman as alternate, in the event on of the prime candidates couldn't attend. We interviewed Arnica McCarthy, Vanessa Vasquez, Keri Matheson, Catherine Graves, and Anna Gegenworth for Youth Environmental Conference. We selected Anna Gegenworth as prime and Catherine Graves as alternate. I supplied the necessary paperwork to all the candidates and alternates. The Boys State candidates all turned their paperwork back in a timely manner, and it was forwarded to the District Chairman. The girls were a different matter. When I asked Anna for her paperwork, she had mislaid it. Then she said she had changed her mind and didn't want to go. I went to Catherine and she didn't want to go. I then selected Arnica as prime, and she was ecstatic. She filled out the paperwork and turned it back immediately. I selected Vanessa as alternate, and she filled out her paperwork. I forwarded it to the State Coordinator with apologies since it was a couple of days late. They accepted it. (They had been late getting the applications to me). On the 18th of April the Linda Post hosted a Boys State dinner for the candidates of District #4. Our three boys and their parents attended. Arnica attended YEC on May 14th thro May 17th and enjoyed it very much. Ken and Nate attended Boys State 19th of June thro 26th of June and were equally appreciative. The Post honored them at a dinner on Sept 25th and each had the opportunity to tell about their experiences and to thank the Post for sending them. I have agreed to be Chairman for another year. The Paradise Veterans Council got involved in another project March. Nigel Parkhurst was returning from Reno. In Portola he saw an M60 Tank at the Railroad Museum and talked to the people about it. They informed him they had little interest in them, and would welcome some one taking them off their hands. Nigel had been interested in getting something to place in front of the Veterans Hall, and presented the idea to the PVC. A group of us went to Portola on the first of April and looked the tanks over and talked further to the Museum people. Since then we have cleared the project with the County (They own the building), and with the Town. We have written the Museum and for some reason they are dragging their feet. If it is finally cleared, it 132 will be quite a project to get it moved and surrounded by a wrought iron fence. We still keep ourselves active in the Ridge Runners Square Dance Club by volunteering as Assistant Treasurers. We collect the money at the classes, workshops, and Party Dances, deposit it in the bank and turn the deposit slips in to the Treasurer. We did this for April, October, and December this year. Attend SIRS #52 luncheons the third Wednesday of each month. They are now held at the Elks and they have raised the cost to $9. The lunches aren't worth that much, but since we have 135 members there is no other place with enough room. Attended Theater on the Ridge 21st of March 1999. "The Hand that Cradled the Rock" It was entertaining. Methodist Men had bought out the afternoon as a fund raiser. They made a few dollars and everyone had a good time. John and Kate came up on the 3rd of April to spend Easter with us. We went to the Ridge Runners 42nd Anniversary Saturday evening. We were Assistant Treasurers, but John and Kate danced, and I danced one tip. Sunday we attended church and had a nice Ham dinner. Next morning snow had covered everything -- up to 6 inches. John and Kate had no problem, since they have front wheel drive and they returned to Napa. Everything else - Taxes, Sr. Nutrition, and bowling were canceled. It was mostly gone by the next day. Next weekend, 10th and 11th of March, Art and Laura came from San Martin and Ali and Rachel came up from Quincy. Laura was obviously pregnant, and Art said they planned to be married, but Laura wanted to wait until after the baby came. Laurel was born on 14th of July 1999 and all went well. On the 5th of November 1999 we journied to San Martin for Art and Laura's wedding. Ali and Rachel went with us. In the evening we had the wedding rehearsel and afterwards we hosted the rehearsel dinner at the Camelot in Morgan Hill. They had double booked, and both parties were there. We got stuck in the bar, and the service was lousy. The bill was over $300 for 25 people and we were very disappointed in the Camelot. Laura stayed at Art and Laura's to watch the baby while Art and Laura went to Las Vegas for their honeymoon. I picked her up in Stockton on Nov 13th. On the 13th of April I attended the American Legion Legislative Day in Sacramento. Ray Untiet picked me and Austin Taylor up at 5:30 AM and drove us to the Capital. It was interesting but once is enough for me. On the 24th of April,we attended Gold Nugget Days. We had a pancake breakfast, and then, I marched in the parade. We were the honor guard and led the parade. It was a mile long parade, but it was all down hill, and I survived oke. On the 5th of May I was delivering some YEC papers to Arnica's mother and got sort of bewildered on some of Paradise's narrow streets. I pulled into a narrow lane to turn around, and when I backed out I swung to sharply and struck the bumper on a stump. Modern bumpers have a plastic wraparound and the plastic got cracked. It cost $700 and since it was a single car accident, our insurance company held me to be 100% responsible, and raised my insurance rate. Starting on May 13th, I had some dental work done. One of my incisors had broken in two, and the first work was to do a root canal on it, insert a post, and build up a new tooth (a cap). I had another root canal and a cap, and asmall 133 cavity in another tooth. All in all about $1900 worth and he still wants to do another root canal and cap. I decided it was mostly for looks and declined. Went to Quincy on the 20th of May for Rachel's birthday, her 17th. On the 22nd the Timberjacks, our American Legion sponsored baseball team had their opening day. They got beat but it was fun. We looked for dishwashers at Circuit City, and other Chico Appliance Stores on 23rd of May. Our old dishwasher was mainly a rinser. (wash the dishes and rinse them in the dishwasher). We ended up getting a Maytag at Hudson's here in Paradise. Circuit City 's price was $20 less, but Hudson dropped their price to match it. It really washes the dishes. We don't even rinse them before we put them in. 27th of May was my 80th birthday. Les and Shirley brought a cake to senior center for me. In the evening I cooked the last of our filet mignon steaks. All the kids, except Rod, called and sang Happy Birthday to me. D.J. called on the 28th and said he wanted to start his own roofing business. I sent him $1000 from his college fund. As it turned out his business didn't get off the ground. Memorial Day week-end ---Helped put the Avenue of Flags in the cemetary, over 200 coffin sized flags. Then on Memorial Day, was on the honor guard and firing squad for the ceremony. In the afternoon took down the flags. On the 5th of June, played in our Grass Roots cribbage tournament. It is 18 games, 12 in the morning and 6 after lunch. I did well in the morning. I had 22 points by the lunch break. After lunch, the cards deserted me, and I only had 4 points. You needed 27 or 28 points to get in the finals, so I was eliminated. I don't care much for the tournaments. Too many consecutive games. Too tiring. Bill Wells suggested that Paradise needed to show her colors more on the National holidays. He presented his idea to the Legion, and later to the PVC, to line Skyway with 2000 flags. He and I went to Chuck Rough, Town Manager, and he agreed, and put Bill in touch with the planning commissioner. Bill went to the Chamber of Commerce and enlisted several other civic organizations, and Paradise Parade of Flags was off and running. In early June, Neil and I talked on the telephone. He and Maxine were flying out to attend Maxine's Cousins picnic in eastern Oregon. We decided they should come a few days early, and we would meet them at Cora Mae's and spend two or three days with her. We left on 14th of June and stayed the first night in Sutherlin, Oregon. Checked in our motel in Long Beach at 2:30pm next day. Neil arrived an hour later. They had driven instead of flying. The five of us ate at Al's in Ilwaco. Next day we ate breakfast in the motel (Super 8) and had lunch at PACE (Senior Nutrition). Neil and I walked the Board Walk in the PM. and we ate at York's. In the evenings we visited at Cora Mae's. Next day we went to Oysterville and did some sight seeing. We ate at Grannie Annies in Ocean Park. It was a great being with my remaining siblings. Next day we started back to Paradise, via Newberg Oregon, where we visited the Davis's. They live in a retirement home, and we stayed in their visitors quarters for a reasonable fee. We had dinner and breakfast with Claude and Eileen at Friend's View Manor. Played King's Corner and Rummy Tile in the evening. Got home at 5:30pm on 19th of June. Nice trip - 1274 Miles. On the 26th of June drove to San 134 Jose to visit Wayne and Alice Putman. Played some cribbage and in the evening we had dinner at a Thai restaurant. WOW was it HOT. Drove on to San Martin next day for Laura's shower. She got many nice things for the baby, and we met her family. Good food and good time. Next morning had breakfast with Tom and Rita at the San Martin Cafe. Tom and I played 6 games of cribbage -- Tom 4 Roy 2. Went home via Roseville to look at a Dodge Van. Stopped in Olivehurst for late lunch in a Mexican place. Home by 4:30. Started Glucaphaze on 27th of July - apparently the Glucatrol wasn't enough to control my glucose. Started with one pill a day. It bothered my stomache so dropped to ½ pill twice a day. On the 31st of July we journeyed to San Martin to see Laurel Ann (and Art and Laura also). Had a nice supper and visit. Next day had lunch in San Martin, and stopped in San Jose at Alice Putman's to pick up a single air mattress she had bought for us. Stopped in Oroville to eat and arrived home at 7:30. Joined SportsHaven on the 6th of August. They ran us through some tests, and agreed that Aquatics was about our speed. We go to a class on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, mornings at 10:00 am. They have a hot tub where we soak before and afterwards. Its great. Ron came to the mainland to visit on the 7th of Sept, 1999. We picked him up at Kates's and had dinner at the Spinning Wheel on the way home. Next day we went to the Chico Mall to shop and had lunch there. At 4 pm I had the final crown put on my canine tooth. It cost $825, but it does look a lot better. Had dinner at the Magalia Church. They have a community dinner each Wednesday for only $3. The price is right and the commeraderie is great. We go most Wednesdays. Next day Ron and I put a new branch on the drip system to sprinkle the grape arbor a little better. We had dinner at Pinochios and afterwards looked over the Classic Cars at Izzy's. Ronnie Hudsons funeral was next day at 11 AM. Harry and Ronnie had been friends of ours since we moved to Paradise. They had been Square Dancers until Ronnie's legs had gone bad, and they still came to all the dances afterwards and Harry danced. Harry was very active in the American Legion and our friendship continued in Legion activities. Her death was a shock since her health hadn't declined, but suddenly she was gone. Had the wheels balanced on the Taurus in the PM. John and Kathleen arrived about 2 PM and Ali and Rachel arrived at 3 PM. We barbecued a Salmon that Hank Harmon had given to us for supper and it was very good. Art, Laura, Liam and the baby arrived at 8:30. Saturday was a eating and games day. Breakfast of omelets, sausage, toast, etc. Fan Tan, UNO, and Kings Corners. La Sagne at 2 PM. More games. Ali and Rachel left at 5 PM. It was a great day. Sunday - more eating - breakfast of sausage, bacon and eggs. Art and Laura (and kids) left about 11AM and John, Kathleen, and Ron left shortly afterwards. Went to Sportshaven in the PM. Bowling started on Sept 13th. We have the same team - Laura and me and Art and Marilyn Eldridge. It's a low average team. Art averages in the 160's, but the rest of us average between 120 and 130. In spite of that or maybe because of it we managed to win the first third. The season is divided into thirds, and we have a playoff at the end of the season. Ali finally found a house she thought she could afford. She really couldn't 135 but that's another story. Anyway we went to Quincy on Oct 7th, and moved her from Pioneer Park to her new place. Since was living in the rig, that consisted in driving the rig to the new place. The battery was dead, but we jumped it and got the rig to the new place, 679 Jackson St. Ate at Perko's. Paid out $1200 for first, last, and security deposit. Returned to Paradise since we were Asst Treasurers for the workshop. Returned to Quincy on Saturday to pick up the rig and return it to Paradise. Finished moving Ali's stuff into the house. Battery was dead again. Took it to Schwab's and found it permanently dead. They replaced it since it was only a little over a year old. Drove rig home. No problems. Next day toured Oak Knolls, a new assisted living place in Paradise. It's quite nice but too pricey for us. Thirteenth of October was our 31st Medding Anniversary. We picked up dress that Laura had selected for Art and Laura's wedding. We had our anniversary dinner at the Magalia church as usual on Wednesday, and were assistant treasurers at the Ridge Runners class. About this time we began seriously to consider selling our house. We talked to a couple of realtors, looked at Marge McCool's apartment, and looked at Charley Petty's duplex at Vista Village. Marge's apartment is just too small for us. We looked at several apartments, but they have one thing in commom -- too small. Charley's duplex was different. Bedrooms were large enough for king size beds. Living room was small but adequate. Dining room had sliding glass doors to a patio or rear deck. Garage was large enough for washer and dryer, and considerable storage. Price was $665 per month (apartments were usually $450 to $550) but selling the house would pay the rent for several years. On Friday Nov 5th, Harry Hudson chaired PVC for me, and we took off for San Martin for Art and Laura's Wedding. Ali and Rachel rode down with us. We had reservations at at Comfort Inn. I already told you about the rehearsal dinner and the disappointment with the Morgan House, so on to the wedding. Art and Laura had a beautiful wedding at the Morgan Hill Methodist Church. The little church is over 100 years old. It was our church while we lived in Morgan Hill (1978 - 1985) and has a stained glass window labeled the Gatch Memorial Window that I sponsored and paid for. The wedding was very formal. Laura looked beautiful in her gorgeous gown and Art was a very proper groom in his tuxedo. Liam was the ring bearer, and Laura had a Maid of Honor and a couple of Brides Maids. Laura's mother and my Laura had places of honor because of their status. John and Kate were there and John videotaped the event. Ron was there in his Scottish finery (Kilts and all). The reception was held at the Good Food Company in Morgan Hill. Lots of good food, fun, frivolity, and dancing. There must been close to a hundred people there, and a good time was had by all. As stated before, Laura stayed to care for the children while Art and Laura honey mooned, and the rest of us returned to Paradise on Sunday. Veteran's Day, 11th of November, was a busy day. At 7 AM we raised the Court of Honor flags in front of the Vets Hall. At 10 AM the DAV conducted the Veterans Day program. The Address was given by Dr. Chester Ward, Brig Gen. USA (ret) All Veteran Organizations were recognized, and then the program was closed by a rifle salute by our PVC 136 firing squad, and Taps. I was in the honor guard that advanced the colors to start the program, and in the firing squad that fired the salute. In the evening I attended a pot luck dinner put on by the Gem and Mineral Club. Picked up Laura in Stockton on 14th of November. She was sick and had a bad cough. Went to the doctor the next day and Audrey put her on Biaxin. In the afternoon we bowled in our league. On the 17th of November we took the Farm Tour. We got on a bus in Chico and they drove us to several farms and farm related industries. Back to Chico for a nice lunch. It was interesting but for me once was enough. D.J. arrived on the 18th. He actually had to get out of Nebraska. He had warrents out for his arrest. He had some trouble with an ex-deputy sheriff, and to get even, he had vandalized the ex-deputy's classic car. {broke out the windshield and scratched up the outside). He ended up in jail, and we bailed him out. He claimed innocence, but for some reason I doubted him. Anyway his court appearance was scheduled in October, but he jumped bail and fled to California. He got a job with Crawford Roofing almost immediately. He is a good roofer. He only worked about 10 days and quit because he felt they didn't do quality work. He did miscellaneus work getting the place ready to sell. He sanded and refinished the front deck, cleaned up the yard and burned lots of needles and leaves. On the 23rd I guess I caught the Krud from Laura, and I went on Biaxin. Thanksgiving was sort of subdued. The three of us had a dinner by ourselves, and talked to the kids by phone. 17th of December I helped with the Christmas Food Boxes which the American Legion and their Auxiliary put together each year so the needy families have a good Christmas dinner. Christmas was again just the three of us. D.J. had planned to go to Las Vegas to bring in the new millenium but had changed his mind at the last minute. We had a nice Ham dinner and talked to all the kids by telephone. New Years Eve turned out to be a tame affair. Much had been made about the year 2000 and what might happen because the computers used only two digits for the year, and might think that "00" was really 1900 instead of 2000. Never happened though and all the utilities and banking kept right on functioning. Some nuts insisted that the world was come to an end at the stroke of midnight, but that never happened either. I will admit we had 16 gallons of water in jugs, a full tank of gas, plenty of food, and $60 in cash just in case. And so ended 1999. Year 2000 The year started OK with Nebraska beating Tennessee 31- 21 in the Fiesta bowl. They ended up #2 instead of #1, but they will always be #1 to me. Started the year early with Veteran funeral and Firing Squad #1 on 5th of January (Lee Burnside). All in all I participated in fifteen firing squads during the year 2000. Also drove the Veterans Van twice in January, #164 and #165. This will be my 10th year of driving. Laura also returned to driving this spring. We each drive about once a month. I drove #174 in December. I attended Tax School last week in January and did taxes for seniors each Monday February through April 17th. This was the 14th year for me. Still active in the American Legion. In addition to monthly meetings, I am on the executive board and have a monthly meeting; on the Hall committee - another monthly meeting; President 137 of the Paradise Veterans Council - another monthly meeting; and on the Firing Squad, called several times a year. Go to church once a month whether I need it or not. Our preacher (who I didn't care for) was transferred in July so maybe I'll go more often. No promises though. Also go to Methodist Men once a month. We attended Millie Higgin's funeral on the 29th of January. We square danced with Biff and Millie several years in the 90's, but neither of us had danced in the past couple of years. We keep our oar in square dancing by being Assistant Treasurers a couple of months each year. We eat at Senior Nutrition each week day for lunch. I also exercise with the group. We do a series of stretching exercises for about a half hour before lunch. Les Kovach and I play Cribbage each noon , .50cents a game. Last year it cost me $85, $1.63/week, but this year I'm doing better and hope to report a lower loss at this time next year. Each Wednesday we eat supper at the Magalia Community Church. For $4 we get a reasonbly good meal (most of the time) and enjoyable company. The fourth Friday of each month we go to the Masonic Temple for their Fish Fry. It costs $6.50 but is well worth it. Dennis (He prefers that to D.J.) decided to go to school. He decided on computers, so we started looking around. We went to Pacific Technical Institute in Chico, and Dennis talked to a couple of instructors. He developed an instant rapport with one of them. He attended classes for 16 weeks ($5000) and was guaranteed placement. He had to have the proper clothes to present a good appearance, so Men's WereHouse for three suits and proper shirts, ties, socks and shoes. He did look great though. The course was mostly a motivational course, similar to Dale Carnegie I guess, but it worked for Dennis. He had about $2000 worth of clothes and a million dollars worth of confidence. After graduation, he got a job immediately. It was telemarketing, and although he did great, it was to confining, so after a week he went with a group selling magazines. They paid his way to Mobile, Alabama, where he joined his group. The group had some internal problems, and broke up before he got started. They paid his way back, except he decided to go Texas with part of the group. I don't really know what happened next but he ended up in Las Vegas, with an old girl from Nebraska. He got a job there and moved in with her. In February I did better in the Cribbage tournaments. Each night they select a number. If the point count in your hand matches, you get a can to hold until someone matches the number. If you are holding the can at the end of the nine games, you win $10. I did that twice in Febr. and also came in fourth once and won $10. On 20th of Febr., the American Legion held the first of a Four Chaplains ceremony, honoring the four chaplains who gave up their life jackets to GI's who had no life jackets, when their troop transport was torpedoed during World War II. The four chaplains joined hands and went down with the ship, singing Nearer My God To Thee. On March 7th, I was on the Election Board for the second time. Our polling place was at the church at Sawmill and Pearson. We arrived at 6:30 AM and opened the polls at 7:00. Polls closed at 8:00PM and by the time we counted the ballots and straightened up it was 9:30PM. Long day. Tiring but interesting. We had been 138 talking about selling our home at 1227 Nunneley for some time. The half acre was just to much for Laura to keep up and I wasn't much help. So we listed with United Country Real Estate primarily because Verne Meyers played cribbage with me on Monday nights. Big mistake! I will admit that 2 January isn't the best time to list, but Verne didn't bring a single prospect around. They did hold an open house for other realters on the multiple listing, but nothing came of it. The listing expired the end of March, so we relisted with North Star Real Estate in April. Much better. Quite a few people came by and looked, and finally on May 19 we received an offer, but it was FHA financed and had several requirements, such as build a dog enclosure at our expense, etc. so we rejected it. On May 21st we received a full price offer, but she wanted a 45 day escrow. We accepted that offer but asked for a 50 day escrow. She accepted the counter off. A septic inspection is required when real estate is sold in Paradise. We had had the inspection, and since our septic tank was Redwood instead of concrete, we had to have a new tank installed. Termite inspection was also required. The first inspector found $5000 worth of termite and dry rot damage. This seemed excessive, and the second inspector only found $1750 worth. I think it's a scam, but anyway the $1750 was deducted from our price during escrow. Back to April --- On the 5th of April Ray Untiet, Richard Burkhardt, and myself interviewed candidates for Youth Environmental Conference, an American Legion youth program. We had 15 candidates but most of them weren't impressive, and the conference was being held on the same weekend as the Junior- Senior Prom. Anyway we selected two delegates and one alternate. Leslie Mackenzie was our number #1 choice and Vanessa Vasquez, who had been last year's alternate, was #2. Both were excellent delegates. Richard Wagner was selected as alternate. Although all candidates had been told that the prom was that weekend, most of them were sophomores and didn't really care. But ,you guessed it, Vanessa called and said she had changed her mind because of the prom. She apologized profusely. Oh well we still had our alternate. When I called Richard he said he didn't really want to go and he declined. I called five other candidates but all of them declined for one or another reason. Finally I went to the High School to talk to Shelly White, Principal's secretary, mostly to commiserate. Then I noticed that Tawynya Watts had missed the interviews. I had her brought to the office and she was thrilled to death to get a chance to go. She and Leslie attended and had a great time. Leslie's mother transported the girls both ways. Conference was held May 19th - May 22nd. On the 12th of April the same team interviewed Boy's State candidates. We were supposed to have eleven candidates, but five of them were no-shows. But found three excellent delegates and one alternate. Anthony Rudick, Bob Lalor, and David Johnson were our chosen delegates and Forest Borie was their alternate. All three delegates attended Boy's State, June 17th-24th at Sac State. Mrs Rudick transported them. All five of our youth were invited to our Youth Appreciation dinner on Sept 16th to tell us of their experiences. On April 20th we attended Last of the Red Hot Lovers starring 139 Gary Burghoff (Radar of Mash) who is a current resident of Paradise. I was a security guard (because I have firing squad uniform). It was pretty good but I had trouble hearing a lot of it. On the 21st of April we attended Magalia Community Church's presentation "He Lives", in lieu of attending Easter services at our church. It was very good. On 29th of April Paradise had their Gold Nugget Days. I got to carry "Old Glory" in the honor guard leading the parade. Second year in a row. On 30th of April, Ridge Runners honored Jack Murtha's memory with a Memorial dance. Jack had called for us for many years, alternating with Ron Telford, and was well liked among the Ridge Runners. He had passed away the previous summer, but we held off on the memorial dance until this spring. On the 30th, the Hits and Misses, who Laura started bowling with about a month ago, had their sweeper. On the 8th of May, our senior league, Fun after Fifty, had our sweeper.I didn't win any money, but Laura did. We also got our prize money. Our team was in the roll-off, but this year we didn't win it all. We finished fourth. Anyway we ended up with nearly $100 in all. On the 14th of May we attended TOTR presentation of Agathie Christie's "Ten Little Indians". It was our Methodist Men's annual fund raiser. Afterwards we decided to have supper in Oroville at one of the casino's. It was crowded and the line was so long, we changed our mind and decided to go to the Depot in Oroville. Another long wait, but at least sitting down. We were finally seated with Stokes, Ahnbergs, and another Ridge Runner couple. Lousy service and although the food was good it was expensive. On the 18th of May we attended the Honors Convocation at Paradise High School. The Legion gives a scholarship each year to a worthy student. It is interesting to see how many of the students we sent to Boy's State and YEC also received so many other honors and scholarships. On the 20th we journeyed to Quincy for Rachel's 18th Birthday. We ate at Perko's and were home by 5:30 On the 27th I turned 81. Rachel and John came up for dinner, and all the kids but Rod called. Next day we set up flags in the cemetary in preparation for Memorial Day. We set up over 200 Flags. Rachel and John helped and the three of us made quite a team. Next day, Memorial Day, I was in the Honor Guard and carried "Old Glory" from the church to the cemetary leading the organizations who were honoring their veterans that day. At 10:00 AM they had the ceremonies followed by the Firing Squad firing three volleys and the playing of taps. We bowled a couple of games, had lunch at Subway, and helped take down the flags. Para Pines Peggers sponsored their annual Cribbage tournament June 2nd-thro the 4th. I played in the trail-in tourney on Friday but only ended up with 10 points. Next day I helped with the main tourney and was bartender from 12 to 3. We had over 100 attendees, but attendance was down from previous years. We attended the District #4 Legion meeting in Linda on 4th of June. Wayne and Alice Putnam came to Paradise on Monday, 5th of June. We visited, played cribbage, and in the evening had dinner at the Asian Gardens with them, Donna and Ray, and Wayne's friends from Magalia. Afterwards we went to Donna's and saw their new Mobile Home. 9th of June was Rachel's GRADUATION. Art and Laura and kids arrived the day 140 before, as did Kathleen. We all went to Quincy on the ninth, arriving at the motel that had been reserved about 4:30 PM. {Evergreen Motel}. We ate at Perko's and Grampa picked up the check. Graduation was at 8:00PM, and we had good seats. Afterwards we went to Ali's for nibbles and celebrating. Next morning we breakfasted at Perko's, but this time I asked for help and both Art and Kate responded. Back to Paradise on the 10th. Art and Laura went home, but Kathleen took Rachel back with her. They are flying to So. Calif. to visit Harmony, Universal Studios, and DisneyLand. Kathleen's graduation present to Rachel. Vista Village #40 was vacated so we signed up for it. Our house had been sold and went into escrow on the 21st of May so we signed up for occupancy on 1 July. We bought a washer, dryer, and refrigerator from Hudson's with delivery and installation on the 1st. Niece Elva arrived from Florida on Wednesday, June 14th. We picked her up at Sacramento Airport. We lunched at Perko's in Yuba City, and arrived back in Paradise about 1PM. Since it was Flag Day, Skyway was lined with flags from Big O to the Calico Kitchen, so we drove the route. It was an impressive sight. Met with Ken Brown at 3 PM. He checked over the house and reported to the new buyer any descrepancies that he noted. A hot spell arrived at the same time that Elva did. She wanted to see the Redwoods, but since she was only going to stay a week, we didn't want to spend the week traveling, so we showed her our Redwood tree. We went to Sports Haven on Thursday, and bowled a couple of games on Friday. Lots of visiting in between. Saturday Oro. her parrot, went to the Vet for his physical exam. Her return flight was on United, and they had told her that Oro would be no problem as long as he had a physical. So! $75 later he had his physical. On Sunday we drove to Richardson Springs, which turned out to be wasted time, since nothing is there but a rundown resort. We then drove up Hiway 32 to Deer Creek and saw a lot of nice scenary, which sort of made up for the waste. We stopped at Butte Meadows and had a lovely lunch in a beautiful setting. We had lunch each day at the Senior Center, and Elva thought that was great. We had ice cream at the Spinning Wheel one evening, and that was fun. Went to Sports Haven again on Tuesday. On Wednesday, June 21st, we drove her to Sacramento to catch her United flight direct to Denver. Surprise-- Surprise. They wouldn't take Oro even with his health certicate. After a lot of hasseling they rerouted her and Oro on American West to Phoenix and then on Continental to Denver. With the lay-over in Phoenix she arrived about eight hours later than planned, with a bad taste in her mouth for United. Next day Hunter Pest Control made an alternate Termite inspection. Mid Valley had claimed nearly $5000 termite damage. Hunter found only $1750 damage, so you know who we went with. On the 23rd, John and Kate arrived, to take any of the stuff we would have no use for at the duplex. Art was bringing a U Haul to pick up his stuff that we had stored for years. John, Kate and us went to the Masonic Fish Fry, {fourth Friday of each month}. Art arrived at 6PM and they loaded up part of the load. John, Kate, and I went to Sports Haven for a dip and Hot Tub. Next morning they finished loading the Van, and we had lunch at the Egg Roll 141 Express. Art took off for Napa where he would off load John and Kathleen's portion. It was nearly midnight before he was unloaded at San Martin. Bill Allen picked up the piano for the Senior Thrift Store. They sold it almost immediately to the Museum for $100. On the 26th we signed the final papers. Due to a snafu at Mid Valley the papers were not overnighted to the buyer and we had to wait until she was in town on the 17th of July for escrow to close. Anyway since we were assured that escrow would close, we had the movers come on 29th of June. They completed the move by 4 PM and we were partially moved in to 40 Vista Village Drive. The movers set-up the beds and placed the rest of the furniture where we thought we wanted it. We had dinner with Al and Judy Godman at Spinning Wheel. Bob Reese had loaned us his truck, so I made several trips with such things as plants, and items that were difficult to pack. Kathleen arrived about 4 PM on the 30th of June. We loaded up in our 95 Taurus and started over to our new place. We didn't realize that it was the last trip for the Taurus. There was a street called Russell that we had never been on. It was a loop street that ran parallel to Skyway in the vicinity of Vista Village Drive, so we decided we would have a look on the way. We were in the right hand lane on Skyway ,so we could exit on Russell. When we got to Russell, we realized it was almost opposite our exit to Vista Village, so we changed our mind about exploring it. I looked back to be sure it was safe to change lanes. No one was coming, so I turned on my signal, and made the lane change. Brakes squealed and tires gripping pavement noises, and then impact on our left rear. The impact turned the Taurus 360 degrees, and we stopped in the entrance to Vista Village. Apparently the Ford Focus that hit us, came over the slight rise (about a 100 feet east of where I started my turn) at a rate considerably above the 45 MPH limit. He slid his wheels 60 ft before impact, and still hit us hard enough to turn us 360 degrees and push us back about another 20 ft. I thought the Police would definitely consider him to blame. Silly me. They decided I was at fault due an unsafe lane change. I objected and the Police said I could write a rebuttal, which would be filed with the accident report. I did so and sent a copy to the insurance company. Did no good. Insurance company decided I was 100% at fault, and subsequently nearly doubled my insurance. The Taurus was declared totaled, and they sent a check for the Blue Book value, $9994.51. There we were in the middle of moving, with no car. Kathleen agreed to stay for a week and help us get settled. It was a godsend, and she was a tremendous help. We finished moving and our duplex looked more like a home than a disaster area. We rented a car the following Thursday and Kathleen left on the next Sunday, 9th of July. In the interim, we ate out the entire week, Senior Center for lunch, etc. On the 4th of July we went to the pancake breakfast at the Magalia Church, and checked out the Dog Town Faire afterward. On the 5th of July the American Legion had a dinner and the installation of Officers. On the 10th of July, we started looking for a replacement car. We decided to upgrade to at least a 1998. We looked at Grand Marquis,(really liked them), Cavalier, (too small) Lincoln Town Car, (great- alittle too pricy) and several others. We finally 142 found one in Paradise - a dealer who kept one or two cars at his home. He had a 1998 Nissan Maxima, with only 15000 miles on it. We drove it, liked it, and bought it on the 20th of July for $18151. We returned our rental car . Bought a dinette set and a 20" TV for the Webb TV. Kathleen had hooked up the Web TV to the 13" TV when she was here the first part of July, but the image was just too small. We transferred to the 20" and it was better. On the 5th of August, Rachel, John, and Jenna came from Quincy in Jenna's truck and picked up a load of furniture. After a lot ofside stepping, Rachel admitted she was pregnent with John's child. They were not getting married, but Rachel was going to have the baby. We were happy for her, and glad they were not marrying (John is not good husband material). Next day we went to the McMullin's for a barbeque. We are going to bowl with them on Sunday Nite League. On the 10th of August, Dr. Reed took a biopsy of sore on my eyebrow. It was malignent and was removed on the 23rd of August. It was not a Melanoma, so wasn't too serious. On August 14th we decided the 20" TV was too small, so we returned it and upgraded to a 27". Wow some difference. August 27th Hits and Misses league started, and on 11th of September Young at Heart League started. On Laura's birthday, 9th of September we went to a few yard sales but didn't find anything that we couldn't do without. Had lunch at Sonya Marie's and dinner at Cafe Paradisio. Next morning we both went to Church. We have a new minister, Bob Biehler, and we like him very much. On September 15th Kathy Garlick decided my AIC was too high, and doubled my Glucatrol. I took it for two days but it made me woozy, so I stopped. I had taken Antibetic from Gero- Vita a couple of months before and it seemed to help, so I sent away for another months supply, and started taking it again on September 7th. My November Blood test, my AIC was 6.00 and Kathy Garlick was tickled pink, so I continued on Antibetic. On 24th of September Dennis and Zoe arrived. Dennis got a job the following Wednesday. Telemarketing for a construction company – Selig, I think. They stayed with us for a wwk and then we moved the rig to Sierra Mobile Home Park. They stayed in the rig until December 20th. Zoe went back to Nebraska in mid-November to take care of some business. Dennis had Thanksgiving dinner with us and then sometime in December he took off for Nebraska without even saying good-bye. When we called Zoe to wish her a Merry Christmas, we found out that Dennis was there. He said he was going to Ohio or Alabama and we would probably not hear from him again. Weird. He said to give the rest of his money to Rachel. We’ll hold on to it for when he next calls and needs some of it. District #4 meeting on 1st of October, in Paradise.. On the 9th of October we attended a Memorial for Jim Silva. Thenon the 12th we visited Ron Southworth, who is terminally ill. He was in good spirits but its tough visiting when you know it’s probably the last time. We attended his funeral on the 14th of December. On the 13th of October, out 32nd Anniversary, we had dinner at Pat and Larry’s Restaurant. Very good. 143 On the 7th of November I helped staff the Election Board. Same precinct and almost the same board. It was presidential election and the turn out was high. On Veterans Day, November 11th, I got up early and helped set up the flags along Skyway. Almost 1,000 flags. Then at 10 o’clock we had the Veterans Day celebration, t the Vets Hall. I was on the Honor Guard that advanced the flag and was then on the firing squad that fired the final salute. Laura attended Crochet classes on Tuesdays during November and December. Had a nice Thanksgiving with D.J., Ali, Rachel and us. Attended the Methodist Men’s Christmas dinner. They had a nice dinner for the wives. Had my eyes checked by Dr. Di Pietro on Dec 13th. Same thing – not enough change to need glasses changed. Met with Dr. Wright and Doug to check out the pacemaker. They didn’t like the sound of it, so they scheduled a replacement for sometime in January. On the 20th of December, I decided to get some digital hearing aids. Went to Havens and Rick sold me on Telex at $3,400. They are better than my current, but I’m still not sure that are that much better. Oh well, live and learn. I did do a little better in cribbage against Les. I only lost $62 in year 2000. On the 24th of December we attended “Messiah” at the church. It was very good. Then in the evening, Christmas Eve, we went to an open house at the Mc Mullins. We spent Christmas Day by our lonesome. Had calls from all the kids. New Year’s Eve we were Assistant Treasurers at the Ridge Runners party, and thus ended YEAR 2000 ! ! ! ! ! ! On the first day 0f 2001, we went to an open house at our new minister’s house. Robert Biehler at 5901 Oakmore Dr. It was terribly crowded and we didn’t stay long. We are both still driving the Veteran’s Van, but this turned out to the last year. We had been bringing the Van home the night before, but apparently some driver was taking advantage of a good thing, and Martinez dictated that we not do that any more. Laura stopped driving after that, but I 144 drove until Oct 30th. During the year drove fifteen times, and mostly to Mather and Martinez. I had been driving since 1991 and I enjoyed it. However in October the V.A. decided to go to professinal drivers and I didn’t want to go to the trouble and expense of getting a professional license. They later decided that Volunteers were OK but by that time I decided I had driven long enough. During the year I was on the firing squad for fourteen veterans, Three of them in December. Played cribbage every noon at Senior Nutrition. I guess I did a little better than last year since I only lost $43 all year. On the 23rd of January, I reported to Enloe Hospital at 6 AM for the installation of my new pacemaker. The previous pacemaker installed on the left side had always aggravated me because it was so poorly covered and I could twist around every which way. This time I told Dr. Janet Wright that I wanted a better job. She said she would move it to the right side and make sure it was well embedded. Before she had to have another surgeon do the implanting. Now she does it herself. I came back to reality about about 10:30 and was out of the hospital by noon. On the 25th January we had a surprise snow storm. We even got an inch or so and we supposedly live in the banana belt. They got over 7 inches in Paradise Pines. Anyway as usual it closed down the town, and we had no senior lunch or Masonic fish. Each fourth Friday the Masonic Temple has a great fish dinner that we always attend. Super Bowl was a let down since New England beat my favored Rams. I guess I’ll survive until next season. February 2001 Had a blood sample for a blood panel taken. Cholestoral and A1C. Had another Firing Squad, and in the evening played cribbage in a Grass Roots Tournament (must be a Thursday). Only had four points which means I only won 2 games out of the 9 played. Next day I got sick and went to the doctor. It was mostly sore throat and congestion, but he sent me for a chest X-ray and the lab specified a 24 hour urine specimen. When I took the specimen in next morning, they said “oh no, we only wanted a urine specimen”. What a waste of time. Anyway the Doctor (Randall Reed) put me on Zithromax, an antibotic, for ten days. Fifth of Feb was our first Tax day. I again had agreed to do taxes for seniors under the AARP Taxaid program. Each Monday morning until April 16th do our thing. I enjoy helping people out. On the 9th of Feb, another snowstorm --- Again no Senior Nutrition, no bowling on Sunday night, and no Taxaid on Monday. On the 15th of Febr Laura had a pulmonary Function test. 145 March 2001 On the 1st of March we travelled to Napa to celebrate Kathleen’s 50tbirthday. We took them out to someplace that had been recommended, but I certainly wouldn’t, and that’s the reason I don’t remember the name of the place. On the 3rd we went to Quincy to Rachel’s baby shower. She got a lot of nice gifts. We celebrated the Legion’s birthday and had an awards dinner on March 17th. The legion supplied a color guard for the opening of the Little League season on the 24th of March. I carried old glory (the flag) On the 5th of April we (Ray Untiet, Richard Burkhart, and myself) interviewed Boys for Boys State and candidates for YEC. Boys State delegates are selected from the Junior class and are some of the top students in the high school. For 2001 we selected Brendan Turner as our Boys State delegate with Jason Onstein as his alternate. YEC (Youth Environmental Conference) delegates are selected from sophmores and juniors who have indicated a desire to learn more about job opportunities in the Environmental field, such as Forestry, Land Management, etc. For 2001 we selected Michael Chamberlin and Jessie Parsons as our delegates. We attended a Firing Squad dinner on the 19th of April. Nygel Parkhurst thought it would be a good idea to assemble all the members of the Firing Squad and to select one as the outstanding member of the year. Bob Anderson was so honored. On the 3rd of May we traveled to Bakersfield to bowl in the Regional BVL tournamet. We had both bowled well in the local BVL games, and were selected to go the Regional. We bowled on May 4th and it was a disaster. We couldn’t control our balls. We found out the lanes were synthetic, and you had to bowl completely different. Of course by the time we learned this, it was too late, and we had low scores. We returned through San Martin, and had dinner at Marie Calenders with Art, Laura, and family and stayed the night. Next morning we had breakfast with Rod and Michael. Then returned to Paradise. Methodist Men celebrated Mother’s Day with a luncheon for the wives. Very nice lunch That evening we had our bowling banquet at the Depot in Oroville. Very good buffet dinner (Cafeteria style). And of course the highlight was prizes and the envelopes containing our kickbacks ( so much for each game we had won) Next day, May 11th, we drove to Reno at Ali’s insistence. She wanted to treat us for the many things we had done for her. She put us up at Circus-Circus for two nights. We did very little gambling, but lots of eating. While there we visited the National Bowling Arena. 48 superb lanes. A national tournament was in progress. We saw a doubles team where both men were over 100 years old. They didn’t win but got pretty good scores. That evening Laura and Ali went gambling, while I watched a ballgame. We left about 2 PM on Sunday (Mother’s Day). Arrived home about 6 PM.(326 miles) 146 On 17th of May we attended the High School Scholarship Awards night. It’s amazing how many really smart kids go to school now a days. Brendan Turner, our Boy’s State delegate, was one of the valedictorians. On May 27th, (my 82nd birthday) I helped set up the flags in the cemetary for the Memorial Day Celebration. We line the driveways in the cemetary with coffin flags. Over 200 of them. On Memorial Day I carried the American flag from the street to the memorial obelisk in the cemetary, and was also on the Firing squad. It was a touching ceremony. At 3 PM we took down the flags and returned them to storage. On June 3rd, another District 4 meeting at Linda Post. On Father’s Day, June 17th, we started on our mid western trip. We had discussed it at some length about whether to drive, fly or---- We decided since neither had ridden the train for forty or fifty years, togo by Amtrack. Our travel agency told us the closest Amtrack could get us to Melbeta was Denver. We decided to take Amtrack to Denver, rent a car and go to Melbeta and then on to Jamestown, North Dakota. Neither of us had been in North Dakota, and as a bonus Jamestown was Louis LaMour’s home town. We left Chico at 8 AM (Les Kovak drove us to Chico) and rode a trailways Bus to Sacramento. We expected to arrive in Denver about 8AM next morning (Monday) so we just got a chair car, thinking we could tolerate sitting up one night. We left Sacramento around noon, and rocked along until we arrived in Truckee. After we parked for an hour or so, we were told that a forest fire had shut down both hiway 80 and the UP tracks. They had no idea when the tracks would open up. In the car behind us was a group of football players going to Reno for a conference or something. There were teen age girls in our car and you should have seen the going to and fro. In Truckee they called in some buses and bussed the football team to Reno. So there we sat not knowing when we would get started again. Finally after eleven hours delay we started very slowly. They weren’t sure of the condition of the track, so they took it real easy. Spectacular scenary!! Burning trees and brush so close it almost seemed we could reach out and touch them. Well it was time to sleep, ha-ha. First of all it was cold – I think they left the air conditioning on. Then there were kids all over it seemed. We didn’t get much sleep that night. We ate in the dining car and it was OK. In talking to other people, we discovered that sleeping car people got their meals free. We decided if we ever got to Denver we would upgrade to a sleeper car. We finally arrived in Denver at 5:30 AM, only to find that the taxi’s had gone on strike. After about an hour a dispatcher finally got us a taxi and we took it to Avis where our car was waiting. In the meanwhile I had upgraded to a sleeper car for the return trip. Couldn’t get a compartment – only a roomette was available. Oh well much better than a chair car. We took our rental car, a Mitsubishi Gallant, and drove to our Motel where we recuperated for a day and a night. On Wednesday,June 20th, we left Denver at 7:20 AM and arrived in Melbeta at 10:35AM. Much faster then the train. In the afternoon, Neil took us to the Chimney Rock Visitor Center. Nice exhibits. Next to the straw house – a house built of straw bales and stuccoed. 147 We saw a prairie dog town, and finally an Elk Farm. It was something else. Over 200 Elk. I guess the owner sold them for Elk steaks. On the 21st we drove through Wright’s Gap and on through Banner County We went to the cemetary and then on to Gering. We had lunch at Valentino’s and visited Velma at 4 PM. She is quite feeble and doesn’t look long for this world. We then went to an AARP picnic at Gardner Park in Gering. Next morning I had chest pains and took a nap. Felt better after nap so I guess they were gas pains. Wayne and Barbara Yoakum arrived at five oclock. They are from Napa, Calif. And their visit was totally unexpected. We had a nice visit, but we left at 6 pm to visit Elaine and Rinie. They took us to Applebee’s. Jama Lee, Steve, and Lacey were also there. On Sunday we went to Church at Melbeta. Saw several people I had known in the past. In the afternoon we had a picnic. Neil figures it easier to get everyone together at a picnic, rather then try to go to their places. It sure works out that away. Attendees this year included Mark and three kids, Alex, Reinie and Elaine, Steve, Jama and Lacey, Junior, Marie , and Sarah , Rick and Kathey, Margie, and Paul. Quite a crowd but it was a very nice picnic. Afterward Neil and Maxine and us went to Dairy Queen for desert. Next day, June 25th, we drove to Mitchell, South Dakota. 544 miles. We stayed in the Holiday Inn. Since we had a coupon it only cost $62, and it was really nice. They had an indoor pool and a hot tub. We had a nice dinner there, really enjoyed it. They even had a minature golf course inside, but we didn’t try it. Next morning we took in the Corn Palace. It’s really something. The entire exterior is covered with Corn – Ears, kernals, and stalks. They have to renovate it every year, and it is really a community effort. Inside they have exhibits of early Mitchell , and pictures of the Corn Palace in prior years. We left for Jamestown, North Dakota, at 10 AM. Had lunch in Aberdeen, and arrived in Jamestown at 4 pm. We went to the Buffalo Museum, where they are supposed to have the white buffalo. Of course he didn’t show up so we went on to the Gladstone motel. Next morning we looked for Louis LaMour’s childhood home, only to find it had been torn down several years ago. The streets were all torn up so we decided to only stay the one day. We decided to go to the Buffalo Museum and give the white Buffalo one more chance to appear. He cooperated and we got a good look at him and the Buffalo herd in general. It is a large herd and we saw many calves. On to Belle Fourche. We ate lunch in Dickenson, North Dakota. Max Bannister had been stationed there. He was a good friend during WW2. Stayed the night in Lariat Motel. It cost $40 and wasn’t nearly as nice as the Holiday Inn. Next morning we went Devil’s Tower. Actually it’s in Wyoming. It is really awesome. A monolith of Basalt Pushed up to the sky. Several people have climbed it. They have nice exhibits in the visitor center. On the way back we saw a huge prairie dog town. Lots of road construction and subsequent delays. Finally back on the road to Rapid City, South Dakota’. We had spent some time in this 148 area, so we decided to stop at Crazy Horse Monument and see how much progress had been made. We pulled up to the gate and were surprised to find a $14 charge to go to the visitor center. We could see the progess that had been made (or actually the lack of progress) from where we were, so we declined the entrance fee, and drove on toward Wind Cave. There we figured to spend some time at the visitor center, and not go in the cave because Laura’s back wouldn’t permit much walking. The visitor Center was very interesting and while looking at the exhibits, we found a tour advertised as a no- stairs tour. We talked to the attendant and he assured us the Laura should be able to make it. We took the tour and it took us to some beautiful cave formations. We enjoyed Wind Cave very much. Drove on to Hot Springs for the night. Had breakfast in Maverick Junction. Decided we had enough gas to get to Chadron, but the last few miles were nail-biters. Think we arrived at the gas station on fumes. Drove on to Alliance and toured the town. Didn’t take long. We ate lunch in Bayard, then on to McGrew. Drove around but it is much smaller than Alliance so we didn’t stay long. On to Melbeta where we arrived in time to help with the irrigating. (mostly I watched while Neil did the work). Next morning (Saturday June 30th) We went to the Wild Life Museum in Gering. It was fabulous. Next drove up Scottsbluff and viewed the valley from the top. It is a great view all the way to Chimney Rock. Down the Monument and on to Co-op in Scottsbluff. They were having a Bar-B-Que And we joined in (gratefully and twice). The barbequed beef was excellent. Next we visited Velma at the retirement home. When Darrell got sick they moved him to the convalescent ward, and Velma went with him. The ownership of their apartment reverted to the retirement home. After Darrell died, Velma stayed in the convalescent ward. She looked terrible, and it was apparent she wouldn’t last long. It was the last time we saw her, but she did last a year and a half. While at the home we also visited Clarence Crabill, who was a resident there. Next morning we took off for Denver. We had to turn in the rental car before five oclock, so we adjusted our time accordingly. After we turned in the car, we spent the night at the Ramada Inn. It was a nice motel, and we enjoyed the Hot Tub, and had a nice dinner and breakfast there. We taxi-edto the train station next morning. We had upgraded to an Economy Cluband it was much better than Coach. We had our own compartment, and 149 meals were included. We left Denver at 11:30 am (Schedule said 8:25 am but Hah train schedules!!) and arrived in Sacramento at 7 pm two days later. The meals were great. The only problem was me learning how to get up in the hammock they provided for me. I finally mastered it, but the sleeping, although better than coach, wasn’t great. It was nice to have our own compartment and although the train went slow the trip wasn’t too bad. They said the reason they had to go so slow, was that the temperatures outside were unseasonbly hot and they were afraid the rails would spread. Sounds like hogwash, but anyway we made it. (4 hours late). Our bus left Sacto at 7:30 and arrived in Chico at 9:30 where Les picked us up. Next day we mostly rested and recuperated. 7th Seventh of July we had dinner with the MacMullens. (Sunday night bowling).Their son is a chef on a cruise ship and he prepared a French dinner. I believe I prefer American. Anyway the Mac Mullens were very friendly and had us over for bar-b- ques and dinners quite often until we quit their team at the end of the season. They dropped us like a hot rock. On the 9th of July we were served with a summons to appear in court for the accident that happened way back in 2000. We worried about it for a while, but our attorney’s contacted us before the cour t date and said they settledo out of court for $1000. I’m sure it was barely enough to pay their attorneys.If they had settled earlier, they had been offered $8000, but they got greedy an tried for the jack pot. They really didn’t have a case. The insurance company had absolved me of blame. In August we decided to give the rig to Art and Laura. The brakes needed work so we took it to Schwab and $381 later it had good brakes again. 8th of August 2001 we drove to Kathleens and stayed overnight. Next day we drove on to San Martin and stopped at Camping World to look for something. Rig had run like a champ all the way, and then at camping world thewater pump failed and water spewed all over. We filled the radiator and drove the mile and a half to Art’s and parked it. We figured Art could have the water pump replaced (Laura told him she would pay for it). While at San Martin, we visited Rita Auserand toured Eagle Point. It is a millionaires sub division and quite nice. Rita took us to lunch. In the evening took the family to Home Buffet ( Rod and Art and Laura’s family) Next day we drove to Alice Jacksons for a Maki Maki dinner and an evening of Spite and Malice. Back to Paradise next day. 150 September 9th we celebrated Laura’s 75th Birthday. I planned a surprise. I sent invitations to several friends and acquaintences and of course all the kids. Art and Laura (with family), Kate and John, Harmony, Ali and Rachel with Adia, and the greatest surprise of all, Ronnie all came the day before, and 16 friends showed up at the open house. It was a great surprise for Laura and she enjoyed the week end. The rest of the year was repetitive = bowling, Legion activities, Van driving, lunch at the senior Center, cribbage on Thursday nites, doctor appointments, church once a month, etc. With the exceptions of: OUR 33RD wedding anniversary – we went to Sorrento’s, A new dinner house (formerly Pinochios) We were very disappointed in it and it didn’t stay in business very long. Christmas at our house - Ali, Rachel,John and Adia, Kathleen and John. We attended the Christmas Eve program at our church, and had a nice Christmas Day opening presents, eating a nice Ham dinner and good visiting. We didn’t use the rec hall because everyone we had hoped to be there didn’t make it So ended Year 2001 ------ January 2002 First the standard things ---Bowling each Monday and Thursday afternoons. We keep on trying. Never seem to improve too much. American Legion and the Auxiliary. Meetings on the first Wednesday of each month. This year I am on the executive board and meet every third Wednesday. I am also Boys State and Youth Environmental Conference Chairman for the Post. 151 9-21-63 Fish Creek Mountain 10-12/13-63 Slushy Meadows 11-2-63 High Meadow Springs 11-30/12-1-63 Desert Caravan 12-14-63 Kitching Peak 2-1-64 Pisgah Peak 2-22-64 Sheep Pass painted caricatures of several of us, including me. I bought mine so I would have it for posterity. We walked to the aquarium next day, and then spent some time on the beach. In the evening we went out to eat again. On the 15th of March, we took the bus to the open market, but it was the wrong bus and we got lost. We finally made it back, in time to say good-bye to the caravan members heading for Cabo San Lucas. Every morning we would hear the fish vendors calling "Shre-e-mp, Shre-e-mp". I went out next morning to buy some. All of a sudden, a fish fell out of the sky. Was it raining fish? No, a seagull had caught a fish, and another gull tried to take it away. In the fight, the fish got dropped. Such squaking. I got the shrimp, and tried cooking them that evening. Ugh, we ate out again. On St. Patrick’s Day, we left Matzatlan for Guadalahara. We found an RV park that was populated primarily