My sister called me tonight. I told her about my trip to Alturas and Canby back in 1984. We went to the Modoc Indians stronghold of the Lava Beds, my brother and I. I only mention this because this is the sister that I always give a hard time to. I was telling her about General E. R. S. Canby who was killed during the Modoc Indian wars in 1873. She was getting annoyed at the details which I remembered from my trip in 1984. I was standing in the living room and my wife was in the kitchen laughing at the worthless information I was feeding my sister. My sister was looking for constructive things to keep her children busy during such a trip and I was feeding her historical information that would just bore her kids. I was trying to be helpful. Fine.
If she didn't want the historical data, then how about Geography. Did you know that the Pit River is a great place to go fishing on this trip. (Her husband is a great fisherman and is always ready to go.) The Pit River is the largest river in the Shasta Lake drainage area. It flows out of Goose Lake (which has traces of manganese in it), flows across two hundred miles of rolling California hills and provides most of the water for Shasta Lake and Dam.
I also told her about the birds at the Tule Lake Wildlife Preserve. Lots of birds.
My sister has a great laugh. I will always remember - sometime in 1988? - I was at my parents house. This was prior to me knowing my wife. I was at home for a visit. I was sitting at the kitchen table - finishing dinner? reading the paper? it doesn't really matter - when my 5 year old niece came through the room, followed by my youngest sister and then my other sister (the star of this post). I don't know why but it struck me as funny. I immediately stood up and joined the march, proclaiming rather loudly that "Oh boy, I love a parade". This one I did too.
My sister stops in her tracks, turns around and laughs at me asking "How do you do that?" Be funny, I guess. I just like to be happy so I find things that amuse me. This was a fun night.
The year may have been 1990 or maybe even 1991. I am getting old and my memory cells don't always help on this. But I did love that parade.
D.
About Me
- David
- Columbia River Gorge, Oregon , United States
- I am evolving. After 50 years of working, I finally retired in January, 2021. We currently live in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. I had lived in southern California with my wife and kids for 25 plus years. In June, 2014 my daughter accepted a job with a university in Oregon. My wife, began to worry that she would not see her daughter too much. Luckily, (ha ha) I was laid off from my job, making me free to move wherever I wanted. Over the course of several months, and several hundred resume's and applications, I secured a job in the Portland, Oregon area. We are now close to my daughter and are able to see her more frequently. It is truly a blessing. Our continuing journey has taken us to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, in the little town of Cascade Locks (what a wonderfully historic place this is). Here on this little collection of essays and interests I try to capture life. I try not to get political. Sorry, but I have opinions, and sometimes they sneak in. I don't ask that you agree with them, but I have reached them after 50+ years of thought and observations.
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