In disappointment there are the seeds for real improvement, for real progress. Nurture those seeds with newfound strength, and transform disappointment into resounding success.

Flag Counter started April 3, 2008

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a remendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say

“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It’s too bad you missed your daughter’s “dance recital” he continued. “Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.” And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.”

“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

“Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I’m getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail”, he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.” “I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.”

“Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.”

“Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.”

“It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!”

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.” “What brought this on?” she asked with a smile. “Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.

And so, as one smart bear once said…”If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the Pooh.

Richard and I spent a wonderful week in California August 14-21. Our main purpose was to attend my 30th High School Reunion from Arcata High. However, we managed to fit an amazing amount of driving, visiting, seeing special places from my past, and even cattle driving and got to enjoy cool, damp weather at the same time! What a glorious vacation!

Day one, August 14—Richard actually arrived in California on Friday the 11th to spend the weekend with an old buddy, doing manly stuff! I flew in Monday afternoon, Richard picked me up in the rental car, and we were off! First we drove up I5 to Williams and then over on Hwy 20 to Ft. Bragg. Click here for photos of day one.

On day two, we drove from Ft. Bragg on Hwy 1 back to Hwy 101, then stopped several times to enjoy the Redwood groves along that area. We ate lunch here at Williams Grove. Then we cut over at Weott on Hwy 211 to Honeydew and Petrolia. We tried to stay in the wonderful old motel Mom and I stayed at in Petrolia in 1997. I remember we had a hard time convincing the owner to rent us a room back then, and it’s evidently under the same management, as she didn’t want to (and didn’t!) rent us a room this time either. So, we (well, Richard!) drove on to Ferndale. After that all day drive on mostly hairpin curves, Richard was done driving! Since the Humboldt County fair is in Ferndale, we went to Fortuna and got the last room in town. Click here for more photos of day two.

On day three we drove right from Fortuna north on Hwy 101 to Orick and then to the Bald Hills Ranch where I lived for several years as a child. It holds a special place in my heart and memories, and I try and see it every time I’m in Northern California. We spent most all day walking around the ranch and then drove back south to a lovely dinner in Trinidad overlooking the bay there. Then we drove on to Eureka to stay with my classmate Leslie. Leslie used to come out to the Bald Hills Ranch when she was younger, so we had a lot to talk and reminisce about! Click here for more photos of day three.

On day four we met up with Rich Hunt and spent the morning visiting with him and seeing his and Dean’s operation in the Arcata Bottoms. Rich even let Richard open gates and drive cattle. Richard loved it!!!!! In the afternoon, Richard and I drove north on Hwy 101 again to Gold Bluffs Beach. Richard had been through Northern California about 30 years ago with some buddies, had camped at Gold Bluffs Beach, and wanted to see it again. I thought I hadn’t ever been there or Fern Canyon, but Mom told me we used to go there all the time! So much for memories! After that, we drove back to Arcata and had a wonderful dinner with Rich and Carolyn. Then it was back to Leslie’s house in Eureka. Click here for more photos of day four.

Friday we drove around Arcata, saw the high school, saw the Preston Place, and then met Dr. LR and Peggy Douglas at the Ingomar Club (or Carson Mansion) for lunch. It’s a members only club, and you have to be invited by a member to eat there. It was a wonderfully special treat for Richard and I. We had a great meal and wonderful visiting with Doug and Peggy. Thanks so much! After lunch we headed south to Ferndale and the races at the Humboldt County Fair where our class “Mixer” was. We noticed that the first three races were only 220 yards, and we assumed they were Quarter Horses. The horses paraded onto the track, and I thought “hey, that first horse has a mule pony horse.” Then we noticed they all had mule pony horses. Then we realized, no, the mules were racing! What a kick! Richard had never seen mules race at a “real” racetrack before! We sponsored Race 5, and here we are in the winner’s circle! Some of the people looked really different, and some looked so exactly the same it seemed like the years melted away. I’m not sure which group I fell into, guess I didn’t ask for fear of finding out! Click here for more photos of day five.

Day six we started out by getting up at 4:30 am to meet Rich, Dean and crew for breakfast and then a big cattle load-out! I told you this was a widely varied vacation! What great fun we had though! Then we drove around a bit looking at places with memories for me, and went back to Leslie’s for a little nap and shower before the big reunion in the evening! It was so great to get to visit with David, Rocky, Andy, and Jim. Patty Choate gave an excellent “class roast” which Richard even enjoyed, though he didn’t know any of the kids she talked about. What a great story-teller she is! Click here for more photos of day six.

On day seven we had to start back home! We had a wonderful breakfast with Leslie before saying good-bye to both her and the cool weather. We headed down Hwy 299 toward Redding and then down I5 to Sacramento. We spent the night with Richard’s friend there, and then got up at 4 am to fly back to Missouri. Click here for more photos from day seven.

And what vacation of mine would be complete without lots of close-up flower pictures? Click here to see more of them!

I was visiting with a friend who lost her son in 1999. She told me this:

There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, and a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

—Philippians 4:13

This afternoon I got to see Justin and Calie’s new house in Springfield outside and in! We are looking forward to both of them living closer.

One of the things I most enjoyed (Richard too!) about the trip was the lower temperatures. We tried to “save up” the cool in our bodies, but I’m finding that didn’t work out as well as we had hoped as I’m sitting here sweating. Here’s a chart of the temperatures in Springfield, MO (MO High and Low) and Eureka, CA (CA High and Low) for the time period I was gone (Aug 14-20). I remember that practically same forecast for every day (summer and winter in Eureka!) does get a bit monotonous, but, when you are coming from the Missouri heat, that Eureka cool feels super!!

Richard and I spent a week in California attending my 30th High School reunion (Arcata High Tigers!) and visiting a wide variety of tourist and non-tourist spots.

One of the major highlights of our trip was lunch at the famous Ingomar Club in Eureka, California. It’s probably the most photographed Victorian house in the world! L.R. and Peggy Douglas invited us (you can only go on the grounds and/or eat there on the invitation of a member) and also gave us a wonderful tour of the house after one of the most excellent meals I’ve ever had. Words just can’t describe the beauty! I have more photos to post later.

And, of course, the reunion was excellent also!! Here’s David, Rocky, Andy and Jim, some of my best friends in high school! L-R: Brian, David, Richard, Tina, Rocky, Andy, Pat and Jim.

I have lots of great photos of the beach, the Bald Hills Ranch, Fern Canyon, working cattle on the A Hunt Ranches, and horse (and mule!) races in Ferndale. Posting them will need to wait until I’ve caught up on all the other work I didn’t do while on vacation. I didn’t even check email once. Richard was amazed I could do it! It was easy with all the wonderful and exciting things we had to do that week.

Special thanks to Leslie Douglas (classmate also) for putting us up and taking such great care of us!!

I finally (on August 28) got photos up on the web. Click here to see them!

Yesterday Jennifer and I went through John’s stuff. I took his drawings and writings in order to scan them in so everyone who wants any of it will be able to have copies. This drawing was one we talked about the most the evening before the Memorial when we were looking at his drawings and reading what he’d written. Most of John’s drawings were abstract or dragons and such. Unless I find something from reading everything he wrote, we really don’t know who these people are or what they meant to John. We can only guess. John’s father died when he was one, and his relationship with his step-father didn’t work out well at all. Perhaps it was John walking with his own child? Or, John and the father he wished he had had?