I'm baaack!

Shadowfax · August 2005

Fadow Shacks rides again! Thanks for missing me enough to inquire, although it took you 5 weeks to wonder enough to ask. I left June 20th and came back today: spent 6 weeks hiking in Glacier and Yellowstone, (259 miles by foot) saw 11 grizzlies, 7 black bears many elk, bison, deer, and 1 mountain lion; stopped at the Custer Battlefield Memorial, Devil's Tower, Mt Rushmore; took in several rodeos; spent two days baling hay on a friend's ranch in Montana; kayaked 3 roaring rivers; bicycled 180 miles; observed a process of harvesting burned out forests, peeling off the charred outside of the logs to a uniform circumference, coring the interior and pumping in foam insulation, then building absolutely magnificient log homes; was with my BW of almost 42 years 24/7 and actually enjoyed it, in addition to hiking more than 100 of those miles with our 25 year old daughter. In short, I have had a wonderful summer, have missed the give and take of the Forum and all of my friends here but am looking forward to reviewing the last 8 weeks of posts and getting back into the flow of things. BTW, I have a gig next Thursday reprising a bit of my Will Rogers act, so have to limber up the voice and the ropin' hand. Thanks again for at least noticing I was not contributing, if not actually missing me.

lhill · August 2005

Welcome back! Sounds like time well spent. I am more than a little envious of all your travels and adventures. Good luck with Will Rogers.
Linda

marc · August 2005

Good to hear from you again. Great travel experience - I'll bet those memories will last a good long time.

Dasher · August 2005

Welcome back!

System · August 2005

Great to have you back! We missed your link in this chain of friends.

NaeNae55 · August 2005

I got tired just reading about all the fun you had. Welcome back!

LivindonSouth · August 2005

Your 'BW of 42 years'? What's that mean? Best wife? Blind wife? I admire you for all you did and wish I could have gone along for just a bit of it. I've seen the tower, Rushmore, bailed hay and attended rodeos. But it's been awhile.

Remember that I was the first to post my unhappiness with your absence, although we all missed you long before that. I thought at first you were pouting, but, then I remembered that was Ray, not you, who does that. x:-)

mushroomHR · August 2005

Welcome back. It sounds as if you had a great time. Will you do it again next year?

Whirlwind · August 2005

I'm thinking Beautiful Wife.

In any event, your trip sounds divine and I'm green with envy. Hope you weren't thinking too much about Grizzly Man during those bear encounters. My question is, how do you swing 6 weeks off? I work in a school where most staff are off at least half of the summer and I can't even manage a 2-week guilt trip.

Welcome back!

Shadowfax · August 2005

Well, that's what I used to think too...and everyone keeps telling you how they can't get along w/.o you...till you go, as I did, and as Don said, '...life goes on...it's just different...'(paraphrased Don quoting Twain). When you become SSE (social security eligible) as I am, and you've been doing this over 40 years, and you've had a wake up call that life was not only precious but perilously temporary , you're pretty well immune to intimidation, so I jusst went, and they did pretty well w/o me. Oh, I did have to handle a few crises by phone and email, but it was good for everyone here as well, '
Yes, BW is Beautiful Wife, and I am thankful she has put up with me for 42 years.

HRLASS · August 2005

Congratulations on the 42 years and welcome back. Sounds like you had a great trip. I took 6 weeks when I graduated from college as I knew it would be a loooong time before I could do that again, and I was right! Enjoy your time.

Beave · August 2005

Welcome back fellow Port Yurin-ite (as the locals say). What a WONDERFUL time it sounds like you had. Good for you to make that commitment.

So what's the secret for her "putting up" with you for 42 years? What an achievement!

I'm baaack!

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