He worked hard and earned an honest living. He always put his families needs before his own. He was a modest man who lived a modest life.
He shared many adventures with my brothers, my mother, and me. We prospected for gold. Learned how to track and identify animals in the desert. He taught us all how to shoot and respect fire arms. We rode dirt bikes in the desert in the fall and water skied at all of the neighboring lakes in Arizona in the summer time. He took us skiing in the winter and played with us in the snow. We camped year round. He taught me how to fish and said, "if you catch it you clean it." He belonged to the Phoenix 4 Wheelers Club. We went along on many Jeep Jamborees. They were a blast.
He taught me how to drive and 4 wheel in the desert. We would be driving down a dirt road and turn the wheels off the road then jump out of the jeep and say, meet me back at camp. I would laugh and say, "sure dad" and I would. He would take me out in the desert, get the jeep really stuck, then go sit under a shady tree. Dad would say, "daughter, get that jeep unstuck and you can have the keys to drive it. I did. I also had to learn how to change a tire by myself.
One day I was feeling full of myself and I bet dad that I could pull the International Travel-all around the covered patio and down the driveway. He thought for a moment and said, "you're on daughter" I asked, "how much" he said, "a quarter". I walked over to the huge car, confident until, I turned her over, my legs began to quiver, I carefully put in the clutch and gave it the gas, ... "nothing" I gave it more gas,..."nothing" I looked at my dad looking back at me and I gunned her "varoom" she went, along with the whole side of the patio. Dad walked over to me and asked if I was alright. I said, "yes" he nodded his head and said, "daughter, you owe me a quarter! " That was all he ever said. I learned a lot that day. I thought, "man, if I ever have a kid and he screws up, I going to be real cool about it, just like my dad".
When my daughter did the tango with a parked Semi in her Corvette, I just asked if she was alright. She thought more about what she did wrong instead of being ticked off at me for yelling at her. It made her wonder and think. That was also the last of the corvette. She is a very careful responsible driver today.
I have many other wonderful memories to numerous to mention.
I will always remember the wonderful life I had growing up. My father will always be with me. He called me his favorite daughter, and I called him my only father.
Silly, but that's just how we were.
Miss ya Dad.
