An Unexpected Series of Events

July 26, 2012 by Chris Carter

It has been a difficult week…..

Thursday, July 26, 2012

I drove my brother to the train station this morning. I handed him a pencil and Dad’s green sketchbook. Dad is in Amherst, Massachusetts with Anna prior to joining Jane and her family in cape Cod.

Thinking of what to write

Pencil to paper

she says

or no lunch

—

too many thoughts

none simple

time is so special —-

I’ll hug my sister

Perhaps I should backtrack to last Thursday …….

Thursday, July 19, 2012

I picked Dad up early. I was distracted by the fact that I would be visiting with the kids’ Dad after having lunch and a nice walk with Dad. Michael was diagnosed with lung cancer last November and was not doing well. We had a date to play music together, something we hadn’t done for about eighteen years. Michael and I met rock climbing in 1977.

Rock Climbing in Boulder Canyon

In addition to rock climbing, we both loved playing music.

Michael playing banjo

Dad’s was ready to go when I arrived. We stopped in at the physical therapy room so that I could find out what the adjustments are on the machine he can work out on every day if he wants to.

Dad working out

After a short, ten minute work out, we drove to Hofheimer Grotto. But not before a serious photo shoot of the fish tank.

Goldfish No. 1

Goldfish No. 2

We decided to walk the trail backwards, starting at the grotto. Of course, Dad had no recollection of seeing the grotto before. In fact, he didn’t really know what it was.

Puzzling over the geology

“You look puzzled, Dad.”

Hofheimer Grotto

“I’m wondering about this strange geology. This must have been created by changing water levels.”

I remembered our visit to Watkins Glen State Park many years ago. Every twenty steps Dad would give another geology lesson to the kids, telling them how many billions and billions of years the layers of rock represented.

“Dad, this is a man made structure.”

Cement and Rocks

He didn’t believe me until I pointed out the cement that holds the rocks in place. We moved on ……

The theme for the day turned out to be Tree Graffiti.

Tree Graffiti No. 1

Tree Graffiti No. 2

Dad waited patiently as I veered off the path to snap dozens and dozens of photos of wounded trees. Notice the initials “KS” in the upper right corner.

Dad waiting patiently

“Hmmmmm…..”KS” ……… that reminds me of a girlfriend I once had….. Katherine Stokes.”

Katherine Stokes and Dad were twelve years old. Katherine was blonde, short and of medium stature. Her father owned one of the two general stores in Odell, Indiana. Odell was small and could support only one general store. Katherine’s father went bankrupt. John P. Hatt’s general store did not. Katherine had a half-brother named Carl Dinwitty.

Katherine’s best friend was Lucille Schultz. Lucille’s boyfriend, John Borum, was a friend of Dads. the four of them would go behind the church and kiss.

Fascinating Tree growth No. 1

I continued to be distracted by the trees.

Natural Tree Sculpture

When we arrived back at the car I handed dad his book and sketched the trees as Dad wrote about Odell, Indiana.

Not very fascinating trees

Odell, Indiana

It was a little village, about 3 miles from the farm. John P. Hatt owned the only store there and I believe he sold ice cream cones (as well as eggs, flour, gloves, etc.) For a little while, a second store was owned by Russell Stokes, my girlfriend’s father, but two stores was probably too much for one little po-dunk village to support. I wonder where she is now, — if she’s still around — an old lady in a rocking chair ?!

I remember being told to hurry up and eat the ice cream cone — it was melting (Wow! the things that you remember !)

We stopped at the grocery store to buy our lunch and had a picnic in Dad’s room before I left for South Orange.

My visit with Michael was wonderful. We talked and laughed and played music together …. Will the Circle Be Unbroken, John Hardy and one that I didn’t know. It was just two chords, G and D, mostly D. Mike then played me Tennessee Waltz on his pedal steel guitar. Though he clearly was weak, I understood why he and Karen were still hoping for the best. He was due to have another scan in a week’s time to see if he was responding to the third treatment. We agreed to get together again in a week or two. He asked me to bring my fiddle the next time. There would be no next time. Michael passed away two days later.

My brother caught a train from New Hampshire to come to the service. He and Michael had always enjoyed one another. They both were rock climbers and woodworkers. I was climbing with my brother when I first met Michael.

Climbing with Michael in Boulder Canyon, 1977

I am grateful for my family, friends, siblings, for my children and for my husband, Tom. I am fortunate.

I dropped Howard off at the train station this morning …….

Memories mingling with words