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| Newest member of the Lodgepole Society, my SHS 1965 classmate Steve Strecker. Steve was our Senior Class president and class valedictorian. He's somewhat retired after a career as an engineer, mostly out of the Tri-Cities. |
Last time I saw Steve was ten years ago when we attended our 40th-year class reunion.
Last time I had a really good visit with Steve was probably in high school during our daily morning gatherings in the school cafeteria to finish up on our homework and get ready for the school day ahead.
I knew Steve through school and also through 4-H. He proudly remembered the year he sold the Grand Champion steer at the Bonner County Fair. Steve showed Angus cattle.
He also lived for a time on his grandfather's farm at Wrencoe. That was related to the story he told me about his grandfather George who came west from Chicago and settled near Grand Coulee Dam in Washington.
He met his bride there, and the two rode a horse to North Idaho where they settled on their homestead at Wrencoe. Bill told me later that the Strecker farm eventually became the home of my friend Kari Daarstad when she was growing up at Wrencoe.
Steve's parents, Dale and Norma, both served in WWII----she as a draftsman in Europe under Gen. Eisenhower (his mapmaker) and he in the South Pacific.
They met in basic training and then reconnected and married in Detroit, driving a car someone had ordered from Detroit to Washington and later settling in Sandpoint.
Later, Norma, who served as Bonner County Assessor for several years, moved to Seattle and one year was honored as Grand Marshal of the Seattle Veteran's Day parade.
As the tales of family, friends and life experiences over 50 years flowed, we both agreed that many of "cookie cutter" expectations laid out for us during our youth had certainly fallen by the wayside and that events in both of our lives over the past five decades had strayed a bit outside "the plan."
We concurred that these "slight detours" of life's expectations have expanded our perspectives and have, for the most part, added positive dimensions to each of us personally.
I loved visiting with Steve, and as he climbed into his car, we both agreed that the conversation could go on and on, but both of us had some life expectations to attend to at that moment. We'll, no doubt, continue these reflections along with many other friends at the reunion in September.
While Steve and I were visiting, I had to take a break in my monitoring of Annie's progress on her day's expectations. After a full day of activity following a late night of enjoying the One Direction concert with Debbie, Annie climbed aboard a jet for an overnight flight to Boston.
She rented a car and set off on her plan to geocache in six states in one day. Those included Massachusetts (no photos), Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine where she stayed in Portland last night.
She met the goal with this comment: Six states, 400+ miles, 12 geocaches, 5 new souvenirs, dinosaur footprints (!!!!), 12 hours of driving/caching and two 5-hour energy drinks....I think I'm ready to call it a day. It was a great day exploring New England!
Congratulations, Annie. Glad you made it safe and sound, and I hope you had a good night's sleep after your past 48 hours of "hyper" activity.
Some of Annie's photos taken during that 400-mile journey are below. Fifty years ago, who woulda thunk of adventures like the one Annie took yesterday!
Heck, during the days when Steve and I were attending high school, going to Spokane and Natatorium Park was a huge adventure!
Yup, the grand plan of life may veer a bit from our earlier expectations, but I'm thinking that if it all fit into a neatly organized package, it could get a little boring.
So, slight detours, bring 'em on! Happy Saturday.
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| Rhode Island |
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| Vermont |
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| DUBLIN, New Hampshire, that is. |
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