It rained overnight. Everything outside the RV is soaked. The morning started off with a bike wreck (Eli) and a scooter wipeout (Vangeli), resulting in multiple bloody extremities. Everyone was fine and it started as a very chill day of fishing, putt putt, and swimming at the lake. Papa was ridiculously good at putt putt and had 6 or 7 holes in One. We got chased off the lake by lighting, which then pinned us under the cover of a walkway for over an hour. Everyone, including the kids took it in stride.
Today was the day for Uncle Ralph’s Memorial. He died last year, but we waited on the memorial. Diane, his daughter, was stationed in South Korea and the coworkers he loved so much were gone for the season, when he passed. See Ralph worked for a rafting company for over 14 years and was the old mountain main, working along side a bunch of young hippies and river rats. This group loved Ralph and he loved them. His ashes were put to rest in a pond, located on the rafting company’s property. There was a big turnout of friends. The pastor spoke about Ralph and what a hoot he was….he must have said “He liked to have good clean fun,” a million times. He finished, many friends spoke of their adventures with Ralph, and mom spoke beautifully about life and the importance of Christ. Dad then began a song, as Diane pushed Ralph’s ashes into the pond. Lots of folks cried, Diane wept, and there was a wonderful sense of calm in the air. As the ashes began to sink, numerous bubbles came to the surface and Diane finished her tears. She later told me, “I saw those bubbles, and all I could think of was….there goes dad leaving us with one last giant fart.” Today would have been Ralph’s 69th Birthday. It was a perfect day for a memorial. To quote Diane again, “Dad would have loved this.”
