Sunny day after 3 weeks of rain

Finally the sun appeared in Summerside today. I have been fishing for mackerel at the city pier. It was nice to sit out in the rain yesterday and fish. It reminded me of a cool spring day during Pennsylvania trout season on the Yellow Breeches long ago.

I had thought Shel would be moving back in after her job at Frenchy's in Borden ended in the fall. But she did get a job at the "Best of PEI" store in Char'Town starting September 8. She lost her purse and all of her ID during her move from Elayne Lord's place in Cape Traverse. I attempted to assist her in getting another drivers licence. but there are Arizona paperwork problems and I may have to take Shel to Halifax to resolve them.

Since nothing seems to be coming out of my Canadian job search, I am looking south again. I did enjoy my trip to Calgary and my short visit to Banff and Lake Louise. I am short listed on an Army job at the Red River Depot-but I am not sure about Texas.

In talking with the kids it may be time to bid goodbye to my place on PEI and go back to Pennsylvania. I know Joey would like that, and with no roommate again this winter, a long period of frozen ocean seems less appealing than ever.

It would be nice to go to Halifax with Shel. Maybe we can stop by our Port Dufferin house and share that moment one last time. I am sure the path will be shown to me, but it seems my time here with Shel is finally ending. It was my best effort in something I felt was most important for us both. Some battles cannot be won, no matter how true the intentions.

The weather looks good for a while now after 3 weeks of gloom and cool winds. The fish are in and the sun warm. If this is my last summer on the island, I want to make it as good as I can. The issues and realities of family down south are somewhat daunting after this idyll. But I have to do what is best now for Joey, Alexis, and my sister.

Sunset

I see nothing as the golden sunset over the harbor of my exile paradise. So the job out west seems as it willl take a w hile. I was unhappy that my Shel didn't come into today from Borden. I danced ny heart out with some truly athletic ladies-quite happpy I can still move with them. My own former athletic abilities helped

July 19, 1979

Nice today, warm and sunny. In the morning Ann came over and I took her back to the train. Now I will work on her car for a while. Dave and I got parts at the Penn Jersey. Later, we went with his friend Ed to Jersey to pick up a race car frame.

We stopped to eat on the way back. Carol and her sister took their mother to the doctor tonight. We all took a late ride to get gas in the mustang.

Modern note:
I think gas was about 40 cents a gallon then.The supply would last forever and always be cheap. There was an OPEC oil embargo some years before-which turned out to be prophesy. AH-the memories of youth!

Pretty typical summer day in the 70's. Ann was a classmate of mine from Temple Geology. She liked me and I worked on her 1967 mustang coupe. Being totally loyal to Carol, I never was with Ann. Her car was later stolen and never recovered.

Rainy Saturday

Alexis in Harrisburg June 2008


I am sure it is time to place a new entry here. Although I do have my audio recording back, and as usual have stopped writing in my paper journals. It can be a bit discouraging, having tens of thousands of words to transcribe from old text-letters, journals, manuscripts unfinished and finished. I have felt that all the paper will become obsolete-or already has.

The only really permanents records will be left on-line, on sites such as this. So, as a painfully slow typist you see my dilemma!

I have had some good chats with the kids. Both really want to move in with me. But this is impractical as I am in Canada and they have school duties down south. My relationship with Shel remains strained. We were doing fine, but have degraded due to silly arguments and bad tempers over the past few weeks.

It seems my work future may be Alberta. The money is good and there are lots of things to clean-up and investigate. If nothing seems appropriate, it may be that with great sadness I may have to leave my island to be closer to the children, who now are really missing dad. The decision will be made quite soon I think.

Tourist season is in bloom here and its been quite warm The harbour water is now bathtub warm and although shallow makes for a nice swim only a short walk away. How does one leave such a place. Only family and money issues can do that. Otherwise it would be madness to leave here.

So pressures mount and decisions must be made. In the mean time I will try to continue writing, although in an awful slump now, and visit the beach. Life could be much worse than that.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Son and daughter June 2008 at Bradley Drive House, Harrisburg, PA

It has only been a week after my last entry here. The week seems like a short lifetime as so much has happened during this eventful period. First, let me say it was a glorious summer day here on the island paradise. I grow to appreciate a life here on PEI more, especially when I leave it. I flew to Vancouver on Sunday to discuss some environmental opportunities with an excellent firm there. I stayed at the "Terminal Club". and was treated professionally and cordially.

The CEO is a really nice, truly self-made man of simple roots on the prairie.

They need an office administrator and salesman for a planned office in Saskatoon, in support of

a large mining project in the potash deposits. Not really my area of expertise, but having dealt with mining issues in Arizona, and even Pennsylvania long ago, I have no fear of the work. In fact, its a great upside potential and the future for now is in work based in the rapidly increasing price of commodities like potash for fertilizer and oil.

I flew on Westjet from Char'town to Vancouver, with a brief stop at Toronto's Pearson airport. PEI is a real garden from the air. It was nice to see the snow-capped Rockies and the coastal range of BC. I had never flown coast to coast in Canada before. It was my first flight entirely within my adopted country. If the job is a go, I will need a work visa. I will stay at the company apartment in Vancouver for training, and perhaps write a corporate health and safety manual, then go to Saskatoon to a new life and a new world. If not, I will continue to interview, and enjoy the island until my final destination for this cycle is demonstrated.

I tried to call the kids but got no answer today. Shel cancelled our dinner date, as it was her bosses birthday. I have fallen low on her long list of more important social priorities. So be it. I told her she can visit me in Vancouver, or Saskatoon, and she seemed excited. She is very much stranded on the island. I have also felt that way, but the trip and camping with son helped, and our dinner with Alexis and Katie.

I sent a postcard and letter to my sister from BC. She is probably still waiting for me to take her to Island Beach. Perhaps I can still do that if I can take a break this summer. In any case, I worked all day today sending the BC company documents about references and credentials. I realize I have lost touch with some close friends, co-workers and old bosses over the years. I am seeking my old mentor Dr. Lane Schultz from Dunn Geoscience days as a reference. So many people are disappeared or even dead. I supplied Dan Salzler as a reference. We worked together in various capacities for years and he has always been a good job reference for me, and a loyal friend.

Jim Gossweiler, my real true apprentice, Steve Rose, and Leigh Floyd are the remaining references I have used. The hiring manager wanted names of old managers, which can be a challenge when you have been self employed or a sub-contractor to a nameless Army unit for so many years.

The position is really almost the perfect one. The Halifax job was good too, but I think the job out west has better potential.

I was pretty lucky on confirming my credentials and getting them to BC today, even though most are misplaced or lost in the 2 moves. The folks at AIPG, Nevada, and Alaska all helped, knew me, and submitted confirmation. With hope Ill get an offer this week and plan on closing this place up and moving to Vancouver for the duration. Otherwise on the island I stay and continue the search...all in God's hands now.

My little audio recorder broke, so I will have to get another one next week. I miss having that and making the audio diary entries. I oft wonder who will ever listen to them anyway. I do find it useful to go back over the years, hear my tone and concerns, the growth, pains, and triumphs. But it does force me to write more. And maybe now I can finish the biography with a good conclusion, a full circle story ending with my son a man in college, and his father being there, and there for his sister. I can only hope!

June 18, 2008 Wednesday

Cool and drizzly today, with a little weak lightning. As last year, June is a cool gray month on the island of unused beaches.

I am actually feeling a bit guilty about not starting to write the entire tale of my holiday fishing and camping with my son. The project will require much more time and inspiration than I have right now. My trip notes survive, although sparser than I had hoped. A time in Appalachia, reliving my own youth. I mean the trip we took was a representation of my trips long ago, rod in trunk seeking fishing places and the colour of ruralia. We accomplished that. But the story begs far deeper for both of us in its revelations. The simplicity of the camp, stream, my old truck-camp food. Swimming the broad river, and fresh trout for a tailgate dinner in a remote place. It will wait a few days more to be told, as business looms.

I am flying to Vancouver Sunday to meet with a group that may need my skills in their enterprise. Two days in a new city, on a new harbour, far from this home. But yet not that unfamiliar, as my times in Seattle and San Francisco I suspect similar. We will see.

Talked with David at the Air force wing a long time tonight about the states and Canada. He is a retired teacher, and had many insights. We discussed the arcane "Aroostook" War. The conflict involving the Maine border long ago.

It was pizza day here, and I had many phone calls. It seems my draw into the world of commodity related environmental issues is where I am going. Well, its a new world. A lot of the problems I solved as a young man seem to be in good hands with the younger generation. I should be exuberant at the new chance-a new world, exotic places.

Still no word from Shel. I think she must be busy, or can't get on-line.

There is extra pizza for her here at home. I hope she comes back from the bush this week before my travels. In any case, I am prepared to send Vancouver postcard to Shel and my sister. The two lost souls in my life.

I did get an email from my son. He has a bass guitar now and he and a pal have started a band called "Rahal". It reminds me of my high school music career. Although short lived, it was fun. I also played the bass.

June 12, 2008 Thursday

A spectacular late spring day here on the island of the red cliffs. The day was made even more special with the lingering crystal of the long near-solstice twilight. Most of the tourist facilities are open, including our little local lobster stand. I saw very few off island license plates diving home from Pennsylvania (home?). In fact, I saw nearly no out of provincial plates on the trans-Canada.

I came home with email to answer and dirty laundry. I was most impressed with my trucks performance. Other than some tire problems and less than eco-friendly gas mileage, the blazer ran well. I need some tune-up components and bushings, and a belt change-all relatively minor maintenance issues soon easily remedied. I gave Joey my classic high school Garcia fishing rod and a book, "On the Road", by Kerouac. Both seemed fitting gifts.

I spoke to a group out of Vancouver who need an office manager for a Saskatoon start-up. That was certainly unexpected, and interesting. Leigh Floyd called. We spoke mostly of our families and some about working together in the desert back in the mid-90's. Leigh worked for me in several capacities out west. We struggled through his divorce and he moved with a new lady to Michigan. It is good to have found him again-we laughed over field projects he managed for me, including drilling a well in the middle of Grand Avenue, in Phoenix. He reminded me another staffer, Mike Decker was there. I had forgotten him. He was a canoe enthusiast on white water and a guide. He studied geology at ASU and worked for me briefly. That night, Leigh ordered pizza for the crew. No one would deliver pizza to the middle of the street, so he had to go get it. Ladies from nearby "gentleman's club drove by. One threw a pair of panties at Mike Decker. It was the first I had heard that.

Later, Mike Decker was found murdered out in the desert far from Phoenix. The crime was never solved.

I will try and complete the story about son's graduation trip. There is much more to tell. Now I must concentrate on business. Put writing on hold for a little while.