Twenty years ago
2006, about to end this week, was not the best kind of year for my personal family or for my radio family so . . . would prefer going back 20 years to a better one: - REMEMBER 86-
Like all years, 1986 dished up some troubles and served generous portions of delight. World news will be reviewed by the big time reporters in their media so I'll skip Challenger, Chernobyl, Iran and world terrorists.
Things savored included Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters and 56-year-old Willie Shoemaker coming in first at the Kentucky Derby. It was also good to hear Johnny Carson got engaged to a young lass he met on the beach. He's been keeping her around the house to play cards with. . . and stuff. I had worried that the $450,000 a year he pays the last wife might discourage Johnny from sharing a "meaningful relationship" while he still had some "meaningful" left.
Arnold Schwarzenegger muscled into the Kennedy clan by marrying Maria Shriver and John McEnroe decided to wed Tatum O'Neal before they had any more children. We were never told how much England spent on Sarah and Prince Andrew's televised nuptials but, a super rich Norwegian named Arne ordered up the million dollar wedding for American singer Diana Ross in Switzerland. With that kind of fore-pay, ya gotta figure the honeymoon to be an anti-climax.
Also going down the aisle last year were people like Debra Winger, Caroline Kennedy, Lee Iacocca, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and one Heidi Ostrom whose father did not spend a million dollars but who felt like he did. Heidi's marriage gave high hopes to our clan, which currently has no people over six feet tall. Her husband Scott Duncan is 6'6". The one drawback there is, I feel a little funny having to stand on a chair to get that kid's attention. (20 years later, my grandson Parker has grown past the six foot mark)
For me personally, '86 was one of the most memorable of my life, not for great events but for hundreds of smaller thing involving good friends, the outdoors, and cameras. January started well with fabulous alpine skiing at Big Mountain and the new runs in the North Bowl, then came our wives' knitting club trip to the big island of Hawaii where we found great snorkeling over the reefs, whale watching flights, exploring Volcano National Park, and golf. There was a warm and cautions hike through jungle with Ivan O'Neil to the precipitous upper Waipi'o valley with waterfalls a thousand feet high.
Shortly after returning from the Pacific, I resumed writing a column for the Hungry Horse News, back where I started it 25 years ago. There followed week after week of unforgettable hikes and climbs with the "Over the Hill Gang" in Glacier Park, several wild river floats, and some fin fly-fishing. Marian and Ivan O'Neil with Iris and I, will not forget a grizzly we met below Granite Park Chalet. Other people not as lucky, were later mauled in that same beautiful place.
There was a perfect August photography flight along the Continental Divide and another later one where we saw wild wolves of the "Magic Pack" in the North Fork.
The sunny June, rainy July, then hot August produced the lushest and most brilliant wild flower displays ever seen in these parts. Surely we all remember autumn. Mine was topped off by that fantastic trip to Yellowstone and the Grande Tetons. A bonus was haring our scenic treasures with very appreciative people who came to tape Amy Grant's television special.
No denying it, 1986 was "My Year." Did hundreds of richly satisfying things, self-gratification to the max, delightful dawdling, ego luxuration, high quality indulgence, and I cherish every selfish minute.
Except for Hawaii, the wondrous things savored in '86 didn't take much money or involve unusual time off.
Promised Iris that in '87 I will get my head out of the clouds, knuckle down, toe the mark, put my shoulder to the wheel, bite the bullet, and keep my nose to the grindstone. Promised to clean the basement and garage, do the lawn more than twice next summer. Though I'm now facing penance, I highly recommend the year of intelligent self-indulgence.
The stupid grass isn't goin' any place. Nobody ever died of dirty garagitis. It's later than you think, and the Schlitz beer man swears, "You Only Go Around Once."
HAPPY NEW YEAR!