Today, February 5th, is my dad’s birthday. He would have turned 77.

I spent quite a bit of time thinking about him today. I wish he was still here to provide words of encouragement, counsel and correction. He chose his words carefully and spoke softly but what he said carried weight.

I wish that we could spend more time with him, in Bakersfield and up here in Washington. He loved to share his yard with us as it was very important to him. This most likely is because he was raised working farm land and has a deep relationship with the earth, nature and how you care for it. I know he really enjoyed visiting us here in Washington state. Mom has told us that on return drives home from Washington to California dad would remark about understanding why we wanted to and enjoyed living here in the evergreen state. We enjoyed sharing it with him and showing him the nature around us.

I want to go on adventures with him, something I believe he learned to appreciate later in life. We were able to take a vacation with he and mom that took him from the Pacific Ocean, through farm lands, across the heights of the northern Cascade mountains with their granite and blue waters then down through the Columbia River basin and apple orchards. I am sure he enjoyed the scenery and company. We enjoyed our little day trips out to pick blueberries or corn, to drive through the Fruit Loop or up to a mountain lodge.

His life was cut too short. I miss him.