“…to fade away so young…

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…with so much left undone…”

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Away with dogs bereft at seven, delayed through Springs by a massive accident but still made the DIA garages and security in time for early lunch. Discovering my camera was still in the truck L. introduces me reluctantly to the wonders of fine iphone photography before our 12:30 Frontier flight 405 [smokes dispersing the further south we flew] over interesting topographies to LAX…

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Following lengthy interactions arriving and the rental of what proved to be a perky little Toyota Yaris we ventured onto the 405, jammed with traffic exacerbated by a massive accident in the inbound and eastish to the [former, now called something else] Harbor Freeway and, once it ended, round the southern corner of Palos Verdes to Admirable Drive and the sorrowing broken family of Linda’s sister for an intense barely twenty hours of stories, memories, pictures, food and commiseration…

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Saturday morn after a small walk [real estate opportunities, below] and helping prepare for the memorial gathering scheduled to occur soon after noon for many many friends not only of Stuart and Elayne’s but their three remarkable [I do not say that lightly] boys and families as well we were back in tiny Yaris beginning the long return…

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After navigating the semi-clogged freeways to Century Boulevard, gas, and car rental we boarded the airport bus as L returned a call from Luz to find the six-toed cat Boxer, three days back in Brooklyn, had jumped a couple of fences and been killed by a neighbor’s pitbull that very morning.  Yikes.

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Digesting that horrendous news we sat by a window in the terminal eating fish tacos [what could be next, come another Monday?] until time to load…another flight, east to Denver with numerous civilians as well as enclaves of what were pretty obviously recreational dopers, posers, pathetics [not shown]…

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Two hours of the same engaging topography later we descended to smoke, half an hour late, to venture south into the terrestrial sunset glare finding, this time, the entire interstate closed at the Springs due to yet another accident…

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Above; Lee’s Ferry, Utah.  Below; Page, Arizona;

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Detouring through downtown Colorado Springs the moonrise found us while waiting to regain the interstate, hanging on our left all the way to Pueblo as we nonetheless made it in time, barely time, for our shopping and a fortuitous Italian dinner down by the river…

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Dark roads home to wake the dogs at 11:30, fullish moon, and not to bed until Sunday, the dire facts still not entirely sinking in.

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Not sinking in…

M

 

5 thoughts on ““…to fade away so young…

  1. Dave

    Such sadness amongst the inanity and madness of humanity, Michael and Linda. Today’s bites of the reality sandwich are dry and tasteless. Hold each other close and trust that the smoke will clear.

    Reply
  2. Janet Whitchurch

    I remember a memorable plane trip from Houston to L.A. at sunset time. That west facing mesa/cliff landscape lit up like pink-orange ribbons scattered across the wilderness!

    Reply
  3. Steve

    I suspect that this unexpected loss will take time accept. Even at my age, it seems like life will go on forever, if not in theory, in practice. It must be rough, I’m sorry.

    (BTW Lees Ferry is in AZ)

    Reply
  4. mikesmoore Post author

    Lee’s Ferry, noted…I was remembering the echt-Utah saga of Emma Lee, couldn’t sever that in my mind from the minions of Moroni…Arizona strip, lawless zone, of course…

    Reply

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