New Meetings of Old Friends

Les is on the left, Richard on the right

As my friend Les would say: "these are meaningful moments."  And they were.  I finally met Richard, from Massachusetts, the basketball March Brown Madness pool bamboo fly rod Hardy reel guru.  After we lunched just outside of Portland, Oregon, we drove to the Oregon Coast Range, somewhere between Junction City and Florence, and met Les and Ann.  It was delightful.  Ann prepared an amazing meal, Les grilled humongous steaks, and we talked about things that matter to us.  The next morning I ran with Les to his son's place, then had yet again another amazing meal.  It was very difficult for me to leave...in fact, as I was driving up I-5 talking with a close friend I said: "I left part of my heart down there."

It still simply amazes me that people who have never met can be so familiar and comfortable.  Fishing stories zinged back and forth, discussions of children, schooling, and food...despite our political similarities, we rarely mentioned politics.  We just had fun.

I am looking forward to more time together.  As my world seems to have changed more and more, loss of parents, trying to figure out what I want to do in my life...it is so very nice to know there are friends there, who care, who worry, and who will be there.  

And did I mention Les and Ann's dog, Kol?  Great black lab.  I didn't take "the girls," so he certainly helped me not to miss them as much.  

New meetings of old friends.  Can't get much better.

Murphy's Day.