This post won't make any sense at all unless you know about Bill...
Bill from The Greatest Generation !
(See left side bar)
For those who don't have the time to read all three, at least read the first one. Several months after meeting Bill we went back to visit with him again and learned that just the day before he had rolled his pickup truck and was in serious condition in a Grand Junction hospital. He had a broken neck along with other injuries including a huge gash above his right eye.
This past weekend theHansMan and I (along with a daughter, three grandbabies, a nephew an adopted son a son and his wife) ventured back to Gateway Canyons. It was my intention to Find Bill. I had learned through the grapevine that he had returned to the area and was living on his own.
Upon entering the Paradox Grille where I first met Bill, I asked the hostess if she knew him.
She told me that Bill had a caregiver who checked on him about once a week, but that she didn't know where he lived.
I was determined to find him. During lunch, I decided I would just start knocking on doors asking if anyone knew where he was. About two minutes before walking out the door of the restaurant, the hostess came to our table and told me that his caregiver had just walked in and was sitting at the bar.
Only two people were knocked down as I jumped a table and two chairs to get to her. I introduced myself and almost like magic, she recognized me. Well, I think she recognized my camera.
She hugged me first then told me her name was Gayle. The next words out of her mouth were, "Were you the one who sent all the birthday cards in February and all the get well cards this summer?'
I told her that those cards came from FRIENDS all over the World. I just put them in an envelope and mailed them to Bill.
We visited for about ten minutes, and of course, I found out EXACTLY where to find Bill.
I am a firm believer that 'things' happen for a reason. Gayle told me that she very seldom came to that restaurant.
On this particular day, she and I were there for a reason.
theHansMan and I took Bill a big bowl of garlic mashed potatoes, his favorite. As you can tell from the photo, he has lost a lot of weight, about 40 pounds. But, his smile is still there.
Just to my right and behind us, there is a campfire with chairs and grills where Bill and company gather on Friday and Saturday night for cookouts and conversation. As you can see from the scenery, he is in a beautiful part of Colorado. He has a small, cozy, warm place to live.
For those of you who've read the first post, you'll understand why I breathed a sigh of relief and held back a tear or two when he asked me, "Did you bring your pole?"
Yes, he remembered.
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If you're interested in sending Bill a card...or some warm clothes (men's size medium) for the upcoming Colorado winter, or a blanket, or whatever, e-mail me at:
swampwitch06 at gmail dot com
and I'll give you my USPS address.
I plan to take my pole and deliver whatever comes in the mail to him the second week of October.
He says that the catfish are biting, and we'll do our best to catch 'Ole Scarface !
Oh, and one more thing... that "scorpion" bolo that was pictured in the first post...he had it on when he totalled his truck. During each visit at the hospital, I asked him if he knew where it was, and he didn't. During our recent visit, I asked hiim about it and he told me his minister found it at the accident scene and returned it to him.
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These photos are for the fam who haven't seem Jimmy and Sophia in a while:
Life is Busy...but Life is Good !
