The Klamath Indian Woman I Met ..........

 I was sitting here doing some reminiscing, and thought of an incident that happened many years ago when I was living in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I was working for an office supply company, and every two weeks I would take a trip to Tulelake, California, and a few town in Oregon that were not too far away selling supplies and typewriters.

I had made the rounds, and was on my last stop in Tulelake, at a horseradish company, actually the Tulelake Horseradish Company, why so memorable, I had to put on a gasmask type thing upon entering the building.

Next door to them was a large wine store, with a great selection, and many really nice California wines. This was the last such store prior to entering Oregon. I went in and bought a bottle of  Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which was my wife's favorite and headed for home.

I was heading back to Klamath Falls, and had just entered Oregon, going through the Snoqualmie Pass when I came upon an elderly Indian woman walking alongside the road. I was in no hurry, so I stopped and asked her if she wanted a ride to the next town, she nodded suspiciously, looked all around the car, and slowly got in.

She was very quiet. I talked about the weather, the car, the Klamath Tribe getting all that money for selling some land and mineral rights, Klamath Falls, the reservation, Pete's grocery where many of them shopped, all that I got from her were occasional grunts.

I reached down and picked up the bottle of wine and said to her, "I got this for my wife."

To which she replied, "Good Trade."

Growing old, growing old. ............

I am getting old, I can tell I am getting old. I had tears in my eyes many times this beautiful Saturday morning. All due to living so long.

Tom McNutt retired from television in Columbus, Ohio. I am not a big fan of his, I have seen him on TV often, he was a plants and trees and flowers guy on Saturday morning. Why was I sad?. Another milestone has come and gone, another memory I will see no more. Many "milestones" have come and gone, just means I am getting much older.

Then, on another channel, this was the last show for some lovely lady. I have no idea who she was, but I must have seen her on TV. From the remembrances, she was a very neat lady. I don't remember seeing her before, but, I will never see her again. That's what made me sad.

As George Younce, my favorite Gospel Singer,  said, "I know I have many more days behind me, than ahead of me." That makes me sad at times. When I get that way I stop and look at now, I have less than many, and I have much more than many, and much to be thankful for, almost 80 and "still above ground."

Farewell to Tom McNutt and that other girl, all on Saturday morning TV, never to be seen again.

Hey, Remember When Nancy Pelosi Blamed George Bush for High Gas Prices?

It’s estimated that gas prices could surge as high as $6 per gallon by this summer. There’s no end in sight to how high the price of oil will rise. The Obama administration is doing everything it can to keep producers from extracting oil domestically. So, why isn’t Nancy Pelosi blasting Obama the way she blasted Bush a few years ago? I haven’t heard a peep out of her about Obama’s illegal drilling ban.

Here she is during a press conference in May 2007 when she blamed President Bush for high gas prices. She even used a little gas pump chart to make her point.

Pelosi blaming President Bush

Whoops.................

Back in the late 50's I lived in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Long story why I moved there, so won't go in to any details right now.

Klamath was a nice town, Bing Crosby had a place not too far from there, saw his wife on a few occasions in town to do some shopping.

The Klamath Tribe had a reservation not too far from town, they sold off a lot of land, I was there the day they all got their checks. Will save that story for another time.

I got a job working at Montgomery Wards, and worked in the Automotive Department, down in the basement. It was one of those older buildings, a front door which led to a big stairway that took you to the basement, and stairways on the side to take you to the second floor. I think there was an elevator, but not sure.

It was a very busy store, downtown location, not sure of the hours, but I think the store opened at 8 or 9 in the morning and closed at 7 in the evening. Normal "town" store hours for those days.

Our store manager was named Steve Gotschall, have never forgotten that name for some reason.

One morning, almost noon, he came rushing down the stairs to the basement, fuming. The store was on a big promotion selling "service" and he noticed a lady carrying a portable TV up the stairs, and went to her aid, carried it out for her, and helped her load it in to her car.

"Why didn't one of you help her carry it out, the TV was heavy and she should have gotten some help from someone. Here we are trying to promote good service to our customers and something like that happens. We are slow this morning, there is no excuse for it," he went on for quite some time, preaching about good service, helping our customers, etc.

He went on and on, scolding each person in the Electronics Department, one of which was a good friend of mine, who was just standing there, smiling.

He finally told Mr. Gotschall, "We haven't sold any TVs this morning."

Silence.