Dear Dad,

You died five years ago today. This makes this day the fifth anniversary of your death. The day you died was a beautiful fall day here, perhaps the most beautiful fall day ever. The leaves on the birch trees were golden with a tinge of orange. It was a crisp fall day and there was no wind.

I checked for messages, your wife Carole said in a choked voice to call back. I immediately knew that you had passed on. She confirmed this. You were 83 years old.

Fall day - Lazy Mountain Matanuska Peak

Today was a day much like that fall day, but fall was further along. There were more leaves off the trees and it was breezy. It drizzled, the sun came out, it drizzled again. It was like the weather could not make up its mind what to do.

I thought of you when I first walked Tinni and Ryder, then rode Hrimmi, then walked Shadow. I thought, if you were still around, you’d be 88, not impossibly old, but possibly old. This was not beyond the realm of possibility. Uncle Bob (my mother’s brother) is now 102. One of the many things that you and I had in common was that we did not like this fellow, though for differing reasons. He found mother a good lawyer when you separated – his name was Mr. Marx. I had no reason to dislike him, but for the fact he was a jerk.

I also thought of what you would think of the world situation if you were today, suddenly resurrected. I doubt you’d want to stick around. You knew who Donald Trump was, and I’ll bet you’d be aghast to know he was elected president in 2016. You would also be blown away by the fact that there is currently a worldwide pandemic going on, and that the decision of whether or not to wear masks has widened the partisan divide.

And a few days ago, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. She was 87. Now the question is, should the appointment of another supreme court justice take place before or after the election? Trump, of course, wants this appointment to take place in the next week or so.

Yes, you would be incredulous if you came back any time soon. Maybe you were spared. Those of us who are still here are toughing it out. Yes, finally, even Republicans are conceding that climate change is real. All it took was for dozens of wildfires to erupt in California, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.

Eleanor, as you know, is in Oregon. She’s been more in the thick of it than I. There have been mass protests in Portland, where she lives. People have been protesting the poor treatment of blacks. She’s also dealing with subpar air quality. All this, and she recently got a dog, a terrier that’s named Sally.

This is all the news that’s fit to print. When our paths cross, I undoubtedly will have more news.

Love from the heart,

Alys

Next: 262. 9/22/20: Up and at ‘em