My wife, Lois, and I lived in Birch Bay, WA (near Blaine and Ferndale); before moving to BC. She lived in White Rock, BC near Vancouver, BC and the U.S. Canada border prior to that. Once Lois sold her condo in White Rock, in March of 2009, we finally settled down in the Birch Bay/Ferndale area for a while. To see where we lived first click here and/or go here: Birch Bay rental house.
About 6 months later we moved to our Birch Bay home where we lived for nearly five years. Go here to see where it was: Birch Bay house map.
We currently reside in BC living in our condo in the Surrey/White Rock area where we plan to stay put for quite a while now. Go here to see where it is: Surrey condo map.
Back to my birth place, Pendleton, etc...
Pendleton is in eastern Oregon and the climate there ranged from very hot in the summer to very cold with lots of snow in the winter. It is known for wheat farming (Pendleton Grain Growers), the Pendleton Woolen Mill (clothes), and the Pendleton Round-up. It was a great mid-size town of around 20,000+ people when I was growing up.
Gresham is just east of Portland, Oregon. My Jr High and High School days were one of the most fun and most challenging times of my life. It is tough trying to grow up and stay out of trouble but still have lots of fun with all your buddies and girl friends... if you get my drift. But I managed to live through this period in my life pretty much unscathed and emerged from my cocoon a fairly well rounded individual.
Salem is Salem, the state capital of Oregon. It was OK but after living in Portland was no big deal to me. I actually spent most of my time in the small town of Monmouth, Oregon just west of Salem where OCE was located (that college changed its name later). I studied Art Education (teaching) for three terms there until I was shot (more on that later) during my summer break. So I transferred back to MHCC as a result and changed my course of study to computer science.
Susan and I met at MHCC and transferred to U of O in Eugene. I enjoyed living there for a couple years. Eugene was a much more interesting place to live. Went to our first concert there too.
Seattle is the biggest city I have yet to live in/near next to Vancouver BC (so far). It had/has water, mountains, sports, the arts, and fairs and festivals all the time. Too bad the communists and libtards have run it into the ground as of late. The San Juan Islands are near by as are Victoria and Vancouver to the north and Tacoma, Olympia and Portland (the City of Roses also ruined by the communists and libtards) to the south. It is really not far from all sorts of fun and exciting things to see and do and the job market was quite good back in the days. It really was a great place to live and work. But don't move there because they already have more than enough libtards, thank you. Besides... in Seattle folks don't tan, they rust... not.
Before you can change your mind you must first have a mind.
And here's one from Henry David Thoreau I have always liked for some strange reason...
I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which I also believe, -- "That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have....
And last but not least from Alfred, Lord Tennyson...
I hold it true, what'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have LOVED and lost
Than to never have LOVED at all.
The most frightening thing that ever happened to me was when I was shot once in the left arm, and shot at three more times, and my truck and stereo were stolen back around 1975/76? I lost the use of my left hand due to nerve damage but regained most of it after an operation and around 9 months of healing. This gave me some idea of what it is like to lose the use of an important part of your body. It seemed like my friends and relatives were more worried about my handicap than I was though. I found that I adjusted pretty well so long as someone, like dad, would cut my steak for me. It was my left arm so I could still write and do my homework OK. So much for drugs and drug users needing money for a fix. The authorities never did catch the guy even though they had their chance. But at least I did get my truck and stereo back. I've had other close calls too. Hasn't everyone?
The worst job I ever had was working for Reynolds Metals in an aluminum mill in Troutdale, Oregon during summer breaks and for a year or so mid-way through college. (Dad worked there for so many years I thought he was totally nuts. He always was a hard worker and provided for us the best he could. Same goes for mom.) A close runner up was a job I had working in a tree nursery one summer after my junior year of high school.
I hope the boys find satisfying work, have fulfilling relationships with friends, family and significant others, and live healthy, happy lives also. In the mean time, my only future goals that I can think of are to see a few more places on my bucket list; perhaps Egypt (the Pyramids), Rome, the Caribbean, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney in Australia, and New Zealand. The Moon would be nice too. Other than that I would like to outlive the kids just to spite them. But you can't have everything.
Click here to go to Chuck's Home Page.
