Although, I am a "smoker", I would be the first to admit that smoking is dangerous to your health. Although, I do get a little upset to be made to feel like a second class citizen that my smoking is regulated to defined areas since I am a "conscious" smoker and do not smoke when I know it will offend someone. However, I realize that there are a lot of smokers that do not take others into consideration, so I will accept the inconvenience for my habit, except when I spend $150.00 for a hotel room in LA and cannot smoke in my room or within 50 feet of the building - right! How can you enjoy a night in a good hotel without having a smoke later?

However, as of today I am really upset! I am tired of being taken advantage of because of being a White Anglo Saxton Protestant male that is over six foot tall! Because I am over six foot tall, why should those of us that are tall be subject to prejudicism? That is profiling, and profiling is just not right. I enjoy being taller than the average, however, I do not believe that those of us that are tall should carry the load of the judicial system.

On Friday, May 26th of this year, Richard W. Thompson appeared in court for sentencing after being found guilty on two counts of felony sexual assault. Thompson, age 50 "had sexual contact over a couple of months last year with a 12 year old girl" according to Chief of Police Larry Cox. On Friday, Cheyenne County (Nebraska) District Judge Kristine Cecava passed judgment, but prior to her decision she told the creep that "his crimes deserved a long prison sentence". Although, he was facing a sentence of ten years on each count. Judge Cecava declared that he would be placed on probation for ten years, however, this poor man will have to wear a electronic bracelet for the first four months and was ordered to get rid of his pornography collection. Her decision to reduce her earlier statement of a "long prison sentence" was that Creep Thompson was short, standing only 5 foot 1 inch or 61 inches.

With this decision, one can only assume that if you are short, you are not responsible for your actions! I do hope the "Golden Granny" does not read this as she can break out the old .44, blow me a way and escape the Judicial system as she is under the height requirement for being a felon. How about that smart aleck teen age boy down the street from you that is always mouthing off and always declaring, "you can't do anything to me because I am under 16", if he happens to be under 61 inches, he really has a strong case. For some reason, I can see large mobs of "little people" forming gangs to rob banks and pillage our communities, knowing that they will not be punished. How about the scenario of a new "mob" forming, running numbers, gambling, running drugs, prostitution, and killing tall people. They will have an unfair market advantage over the big "mob" because they do have to face prosecution. I can see you parents thinking this is funny, you may want to consider sleeping with one eye open if you have children under 61 inches tall and they get mad at you. At least, I escaped that since all four of my children do not meet the "short" test! So I will not be classified as a conservative whacko and as well to appear as "fair and balance" I will include a statement from those that thought the Judge Cecava made the right decision; "supporters of short people say it's about time someone recognizes the unique challenges they face" and "It's good to see somebody looking out for someone who is short person". I always look out for them when I am hurrying down the corridors of the LA malls, don't want to step on one of them little rascals - they pop up out of no where if you are not careful. So, to be fair, the next time you see a short person, pat them on the head and let them know you are sensitive to their vertical limitations. If you are under 61 inches, had a few toddies and heading home one night without your headlights on an are pulled over by one of our finest. Get out of your car, walk up to him / her and tap your finger on the buckle of their gun belt, and repeat these words "I am short, I have been drinking all night, I am drunk and if you do not get back into your car I am going to wrup your butt". I am sure that once they recognize that you are a little person, they will resist any temptation of arresting you. Power to the little people, those of us that are tall have been looking down at them far to long!

After twenty one years, I had the opportunity to once again sit around a camp fire with my family. It was a sense of reality that I had forgotten. Previously, my Memorial Day Weekend's consisted of brief visits to the campsites between the 18 to 24 hour shifts that we were pulling at the tackle shop with a couple of hours each day devoted to doing a radio program. This year, my total time at the tackle shop was twenty minutes, but I do have to admit that every once in awhile my thoughts would wander to what I was going to do on my next day broadcast before reality took over and reminded me that it was no longer my worry!
After twenty one years, it was the greatest Memorial Day weekend that I have experienced. Anytime a parent can share nine days with their four children and their mates, along with twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren, it does not get better than that. The first time the entire family was together as a unit, all twenty five of us! Toss in the friends that camped with us or stopped by to enjoy the "fire pit" and a surprise visit by my niece, that is the icing on the cake! I am sure that Brother Don was soaring overhead, enjoying the scene and watched over us. Most likely, laughing at the antics and noticed the tears in my voice and eyes on Sunday evening. He never believed that I was a sensitive new age guy. Although, the "Hole In the Wall" is quiet now, his flag still flutters in the breeze. I will retire it in a few days and bring it home until the next gathering.
For those that read this, but were not on site to witness the reality, I am sure you will hear all the stories in the days that lay ahead. Although, we had some great times, when any family gathers, you are always going to have a few mishaps and accidents. Fortunately, none of them were two serious. We will know more as soon as the Bull Buffalo gets his MRI back. Talk about bad luck, Eric was sitting around the fire pit one evening, it was a clear night with only a few faint stars showing overhead. Shana and Heidi had developed a comedy routine, where they would cue their timing and point to the sky and shout "bird". They had just pointed to the sky and yelled "bird", but it was actually a small meteor streaking across the heavens! We all witnessed it, this little "falling star" streaked downward to earth and it just happened to break the earths atmosphere at the intersection of Eric's head. He was a little dazed and complained of a headache, but I think it was a Coors ache! The following night, the same thing occurred, again the meteor struck Eric in head. Now one time, a person could almost say it was coincidental, but two nights in a row, one has to wonder about divine intervention! The only other mishap occurred when Mama Buffalo smacked "Little Buffalo" up side the face with a cast iron skillet and broke his nose. Personally, I think the Buffalo Clan should have some serious counseling sessions or at a minimum some medical classes on how to treat head wounds!
As the dust settled as the LA convoy moved out of the "Hole In The Wall", Golden Granny and myself, went to work cleaning the area, she wanted to vacuum it but I finally talked her out of that, But she did manage to find three truck loads of garbage to haul to the dumpster, but we also had time to sit by the deserted fire pit, the smell of the wood smoke, and bask in the quietness of the afternoon but the sounds of the children were missing and that is what we noticed the most. Thanks to all for sharing that special time with us. Each of you made it very special and as the Duck House reminds us, "MEMORIES".

Survived the big trip to "LA", while trying to access International Airport Road from the Seward Highway, I even had the opportunity to conquer the "new" round a bout at the Dowling exit. Who came up with that concept, I think we have been overly influenced by the French!. I survive the round a bout, but only after driving in a circle for thirty minutes, Golden Grammy was trying to give instructions and "Dutch" was making a very good effort in getting car sick while driving in circles! I finally saw a kid on a bicycle and followed him! I marked it on my GPS to avoid in the future.
Had a good time in LA, watching everyone stress out over groceries, packing, working, and scheduling. Seeing the stress level rise, I kidnapped one of our little beauties, loaded Golden Grammy and Dutch into the truck and headed south to sanity. Right! I forgot, my truck was loaded with groceries, meat had to be put away which meant lighting off three freezers at the tackle shop to accommodate the meat. I realized that it is awful boring, just sitting there watching a deep freeze to make sure it is going to freeze after setting idle all winter.
Did a late night inspection of the HITWRA, should have waited until morning. No tractor work was done in my absence, it does not appear any tractor work will be done so today, my smaller than anticipated work crew will see what we can do to get it ready for arrivals tonight and tomorrow. A lot of work to get done, but as all of you come in the work force will build rapidly. I did discover one thing about my granddaughter Devyn, we share a lot in common! Don't ever send us into a convenience store for snack food! She can keep up with me in that department and as well, can take in instant nap! I have to get to work, if you are traveling - drive safe and watch for the Swans on the various lakes coming south. We did not see any but you might want to watch anyway.

For those of us that visit the blog site of the Howling Female Wolf (since I am a "Sensitive New Age Guy" I refuse to use that "b" word the rhymes with witch) she challenged us with a tag that had been forwarded from Vallette. Since the "b" word Wolf was good enough to play "Hyperbole Trivia" all winter. I will accept the challenge of the tag and expose my inner most thoughts and feelings. Being secure in myself knowing that I am truly a SNAG.
I SAID: I want to retire, I intend to do it despite the pressure not to!
I WANT: My entire family to be safe, secure, and well! As a father, I would gladly accept any illness that any member of my family has if it was humanly possible to transfer it.
I WISH: To dance with each of my eight lovely granddaughters at their wedding, I would extend that wish to my four grandsons, but they would want to lead!
I HATE: Wanna be actors and actresses that make political statements without the knowledge that is required to make a decision. None of us have the facts that our leadership has in regards to making major decisions pertaining to the War on Terror.
I MISS: Sitting down to a dinner that my mother prepared out of nothing, as well I miss sitting down and playing a "cut throat" game of dominos with my father or trading a good gun with him. I miss hearing my oldest brothers laughter and his carefree attitude. I miss the phone calls and practical joke letters from my other brother that we lost at Christmas.
I FEAR: Loosing a child.
I HEAR: Music that brings fond memories of my past back into reality.
I WONDER: What new adventures await me in the future days, months, and years.
I REGRET: Nothing. Perhaps with the advantage of hindsight, I would have done some things different, but that is the past from which you learn.
I AM NOT: A good politician - the political atmosphere would drive me crazy.
I DANCE: After I have had just a touch of the rum and lime.
I SING: To myself and where no one will ever hear it!
I CRY: Parts of movies, at funerals, and thoughts of those I have lost.
I AM NOT ALWAYS: On schedule or time - I love to procrastinate.
I MADE: A lot of great friends throughout the years.
I WRITE: What I am thinking at the moment, very seldom do I prepare in advance to write anything. I write and speak in public by ab libbing seldom using notes.
I CONFUSE: Following detailed directions.
I NEED: To quit smoking!
I SHOULD: Quit smoking
I START: the day with several cups of coffee, thinking and watching the morning news.
I FINISH: The day with working in the office, listening to the news, and wondering why I am a night person!
I TAG: You!

Having recently decided to retire, I realized that I needed something to occupy my time so I decided to become a campground host. The job is great but I do not have any guests to look after so I decided to pursue some other interest to occupy my spare time. I have always admired the quality work that "Plumma" does so I decided to try my hand at plumbing. I activated my water system at the tackle shop yesterday, I knew that my system had froze up during the winter and would have to replace all of the plumbing in my pump house. Armed with my glue and a thousand assorted sizes of fittings and twenty three feet of pipe, I accomplish the task with little effort and only had five leaks to repair but it finally held pressure- not pretty but hell for strong. You know with the right fittings you can actually make a square out of pipe and water will go around it and out the other end. That is my new aerating system - I like a lot of oxygen in my water.
Having the system under pressure, I slowly turned on the main valve leading into the building. I had my very own geyser, I had water shooting up higher than "old Faithful". Shutting down the system, I discover the valve had popped from solder connecting the pipe. At this point, you have to realize that a professional plummer installed this section of the water line. He measured it outside the building, constructed it, stuck it under the building made a couple of quick solders and it was done. Getting brave, I cleaned the connection, heated the pipe and applied the solder, it work but I noticed the other end of the pipe was also wobbling around. Removing the insulation, I discover that it also popped from the connection! This time, laying on my back under the building, holding two pieces of copper pipe together with one hand I solder that connection - it even worked! I was so proud of my handy work - who needs the Plumma! I once again made the trek to the pump house, pressurized the system and trekked back to the main valve. As I slowly turned on the system, I watched my connections, they were both holding under the pressure.
I now think, I may be able to get a cheaper insurance rate since I have a "sprinkler" system installed in my building. The only problem the water is shooting straight down to the ground and not up to extinguished any fire that may occur. There are so many holes in the system. Loosing daylight, I packed up my tools and went home! I could cancel my trip to Anchorage and work on my water system or I could wait for a couple of days and look at it once again with fresh eyes or I can rig a garden hose from the pump house and run it through the window of the shop into the bathroom. So many decisions to make - but I did come up with one final decision - I do not want to become a Plumma Apprentice!

Minus seven days and counting for utilization of the HITWRA.
Weather: Research data from the National Weather Service, Anchorage indicates that there will be some rain showers in the area of the Kenai Peninsula north of Clam Gulch for the next several days. Forecast calls for some cloudy days with high temperatures in the 50's and lows in the 30's to 40's. Long range forecast calls for possiblility of rain in the time frame of May 21st. Currently, we are under sunny conditions, birds are chirping, grass is turning green and leaves are popping. I walk past our flower beds and it sounds like popping corn as those little leaves pop to life.
Wildlife: To date, there have been no sightings of wildlife within the area of the HITWRA. An occasional moose, bunny rabbit and spruce chicken is observed up the upper plateau of the Hole In The Wall. To date, there have been no bunny or spruce chicken attacks, however, caution should be exercised. It is expected that members of the "Bear Clan" could be making a showing this week but no later than the weekend. A larger than normal showing of the Bald Eagle has been observed playing in the air currents overlooking the recreational area. The vision was inspirational.
Grounds Maintenance: Although, the only piece of equipment is down for repairs (again)some sand was moved into the area on Monday by Moose powered wheelbarrow. Expect tractor to be back in operation today? Seeing hourly improvement in the drying process, places that I could not drive on Sunday were dry on Monday. Glacier continues to leak but is receding up the hill. Will continue to haul sand and blade the area.
Living Conditions: Currently, the site for the Multipurpose Building is dry and ready for excavation. The area around the "Wolf Den" is completely dry. The area around the "Cook Tent" is dry with a little water in the area of firewood storage facility. The "Bear Den" is sitting high and dry, however, still pretty wet to access it. The bedding area of the "Buffalo Herd" is damp and drying however access to the site would be classified as wet but drying and rutted. The "Moose Clan" is moving higher on the hill in an attempt to escape the wet area, they should be positioned today however, it will remain wet in front of there area for a couple more days. Sand lot for the kids is dry - they should have a ball.
Facilities: Hope to move the multi-purpose building into the area this weekend and install the cook tent. Was not pleased with the floor covering in the multi-purpose building so laminated hard wood floors were installed on Monday. Things to be completed firewood gathering, gravel hauling, and settlement of camps.
Activities: Activity director has been re-assigned other tasks like leveling dirt, however, the anticipated Activity Schedule is slated to be disbursed prior to the coming weekend so everyone may make their plans. Copies will be posted on the "Clan Blog Site" the address is unknown at this time but it will be posted.
Have a sunny day - LA looks clear!

Minus eight days and counting down for the arrival of our first guests to the Most Westerly Hole in The Wall Recreational Area in the world. To bring our guests up to date, completed some finishing touches to the Multi-purpose building this morning, it is ready to move! The padded seating for your comfort has been installed to finish it up - there are a few more touches to do but some things should be kept secret until the right opportunity!
Your "campground hosts" spent the rest of the day in the recreational area, doing a lot of clean up work and a little re-arranging. I was able to get in and back blade 90% of the area with my snowplow. It works pretty good, as long as you back blade but could use a little hydraulic pressure when it is down. But it was a vast improvement. The sand is really helping, reportedly the tractor will be back on site tomorrow. It did dry up enough that I could drive the full width and length of the area except for where the Moose got stuck and in front of the Bear Den. By this evening, it was dry enough the Moose Clan got the trailer out so they can back it in instead of being broadside. We still have some drainage to contend with, seems that we have a real life glacier that we did not know existed. I had Erica take a picture of it and I have named it the Switch Back Trail Glacier. The gulley next to the "switch back" filled up with snow and it has not melted, it looks just like a glacier coming down the hillside. I will keep back blading, it the sandman does his thing we should be in real good shape if we do not get a lot of rain.
I spent the majority of my day, working on and cleaning the fire pit area. I apologize to the Alpha Bitch, but I had to borrow some of your rocks - but I replenished them by about two metric tons and expanded your flower bed - I did it in haste so you can rearrange them upon your arrival if you want to. You will also be happy to hear that the plants that you transplanted are coming up, but with the expansion, you are going to need a lot of plants! The Buffalo Clan and Bear clan will have to wait for any improvements until it dries up some. In regards to the "fire pit", I think you will enjoy and appreciate the new look. I wanted to do something about the large jagged rocks. I was afraid one of the "little people" would trip on them and end up getting burned, so I made it as "little people proof" as possible. I enjoyed the first fire of the season as I cleaned up around the area and burned the trash that I had raked up. I cleaned out the pit, remember all those bottles that you burned last year? I found them all! At any rate, we had a good day in the pit and look forward to your arrival.

Another King Salmon Tournament is now in the history books. Since we had to cancel the Calcutta King Salmon Tournament last weekend due to weather, we re-scheduled it for yesterday. It was a great day, sunny and calm waters with Saint Augustine coming to life once again. The day started for me at 5:00 a.m. so "Dutch" and I spent the day at the tackle shop to weigh in fish. We closed the scales down at 7:00 p.m. with my good friend Meryl Wolfords boat brining in the largest King Salmon, weighing in a 37.4 pounds. The fishermen that landed the big fish was Manfred Gaedeke. Historically, this is the first repeat championship that we have seen in the tournament, Meryl also won the tournament three years ago. Ironically, Manfred also caught the large fish in that tournament so we have a double repeat. Sue Finney, who owns a floral shop in Homer was the high bidder on Meryl's boat, she paid $400.00 in the auction, her investment yield her $4,000!
Closing the scales at 7:00 p.m., I rushed home, shaved, changed clothes. Terry and I made the trek on foot across the bridge and up the hill to the school to do a benefit auction that was suppose to start at 7:00 p.m. I made it without Terry having to carry me, but I must admit I had to make three stops to let my leg rest. Had a long auction, a lot of very nice items, they had started the auction prior to my arrival with an ad hoc auctioneer so I did not have to do the entire auction but it went well. After a couple of toddies at the inn to fortify myself, we made the trek back down the hill, this time without having to stop one time. I have come to the conclusion that since alcohol is a thinner, I am going to start carrying a "flask" with me just to take a little nip whenever I have the need. Hey, it is an excuse, not a crutch!
Had a little vandalism at the tackle shop on Friday night, after seeing the number of "teens" in the campground celebrating their final year in high school, I decided that I would spend the night at the shop. My "trusty watch dog" Dutch and I returned to the shop and slept on the floor the final four hours of darkness. The vandalism at the store consisted of stealing. For the first time this year, Heath parked his boat at the shop, he and his fishing partner slept at the tackle shop so they would not sleep in and be late for the tournament. They launched his boat early and went fishing, getting to Whiskey Gulch when they quickly discovered that his full tank of gas was empty. Someone had come in and syphoned his gas during the night while they slept, did not touch anything else in the boat, even the fishing rods were left behind. They cell phoned one of the wives and she went to Whiskey Gulch with a new can of gas so they could continue to fish. As usual, they were the last boat in at the end of the tournament so they spent 13 hours on the water. Several King Salmon, but nothing large enough to keep for the tournament. So, after a very long day, a very short night, I am ready to go back to getting my projects done. For those anticipating getting in a little fishing, with the warmer weather, we may see some fair to good conditions on the river by Memorial Day. This coming weekend, when the river opens for the first time, it looks like it is going to be high and dirty. Have a good day, it looks like it is going to be another beautiful day.

Wishing all of the Mothers a very Happy Mothers Day. From a male prospective, we often overlook the important role that a mother plays in our lives, whether it be our own mother or our wives. As men, we do not always acknowledge or even see the enormous burden that you take upon yourselves to raise a family. A most common phase we use when asked something by our children is "go see your mother", because we know you will always be there to make a decision that we do not want to make. We often overlook the things that you do, not only for our children but also for us as husbands. But, we will also be the first to admit that we could not raise the family without you, you are the strength and love of the family. So today, if you have not recently talked to your mother, pick up the phone and give her a call, just to let her know you are thinking of her and at the end of the conversation, a simple "Thank You" is all that she needs to hear. Wishing all of you, Happy Mothers Day.

Mom,
Wishing you a very Happy Mothers Day. I am sorry for all the birthdays and Mothers Day that I missed sharing with you, but I know you understand and will forgive. That is what made you special, you were always there for your children. You were an inspiration, often going without for yourself to give to your children. Always there to provide, love, and protect us. You gave us life, you gave us the support that we needed to survive in the world as we grew older and spread our wings, for that I will be eternally grateful. Thank you for the memories we shared, memories that I can now reflect back on and be with you in my thoughts and heart. You took a little boy and transformed him into a man, I hope that I have made you proud to call me "son" because I am very proud to call you my "mom". With all my love, your loving son.
Stan

What a great day, I do think spring is finally here! Checked all my little flowering bushes, perennials, and the birch trees that I forced planted this morning. I had a 100% survival rate over the winter, most of the bushes are starting to bud out. The peonies have even pushed to the surface.
We are suppose to have this type of weather for several days, while doing some last minute "little chores" on the "multi-purpose" building today I started the day with a insulated shirt, vest and light jacket - by this afternoon I was down to my t-shirt, almost like summer.
The "Hole In The Wall" recreational area got it's first victim today. Heath had moved more sand in yesterday so it is drying up much better. He decided to move his trailer around to face out into the "pit" area. He got to the trailer, turned towards the "Bear Den" so he could back up to the trailer and sank out of sight! Although the edges are drying out nicely, that area is still pretty wet, I could not believe that he tried it. I went back to work, checking on them occasionally and they were still stuck. After an hour or so, I decided to go down to see if I could help them because they were not going anywhere. I was able to back my rig almost into his trailer and with a long chain and a tow strap was able to hook up to his rear end and jerk him out. I towed him all the way out to the access road, just to make sure he was not going to get stuck again. I surely do not mind pulling out Chevrolet's when they get stuck!
Now if the Buffalo Herd is thinking correctly, they have pin pointed that the purple Chevy was stuck in their front yard! Boy, do you have some ruts and holes to fill up! If the weather man is correct and we get three or four days without moisture, we are going to be in good shape. I was surprised today how fast it was drying up, except the center and in front of the Buffy Camp. The rest of the area is almost dry, in fact I did not leave any tracks while pulling out the Moose.
Papa Bear called this evening and happened to catch Heath here so they had a visit, talked fishing mostly but then their conversation changed to moving the multi-purpose building. Just hearing one side of the conversation, I think Papa Bear has a little concern in getting the building moved, especially when Moose made the comment that he thought the building would weigh 1,200 pounds! Both of them had panic in their voice when I corrected the Moose, that the building would come in at a much higher weight - perhaps one ton! Hey, my daddy taught me my carpentry skills, I do believe that I am better than he ever was, however, he taught me one cardinal rule in building, he would always say "it is not much for pretty but it is hell for strong".
Recreational area improvements will halt tomorrow, I have to be up at 5:00 a.m. for the start of the derby and be at the tackle shop until 7:00 p.m. to weigh in fish. Then at 7:00 p.m. I have to do a benefit auction in A.P. - although, I will only be a mile from where the auction will be held, I have to drive 18 miles to get there so I am not sure how I am going to be in two places at one time. Surely wish the Plumma was fishing the tournament this year, while waiting for fish to come in for weighing, I have to do a part list for my entire water system. In October and November when I was ill, my entire water system froze up in the pump house and blew out everything. I have to start at the well head and replace everything inside the pump house. I was not able to drain the system, so hopefully the lines inside the tackle shop didn't get damaged. So far,there is no water showing up on the floor but will not know for sure until it is under pressure. It will not happen again, I have fought this system for twenty years. This year it will be done right - just as soon as John gets the time. I can see that my plumbing contractor and I will need to have several "campfire" consultations pertaining to future plans.

Under beautiful sunshine, the multi-purpose building was painted today and is now officially completed except for the decorating. The colors did not quite turn out as I had expected, but I can live with it. I hate painting! I hate buying paint! You look at those little chips of the various colors and they always seem to have different types of wood with the product on it so you know what it will look like - right! I have never seen a match up. A gallon of stain will cost you between $20.00 and $30.00, you take it home and it is not the right color. The can is open, there is no returning! Last time, when we were at Home Depot and having to decide which color of stain to buy I came up with a marvelous concept. Why don't the paint companies, can their stain in small half pint or pint cans and charge $5.00 for them. You can buy several, take them home to test them and then go back and buy the several gallons that you are going to need. They make money on the small cans, you get the right color and we are all happy painters!
No sand moved today, Heath was working for Key all day, he is loving that little tractor! I expect to see him show up driving in with a hard hat on! Your mother and Erica did a little more draining, it is starting to look better but let's hold off on any rain. The first load of slabs arrived in the pit today, Erica went over and picked up a load. They were nice enough that she decided to use them to build a deck to help the drainage in their area. She borrowed some nails, a hammer and saw and went to work. Wanting a dry place to work, she decided to build it on the road leading into the campground. She drove in as far as she could go and unloaded the slabs and went to work. I would wander over to the edge once in awhile to check on her progress, she has got this deck laid out that measures at least 20 feet by 20 feet. She is pounding nails and sawing. Later I stop by to check things out on my way to pick up some stuff a the tackle shop. I drive into where she is working and cannot help but notice how big the deck is. So I ask the obvious, how are you going to move it to the site. She was one step ahead of me and said they could tow it with the tractor which sounded feasible. The next question that I had to ask was "How are you going to get your truck out?" She had built the deck behind the truck, blocking off the road and the truck was on the wrong side of the deck! Her answer was classic. "I didn't think about that!" Fun and games have already started and the entire circus has not even come to town. Who was it that spent hours digging a trail up the side of the bluff for one ride down the trail in a wagon, which ended up in a wreck! Who was it that spent hours building a flower bed to beautify their campsite, except it was in the location of where the outhouse was suppose to go? Who was it that planted all the dead trees? Who was it that decided to put the wood pile in the lowest drainage point in the campground? Who was it that designed the outhouse last year? No wonder all the neighbors take vacations during Memorial Day week! which is not a bad idea, I had best check my frequent flier miles!

Just to get all of you in a proper frame of mind for Memorial Day" weekend, this is a picture of Terry and Heath fishing the Anchor River in September 1981. He has a stick and bobber but I do not see any sign of fish. The person you see in the background is Shana walking the banks. Heidi was most likely taking a nap or sitting in the truck sneaking candy! Just to put things in the proper perspective, I was still in the Navy and two years from retirement. Seems so long ago, so much water under the bridge since then. Speaking of the bridge, it is still under construction! They assure us that it will be open in time for my birthday!
Speaking of the Navy, which I was before I got side tracked about the bridge. I am really disappointed that out of ten comments to my posting from yesterday, no one commented on the picture that I posted. That is unusual!
As well, no one got the correct answer to why the campground is called the
"Hole In the Wall". I figured, since it has become a gathering place I should shed a little light on the subject so all of you can appreciate the deliberate naming of the area. Someday, it could have historical significance. One of many of my favorite western genre movie stars was Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The characters portrayed in the movie were real, the movie portrayed their life and death. All of you gave me a copy of the movie for my birthday one year. The name of the movie is "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". They had quite an elaborate hideout which they always returned to after a train or bank robbery. The law could never find it and it became a haven for those people of lesser character. They named their secret hideout, the "Hole In The Wall". Now you know the rest of the story! If you have never seen the movie, it is a great western with a lot of humor as only Paul Newman can do. As an antidote, the movie was filmed in Durango using the narrow gauge railroad. One scene in the movie where they jump off the cliff to elude the posse was filmed at Bakers Bridge on the Animas River where Shane and I fished when we lived in Durango.
Speaking of humor, "Butch" continues to give us a constant smile. Although, your mother was a little shook up, she did laugh out loud after it was all over with and "Butch" was not around. He spent the afternoon with us on Tuesday. Heath and Erica were working with the loader in the campground, so he and I went down to see what they were doing and so he could have a ride on the loader. He and I returned home. Heather also came up to the house after she got out of school and after I came in from working, I walked past my recliner and it kidnapped me for a quick nap. I was awakened by Terry, shouting at me that Hunter was missing. He had went out to play and was only out of sight for a few minutes. Terry was taking Heather home, so I headed to the snow plow, he likes to play in it. Not there, so he must be inside "armies House", not there either. I am calling him while trying to figure out where he would be hiding or playing. Ah, the new "multi-purpose building",he likes that but he is not there either. I head for the bluff over looking the pit, calling his name, then I hear a whimper and look down! He is about 3/4 of the way coming up the bluff, crying with big tears falling down his cheeks. It is muddy, he is muddy and crying! Just as he gets to the top of the bluff, I hear his mother tearing into the yard with grandma right behind her. By this time, we are out on the lawn as they all come piling out of the cars, I thought they would be happy that I found him - but they were reading him the riot act, which was a the second one that he had in the past minute because I had just finished with him. Then the rest of the story came out, which still brings a smile to me. He saw his dad and mom working in the campground so he went down there wanting another ride on the loader. They were just finishing up for the day and ready to go home. They had a assumed he had his grandmothers permission to go down to the campground and go home with them. So they let him ride home on the loader. When they get home, Butch heads down the driveway, not bothering to respond to their calling him to come back. They think is running away from home. Erica gets in the truck to follow, Hunter is running down the road with the Chevy right behind him, but he takes a short cut knowing that the Chevy cannot follow. He cuts down over the bank and into the campground, crosses the campground and is coming up the other side to our house when I intercepted him at the top of the bluff. He had actually cut across the campground faster than Erica drove around to the house by road so you know his little feet were moving. He knew that he was going to be in trouble with Grand Ma for leaving the yard and was trying to get back to safety before she discovered it from his parents. I have no concept how he was going to explain his running away from his parents. I would have given anything to see him coming across the pit, he must have been flying! It is so great being a grandfather and being able to laugh at some of the things that the little people do! Revenge is sweet! Perhaps with our own "Butch" it is very appropriate that the campground be called the "Hole In the Wall".

Since there is becoming so much emphasis on the "Hole In the Wall" Campground and the festivities that will soon take place, I will commence my posting tonight with Trivial Prattle. Where did the name of the "Hole In The Wall" campground originate and why?
Tonight, I am very pleased to announce that two major developments occurred today regarding our "little sanctuary" by the river. I am really pleased to announce that the construction of the "multi purpose" building is now completed. The only thing remaining to complete construction is to tack the mop board in place once the vinyl is laid. The second "custom" made door was successful and works most of the time. It does beat the "blue tarp"! If it does not rain tomorrow, the entire building will be painted and ready for decorating. I figure it only took 45 days for the construction, that really is not that bad when you consider the preciseness of the measurements and unique carpentry skills that were employed! I know it will be difficult for you to recognize the difficulties that were encountered on this project and the precise planning that had to take place. On several occasions, I mentioned the "cost overrun" on the project. In reality, the entire construction of the building with the exception of paneling and ten 2x4's was from the shelving that we took out of the video store in Homer. No tree was killed for the construction of this building so it is environmentally friendly! In addition, Shane and Dana now have a "greenhouse" which was also built from the shelving out of that store as well as a "privy" addition at their get away hide a way cabin. The video store did us well! No need for pictures, you will all be here before I could get them developed. Some of us do not have a digital camera that is compatible to XP!
The second and most important at this point in our lives is that the construction crew moved into the "Hole in Wall" today. As I worked on the building, I could hear heavy equipment operating but I thought it was coming from the Anchor River bridge project. Then Terry came out and asked if I knew that the kids were at the campground working with equipment. Walking to the bluff, I get there just in time to see Heath dumping a bucket load of sand into the "mud wrestling pit" with Erica right behind him with a shovel spreading it out! Except for the center, it is drying out, at least you can walk around the edges without sinking to your knees. They are hauling the sand in from sand bank and spreading it throughout the camping area. Hopefully, they can get enough sand to absorb the moisture and level it off so it will drain better. I also showed them an area that I wanted the building, Heath leveled that spot off with the bucket then Erica came in this evening and used the backhoe to start the hole! Perhaps, by this weekend, we can get in and install the awning and start getting it open for the season. The "wood pile" lake is almost gone, which is the lowest spot in the area - whoever picked that site out! In leveling out the spot for the building, we did managed to save that pretty little birch tree (that I would like to have in my yard) but Heidi, I am sorry your flower bed is history! At least, you will not have to walk very far in the middle of the night! Just so everyone will not worry - we will leave plenty of things for each of you to do upon your arrival. A list will be posted on the bulletin board!

Just like when I am fishing, I find myself on the wrong side of the river once again! I can see Anchor Point from here, but can't get there from here without going to the "Little Hamlet By the Sea". Now that the bridge is closed, it has surely slowed the traffic down on the highway - have not heard a car all day. That is a good thing. The family that "blogs" together has increased in size so rapidly that you can spend a lot of time going to each site. I think we are in trouble, as the little lady was leaving the house this morning to run errands,
I asked her a question and she replied, "I'll blog you"!
You no doubt have noticed the magnificent picture of the Bald Eagle that I have posted. I do this because of a recent blog posting consisting of 3.5 lines with a link to a different site pertaining this "special" bird. A patriotic symbol each of us and our great nation. If you did not see the "shorter" than normal posting, it is located on the "Erotic Screaming" site, I believe I have that name correct! This particular blogger thought it was funny that the symbol of our great nation could have been a turkey if Benjamin Franklin had his way. I believe his quote in favoring the turkey was, "The Bald Eagle is a bird of bad moral character". This is coming from a guy who decided to go fly a kite in a lightening storm with a key attached to it! The article that was linked, was very interesting, it is a great place to learn about eagles. The Bald Eagle mates for life, which further reinforces the fact that Ben did not know what he was speaking of, if taking a mate for life is morally wrong - we should all be of bad moral character! The female, as well they should, builds the nest. The largest nest ever found weighed over two tons, the tree that it was built in finally fell over - I wonder why? If possible the nest or home, is always built high off the ground so the eagle can view the surrounding area. I also discovered that the Bald Eagle suffers from "reversed sexual dimorphism". I really took offense at this because I have watch them enough during this time of the season. I know they have a very high sexual appetite! Anyone or anything that can "get er done" on the fly has to be good! Then I discovered the term "reversed sexual dimorphism" simply means that the female is larger than the male. Guess old Baldy likes his ladies big! I do want to thank the author of that particular blog site for bringing this information forward, it reinforces my concept that the "vision" that came to me in the naming of the Eagle Clan was clear and divinely inspirational. In my picture below, I have named this particular eagle "Homer", just something else that the eagle can do on the fly!

Well another day of drizzling rain, a little wind and the Tournament is canceled once again, will try it next weekend. Just checked the Doppler Radar, it appears that we will run out of rain in the next hour or so. In case you were wondering the LA area looks clear right now. As it drizzles, it will give me a chance to touch bases with each of the blog sites, starting to get enough of them with the Bear Clan coming on line that I can spend a good two hours just traveling to family members home bases.
I am hoping that by the time I finish my travels this morning that I will be able to get out and work on the multi-purpose building. Got to get that door done, I don't think Mama Bear is going to enjoy another Blue Tarp this year. Still have to get that custom door made, but this time I pre-measured the hole in the wall. It is three little black marks less than 30 inches in width and 7 little black marks past 72 inches long. I also need to make a stool to step on, it seems that I did not get a good measurement on the throne. Anyone under six foot tall will have to get a running start to get up and on to the throne if I do not build a foot stool. Not even going to tell you how I measure for the height of the seat! After a few beers, it is going to drive Homer and Plumma crazy, do you realize how difficult it is to cut a round hole, it will make a challenging target for them to hit after a little Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Real estate agents were showing the house yesterday, so Terry and I and the two dogs went for a drive to the beach. I could not believe the number of Eagles that have moved into the area, in one spot I could count twenty nine of them and there were more the closer we got to the mouth of the river. Majestic looking birds, what a awesome and inspiring representative of the senior clan. The "vision" was destiny.
Can't bug myself, so off to the various sites I go.

The rains continue to sprinkle upon us, just enough to make it impossible to work on my project. Tried it once, but when I touched my new chop saw, it was a electrofying experience! Fortunately it is still under warranty. This will make my third chop saw since I started the project, the loss of each of them due to electric power. We must be getting a low grade of power from the utility company! My home made extension cord and the rain had nothing to do with the other two burning up. Finished the custom made door, now I am having to make a second one to replace the first one! Seems that I forgot to measure the width and height of the opening for the door. Building would be so much fun if there not so many rules that you have to follow! But all it not lost, I hear Heidi say she wanted a counter top for her sink -I have a good one already built in the shape of a door, at least similar to the shape of a door!
Had a great auction last night, raised over ten grand which is a big increase over last year. Had a total of 40 boats to auction off. By evening end, my voice was gone, my leg was gone but it was worth the effort. One of my big items this year was a straw hat, the type you see people wearing in the tropics. One of the fishermen showed up wearing it so I could not resist in auctioning it off. Got $110.00 for it, the high bidder on the hat was the guy wearing it. I really enjoy this auction, the people attending knows that it is for a good cause and we make it fun for them to shell out their money. My good friend Don T was in attendance again last night. He and I are the only two guys that I know which wear Western cut Pendelton Shirts. He has a better color selection than I. The last two years I have auctioned off his shirt, being a good sport, he would always remove his shirt so I could auction it off. The first year, one of his friends bought it for $150.00 and gave it back to him. Last year I sold his shirt for $135.00 and he bought it himself.
The derby was suppose to be today, but at 5:30 the surf was to high to launch boats but once outside,the water was great. If we would have waited for an hour before canceling,the surf laid down and it was like a mill pond all day. The only boat to make it out at 5:30 did it the old fashion way, used the mouth of the river and had six fish boated prior to 7 a.m. when he discovered we had canceled the derby for the day. That person being your baby brother. Steve Walli bought his boat for around $300.00. So, we will try again at 5:30 in the morning!
It was a pleasant surprise to find the entire "Bear" clan blog site this evening when I opened up the computer. I think I heard a little bell tinkling in the back ground from Brother Don. Family became very important to him over the past ten years or so. Someday, I will tell the story of the practical joke that he wanted to pull on me. I only learned of it during my trip down for his memorial service. I would have been the best he had ever come up with, if he would have had the opportunity to fulfill his fantasy. Perhaps, I will tell it around the campfire one evening.
Mama Eagle surprised me today, she wants to get a fishing license this year so she can fish with me. She thinks that I will not wade the river as much as I use to and in fact she is right - very little wading and no chasing fish down river for me! She also wants her own blog site and she is going to take Heidi up on her offer to set one up for her. I will send you the information by separate email - do not want the pass word to get into the wrong hands - we all know what happens then. A pure bred,highly trained, intelligent dog and master turns into a skunk! Again, welcome to the world of Blog to the Bear Clan! Blog postings in excess of five lines are always welcomed!

It has become my goal to make your camping experience at the "Hole In The Wall" Recreational Area as pleasant and memorable as humanly possible. The "shelter" that was fully utilized and enjoyed by all will be erected and ready for occupancy prior to your arrival, weather and water level permitting. Many hours of labor and material has went into the "multi-purpose" building, giving you a safe, clean environment to reflect and contemplate life in general. I will ask that you keep it clean so Donnie will not have to spend much time doing clean up chores each day during his fire watch. This will be an added asset this season, the facilities was less than desirable last year. It is very difficult to hide under the willows in order to spy upon the clans when ladies are utilizing the facilities right behind you. The wood pile was also less than desirable, without my direct supervision, the wood was not stacked properly and was precariously leaning which was a potential safety violation, especially for the little people. To correct this, a firewood rack will be installed prior to your arrival which will permit you to stack the wood neatly and off the ground. The rack will be located in a different spot this season, currently where the wood storage area was located last year, is under three feet of water, it is the lowest point in the campground area.
Being the born leader that she is, Heidi came up with some very good suggestions in her Blog posting yesterday pertaining to useful things that you can do to make camping a little less stressful, especially when it is raining and three trucks are stuck in the middle of the campground.
I have also come up with several other ideas that will make you more comfortable with the some of the basic amenities that you enjoy at home. Water: Good quality and quantity of potable water has always been a problem regardless of where you camp. However, this can be easily remedied. At some location in LA, since they have went out of style, there are a good number of "water bed" mattresses that you can acquire for a few dollars, less than $10.00. A twin size water bed mattress is slightly smaller than the bed of a pick-up and will hold a couple hundred gallons of water. Two mattress should provide all the water that you will need to sustain life for several days. By draping a "blue tarp" over the bed of the truck, you would also have a great tent and bed for the little people to sleep instead of the hard ground in their tents!
ELECTRIC POWER: Although not a real necessity, it would be nice to have power inside the campground without having to stretch 1.5 miles of extension cords from the "Eagle Nest" to the camping area. We have two young ladies that are constantly working on their muscle toning, loosing a few pounds and getting in shape for the wrestling season. We also have two very well qualified "shade tree" mechanics and one electrical lineman, between the tree of them I am sure they can come up with an idea of how to install a "generator" on your mothers stationary bike. With Brit and Noe taking turns peddling they should be able to provide enough amps to meet our needs. During the darker hours, if we had a second generator, we could install one on your mothers treadmill and I know she could generate the power that we need, especially if we hook up some batteries to stow the excess that she and the girls generate. FIRE PIT: The clan fire pit, although meets or exceeds state approved fire pits, I was concerned throughout the summer that we would have one of the kids hurt if they tripped, as it turned out, Homer was the only one to fall intothe fire! I will try to improve the fire pit this season to insure we do not have an accident. However, all camping trips the smoky fire has always been a problem. Within a few minutes everyone smells like wood smoke. This is caused from wet wood or the fire not burning hot enough. Again, we have the talent within the clans to correct this. The solution would provide a hot fire and utilize less firewood. The Plumma also has a very good knowledge of heating systems. To me, it would be a simple process to install a underground line from the "methphane" pit bringing it to the surface under the fire pit. There is constant source of gas being generated from the pit that is going to waste and should be utilized. At the commencement of the season, we will need to insure that "Homer" spends a lot of time in the multi-purpose building in order to have a constant flow of gas until sufficient deposits can be made. MUD AND STUCK VEHICLES: This was a major problem this past season and will remain a problem as long as we enjoy the privacy of the bowl area. We not only have to contend with the rain but also the drainage from the high ground that surrounds us on three sides. In my walk about yesterday, the area that I laid the typar this past year and all of you were so kind as to haul in gravel to cover it, that area has a remained intact this year and undisturbed from the water level. During the GS cookie sales campaign, there was some controversy pertaining to the payload of the Chevrolet compared to the Ford. Each of my four children drive Chevrolet's so this will provide them an opportunity to demonstrate their payload capacity. I figure that if each Chevy makes 9 trips to the beach and returns with a full load of gravel, which would be a total of 36 loads, it would be sufficient to cover the entire bowl area with fresh, clean gravel. Just yesterday, I took my old Chevy pickup that I use to plow snow and discovered that it will also work as a "poor man's road grader" by back blading. I smoothed out my driveway utilizing this method. As you haul in gravel, I can back blade it into place and it will eliminate a lot of raking, although that would also be good exercise for Brit and Noe. Remember, we also have a new clan of "Woodpeckers" plus a very big Buffalo Calf that should be fully utilized in this operation. As you can see, I have given great thought in identifying some problems we have had in the past, serious consideration as to how we can make your camping adventure pleasurable, and as a good leader, have also provided the solutions to those problems. It is now time for you to take action!

It is that time of the season, time to do a little fishing. It appears that this Bald Eagle could not find a salmon in the river, but he nabbed a nice little Skunk to munch on until the salmon start arriving in larger numbers.
This weekend is the International King Salmon Calcutta Tournament, I will do the auction on Friday night at the banquet and then the derby will be on Saturday. The marine fishery has been producing well for feeders with a few spawners starting to show up.
The Anchor River will open up on the weekend of May 20th for the first weekend. You can expect some high dirty water the first weekend, there is still a lot of snow to melt off in the back country. The Anchor River will be open for five weekends again this year so we should find some great fishing. That is your sport fishing report for today, have a good day on the water and good luck with you fishing. After fifteen years, that will be likely the last time you here that sign off tag line.
The current status of the campground is that the water level is declining, most of the run off has already occurred. Now all we need is several good days of sun, a little wind and we should be ready to set up. If that does not happen, Brit and Noe will have a larger area to "mud wrestle", I missed that event last year. It has to be replayed again this year if we have to make a "pit" for them. Can we take side bets and make this a real match, say the best out of three falls? If they do wrestle, I think "Homer" should dress up like a Suma (sic)wrestler and let the girls think that the winner of their match will have to wrestle "Homer Yamaha". Looking forward to all the festivities, it should be fun.
Update on the "multi-purpose" building, the custom designed door arrives tomorrow, a little trim work inside and then install the seats, the perch has been completed. I still need to install several "unique novelty" items but we won't go into those details, you will find out soon enough! Speaking of that, on our (?) trip to LA on the 17th and 18th, if anyone knows where they can get a bunch of Styrofoam packing peanuts, I need about one hundred pounds for a special project. For those "handicrafters", I also need a head made out of a flesh colored nylon stocking or support hose with a short haired wig. Don't ask and I won't tell! So much to do, so little time. Have a good day and let's hope the sun shines.

Looks as if everyone took the weekend off, but I cannot blame you for that, it was so beautiful out the last two days, at least on the Kenai Peninsula. Even took my morning coffee on the deck this morning, first time I have been able to do that in a long time without having to bundle up in my snow suit, gloves, and earmuff hat. It was very pleasant sitting there early this morning, the quietness with the eagles soaring overhead. Cannot wait for another seven hours to pass so I can do it all over again.
We did make a trip up to Kenai today to select the stain for the house painting project and pick up the finishing touches for the "multi-purpose" building. A fantasy that I have had since I watched the Blue Collar Comedy Tour came true today. I have been chuckling ever since. Prior to the shopping spree at Home Depot, the little lady wanted to do some shopping at Freddies, which was o.k. with me because they are the only store in Alaska that sells my favorite licorice. She headed one way and I headed to the candy isle, I am not a shopper. I get what I want and out the door. This was especially true today, I figured that if I beat her to the truck, I could consume at least a half bag of licorice before she caught me eating all that sugar and other bad things that are reportedly contained in my favorite candy. By the time I found the candy isle in the newly remodeled store, my leg was hurting so I decided to pick up something to relieve the pain, after going down several isles and not finding anything that looked like it may relieve the pain, I decided it must be at the pharmacy at the front of the store. Although I did find the Midal, but I think that was for a different kind of cramping. So, off I go to the check out stand with my three bags of candy. People are lined up at all three of the ten check out counters. Why they have ten counters and only have three open, I am not sure. I qualified for the "express lane" although it had more people in it than the other counters, I figured it would go faster. Wrong concept, again! After standing in line, very slowly moving through the "express" lane, my leg is throbbing and I can tell the lady in front of me is getting very agitated at the pace the line is moving. I comment, "this adds an entire new concept to express lane", she acknowledge my assessment and remark back it was the express lane but had the slowest checker the store could find. When I finally got to the check out counter, I discovered why. On the lapel of the smock the clerk was wearing was a big name tag, "Hi, My Name is Sue and I Am In Training". I had discovered the answer to my question! Cashing out, I headed to the pharmacy, it is difficult to savor good licorice when you are in pain. The choice of pain relievers was great, you could choose from Advil Capsule or Advil Tablets. Nothing else that resembled a pain reliever. I decided to take the Advil, especially since it was on sale. I was the only customer in the pharmacy and two ladies were working behind the counter. One lady was a few steps from behind the counter, busily emptying bottles of pills into a trash can, the second lady was working on the counter with something else. The lady working with the pills saw me, I was standing there at the counter with a box of Advil in one hand and a $10.00 bill in my other hand. She very politely told me that the other lady would help me in just a minute. Which she did, she was a very attractive lady, in her mid 40's, very neat hair and showing a lot of cleavage which appeared nicely tanned from my vantage point. If you are wondering, her eyes were brown so I was not staring! She looked at me and with a very pleasant voice said, "you going to buy that", my reply back was so fast that it even surprised me, I said "no, I am going to steal it, I just wanted you to know". The lady dumping pills burst out laughing. The lady waiting on me just looked at me funny as I handed her my $10.00 bill. I was still smirking, so I had to ask her if she had ever watched the Blue Collar Comedy Tour or heard the jokes about "here is your sign", she had not so I decided not to spoil the moment explaining it to her. It made my day, at least until I got to the Starbuck Coffee Stand which was my 2nd mission of even going into the store. If you are ever in Soldotna, on a Sunday and wanting a cup of coffee, do not, I repeat do not go to Fred Meyers, the coffee stand is closed on Sunday!
As for the Home Depot, an entire new story, but I am now of the opinion that they are very similar to Comp USA in Anchorage, if you have a question, don't ask it because they do not know either. Whatever happened to the requirement when working in a business that you should possess "product knowledge"? My problem there was nails! You can go into any hardware store in the world, go over to the nail aisle, take a brown bag and fill it with as many pounds of nails that you want. I always like to buy them in odd numbers, like 3.25 pounds, that way the clerk has to think. But that option is not available at Home Depot. You can buy a box of nails weighing one pound, which is not many nails or you can buy a box weighing three pounds. That is your choice. The prices of the boxed nails is equivalent to buying six pounds of nails anywhere else that sells nails in the bulk. So, I am standing their amazed at their small selection of nails and high prices, then I spy a little orange smock. I approach him and asked if they sell nails in the bulk. His reply, "yes sir we do have them in 25 pound boxes but I will need to see your contractors license". I was wanting to buy a dozen different sizes of nails to replenish my supply, but not 300 pounds of them in 25 pound boxes. I won't live that long to use them up.
I meet up with Terry in the paint department, she is so much more patient than I. She has the stain that she wants and the clerk is just starting to wait on her. I leave to go find some Thompson Weather Proofing for my project, not finding it after traveling through several isles, I return to the counter where your mother is still being waited on as they have to mix the stain? I ask him, if they carry the Thompson product and he replied that they did not but had an equivalent brand that was even better. He pointed me in the right direction. As I turned to leave, a gentleman was standing behind me with a can of Thompson Weather Proofing in his hand. He was very helpful and took me to the isle where it was located and he did not even have an orange smock. Now you see, why I do not shop! Internet shopping is looking even more appealing!