Laughing Out Loud

7/13/11

Seward Alaska...this was the first place I was introduced to Salmon fishing...Mell and I had a blast...me fishing and him watching me! I traveled back to all the places here that we had gone. The hotel we stayed in ...the shop we bought our coats in after he had flown off with the door opened on the plane and they got sucked out!

The restaurant we ate in... the places we walked...and the most beautiful part of Seward “Resurrection Bay” Just full of wildlife!

Many of the stories Mell told came out of Seward...He always said we put the Wilde children through college buying hooks from them! I kept getting them stuck in the rocks...and he would keep buying me more. I found a hook in the same rocks…who knows it could have been one I lost??

Then he took the children for a ride in the plane and he told them both... “If you get sick don’t throw up in my airplane...throw up in your shirt !” Well Veronica didn’t get sick but Jed did and guess what? Yea...he through up in his shirt! We laughed about that forever...I miss the laughter so much...there is an empty place in my heart…but I can still hear Mell tell his stories and they will forever be in my heart…I will laugh at him even though he is not here!

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

The Endless Sea of Memories

On the way to Kenai

7/11/11

We took off the next day to make a drop on the Kenai...the fish were not running ... no one was catching anything...everywhere we went nothing! Salmon that is....but deep within the sea...

7/12/11

....There are Halibut...Christina, Rich and I set out for Deep Creek where we caught up with Travis...Mell and I met Travis on our first trip to Alaska. I remember it well .... the 4th of July....Some friends invited us to go Halibut fishing ...we had nothing to do..so Mell and I said “OK” I caught the “Big Fish” 60 lb Halibut...Mell had to help me pull it in...

The sea was a little ruff but the day was beautiful!

We caught our limit and a bunch of Cod...all of which we could keep!

We called Christina the “Cod Lady” She caught 6 nice Cods.

Afterwards we got to visit with Travis's family…His wife Nettie and 3 boys and 1 girl…cute little bunchkins!

Alaska has been a very bitter sweet trip for me...it has brought up so many of the memories of the past ...all of which I know I will never forget...but deep down...somehow...I am fearful...fearful of forgetting…

Travis, Christina and I huddled in the back of the boat before we got back to shore and prayed a little prayer before dropping more of Mell’s ashes into the sea… here... where we came every year to fish. The three of us huddled there with the wind blowing and the boat swaying...crying and missing our beloved Mell.

Life will never be the same…

I know their is a special place in heaven for a man who gives up his own life to save the life of others...

John 15:12-14

¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.

Overflowing Love

7/9/11

Christina finished her float plane ticket and her and Rich drove into Palmer where we had dinner...it was good to see her...the last time we saw each other was April 2010 after Mell had gone home. She took me flying in her Super Cub up the Hudson River and around the Statue of Liberty. It was my first flight since his death.

Jay and Sandy have been busy getting ready for their annual fishing trip on the Kenai River, but have always had time for me and their friends. One of their friends drove this Argo 8 wheeler over with his grandkids…its his moose hunting ?? whatever…Jay and Sandy are always giving to other people I am a witness to all that they do... I am blessed to call them my friends. They never cease to feed me Moose and Fish! I love it!

7/10/11

Sandy took us to see the Musk ox the next day and a little tour of the Matanuska River. Mell and I had talked about seeing these weird little creatures but never had.

1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 Thessalonians 3:12
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

The First Few Days... Love Never Fails

7/8/11

I left the airport in my new ride…(I think I want one) …thanks to my friend Mike! I look good in it Mike…and it makes me feel even more at home!

I am staying with Jay and Sandy..our friends who were with me when I received word that Mell had been in a crash…The first day here Jay took us out in their boat out for a test ride on Cotton wood lake …Jay let me try out driving the boat… ….we visited their friends who live on an Island on the lake…then they put me to work…and I enjoyed every minute of it ...they have taken me under their wings and made me feel like family here..I took this picture of Jay's cub at midnight here…just to give you an idea of the darkness here????

I revisited the Palmer Pool where we spent many rainy days when we couldn’t fly.

The second year we came out here it was a bad summer...weather that is...so we spent many days with Janice our real-estate lady, when on those rainy days she gave us houses and more houses to look at...we just traveled around looking...and looking...and looking! It was great fun! Getting lost…Mell was so good at finding our way back!

I met with her today...we talked and shared our lives with one another.

Everywhere I drove..I could almost point out some of the houses we looked at...I have seen videos in my head and heard conversations that we had ...and felt very alone...my heart aches as I write this, but at the same time I have peace... This place was to be our home. I have let go of making it my home without Mell. But as soon as I got here I said

“Now I remember why we wanted to live here part of the year.”

Yesterday I met with Helen and Paul...we had stayed in their little cabin the last year we were here...We too had much to share about life. On the way to there house there is a street called

"Better Duck" Everytime and I mean everytime we passed it Mell would say "Better DUCK!"

I had to laugh as I heard his voice telling me to DUCK!

I had dinner with Patty… at mine and Mell's favorite restaurant in Palmer "Turkey Red" Patty was the one with me half way up Lazy Mountain.

I left there and visited the Palmer airport…took a picture of a husky airplane like we had …the old courtesy car was still there…what a blast we had as we turned heads in this old clunker!

Again I feel like family here...God is Good...His love endures forever

It has been 17 months since I lost my Mell..

Psalm 100:5

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations

1 Corinthians 13:8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Lazy Mountain

Go to: www.mmtakeflight.blogspot.com ,and see this same trip when Mell and I did it Sept 7, 2008. Mell did a video explaining the whole valley…you must check it out.

click the archive and pick this date.

Received Mell's ashes on Friday…My friend Patty and I started out together on the gruesome hike up Lazy Mountain around 11:30 on Saturday. This is the most beautiful place, but I remember Mell and I saying we would never do it again! Its a 3000 foot elevation climb in 2.5 miles and no switch backs! Patty decided her limit was at Mile 1…so I set up alone the rest of the way...

When I got to the top…I had about 15 or 20 minutes to myself before some other hikers came

up…I could see them coming…

I had my personal little service for Mell ….and spread some of his ashes over the valley below…where we had decided to retire part time…we would be what Alaska calls "snow birds"…when the snow comes the birds fly away! I sang "It is well with my soul" Had a good cry and awaited the hikers…when they arrived I had them take pictures of me in the same spot where Mell and I had taken photos…then they continued to climb…and I said "I didn't know we could go further?

So I followed them …up this narrow little ridge …took more photos…looking down on the flag

where we had taken our original photos…

They left and I stayed longer…just lingering …not wanting to leave…I left part of me there…I think…or I just had that feeling … that missing Mell feeling…wishing he was there…

Had some great conversations with God…asked for His help…He met me there as He always

does…and I pushed myself up and off the top…heading back down the steep decent … always missing Mell ….forever longing to see my Lord and King…and meet Mell again in heaven!

This is the hope we have in Christ…we do not grieve as the world grieves …we grieve with hope of seeing our loved ones again!

1 Thessalonians 4:13

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

Three Sisters

Three sisters unite with one another in Vacaville, CA

One of our sisters in Christ, Christina, left Georgia 6 months ago

on a new journey of her life as a travel nurse in San Jose, CA

My sister, Debbie, (my travel buddy, my widow buddy, my best friend forever, my confidant, you name it that’s what she is)...we left Georgia together...she went to visit her family in Vacaville, Ca and me to SF to see Graham and Emily...Christina picked me up at the end of the week in SF and we took off for Vacaville...the three sisters met up and had a great reunion...meeting all of Debbie's family and becoming part of the family ourselves.

There was Matt, Deb’s brother and his wife, Charlotte, and Deb’s sister Karen, and her sister, Chris and her husband Bob and her mother “Rusty”(Delores) Deb’s dad nicknamed her “Rusty” I love it! and I wouldn’t leave out Lucy the dog...and Ava the dog(she belonged to Christina)

We feasted like Kings and Queens...California is just one big feast! Good people and good food! What else can you ask for besides Mell...I miss him soooo much....tears of pain and tears of memories flood my soul...I am overwhelmed...but it is well with my

soul...it is well..

We went from the cool air of SF to the steaming hot heat of Vacaville ...toasting in at 103 degrees highest I think we got! I even felt a little humidity!

Charlotte being a widow before marrying Matt....added some real

flavor to my life...touching the very deepest part of my heart.

I mentioned spreading Mell’s ashes in SF and she asked if I was

going to spread them in Alaska...pouncing on the opportunity I

quickly put into motion to get them sent to me here in Alaska.

Thank you, Charlotte! Get busy Robert!!!

Hebrews 10:24-26

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

And that's just what we did…we met…we spured one another on…we encouraged one another all the more!