TRIPS TO BISBEE

WHILE I WORKED AT THE NAVAL ORDINANCE PLACE IN OGDEN DARLEEN HAD SURGERY AND MOM ASK ME TO GO DOWN AND HELP HER. THE BUSES WERE TOO FULL SO I CAUGHT A TRAIN TO SOME PLACE THEN GOT A BUS INTO BISBEE. I WAS THERE FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS I THINK. AFTER DARLEEN GOT UP AND AROUND IT WAS DECIEDED I SHOULD GO TO MEXICO TO LOOK AROUND. BILL AND SADIE LEE TOOK ME AND I GOT A LEATHER PURSE THAT I USED FOR MANY YEARS.
THEY TOOK ME TO WONDERLAND OF THE ROCKS TO SEE THE ROCK FORMATIONS AN EXPERIENCE I DIDN'T FORGET. ONE OF DARLEENS FRIENDS WAS DRIVING TO SALT LAKE FOR I THINK JUNE CONFERENCE SO I RODE HOME WITH HER AND FAMILY.
I'M NOT SURE I WAS MUCH HELP BUT AT LEAST I WAS WITH THE CHILDREN. I ALSO COULD WASH DISHES AND CLOTHS AND HANG THE WASHING OUT ON HER LINES. THEY LIVED ON THE HILL SIDE. I REMEMBER GOING TO THE COMPANY STORE ONCE ARE TWICE FOR GROCERY'S. SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN THIS BEFORE IT GOT LOST IN MY HEAD.
THE NEXT TRIP TO BISBEE WAS WHEN OUR CHILDREN WAS SMALL DON'T REMEMBER THEIR AGES. MOM WAS IN BISBEE AND RUTH AND JIM CAME DOWN TO SEE US SAID SOME ONE NEEDED TO GO GET GRANDMA IN BISBEE. VERELAN HAD JUST STARTED VACATION SO WE GOT VOLUNTEERED. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICER IF WE'D PLANNED IT BUT IT WORKED OUT. WE PACKED WENT TO ST. ANTHONY TO GET DAD AND HEADED OUT IN OUR OLD CHEVROLET STATION WAGON. I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE PLACE IN SOUTHERN UTAH WHERE WE STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST THE NEXT DAY. I DO REMEMBER THE KIDS HAD HOT CAKES AND FROM THEN ON NO MATTER THE MEAL THEY WANTED PANCAKES. WE HAD TO EXPLAIN THAT NOT EVERY PLACE HAD PANCAKES.
AS WE TRAVELED ALONG DAD WOULD ASK IF WE WERE ON THE RIGHT ROAD. ONCE HE HAD VERELAN PULL OVER BY A SERVICE STATION AND HE JUMPED OUT HURRIED INTO THE PLACE GOT A FREE ARIZONIA MAP AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO GET US ON THE RIGHT ROAD. WE WENT FURTHER AROUND TO GET TO BISBEE THAN IF HE'D HAVE LEFT THE MAP AT THE STATION.
I DON'T REMEMBER TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT BUT THINK WE WENT TO WONDERLAND OF THE ROCKS AND PICNICED. WE WAS PROBABLY THERE 2 OR THREE DAYS LEAVING LATE AFTERNOON SO AS TO MISS DRIVING IN THE HEAT. NO AIR CONDITIONING THEN. VERELAN DROVE AND I DOSED FOR AWHILE AFTER THE KIDS SETTLED DOWN. THEN WE STOPPED FOR GAS IN NORTHERN ARIZONIA AND I TOOK OVER THE DRIVING FOR VERELAN TO SLEEP. AS I DROVE ALONG AND VERELAN WAS SLEEPING A FANCY BLACK CAR PULLED UP BESIDE ME AND MOTIONED FOR ME TO PULL OVER. I KEPT GOING AS THEY DROPPED BACK IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND THIS TIME THEY ACTED LIKE THEY WOULD SIDE SWIPE ME. I WOKE VERELAN TO GET HIS HELP AND HE SAID KEEP DRIVING DON'T STOP AND THEY WON'T HIT US AS THEY WON'T WANT TO MESS UP THERE CAR. I DON'T REMEMBER EVER BEING SO FRIGHTENED AS I WAS THEN. FOUR BIG FELLOWS IN THAT CAR. I DROVE TO THE NEXT TOWN AND PULLED INTO A SERVICE STATION AND THEY DROVE ON. I DON'T THINK THEY WANTED TO BE I.D. WE PARKED BY THE STATION TILL THE SUN STARTED TO SHOW A WEE BIT AND VERELAN HAD SLEPT A LITTLE MORE SO HE DROVE.
WE GOT TO ST. GEORGE AND SINCE MY FRIEND FAYE DALTON MCARTHUR LIVED THERE WE FOUND THEM AND STOPPED TO STRETCH LEGS. THEY MADE VERELAN AND ME AND THE KIDS A BED ON THE FLOOR AND TOOK MOM AND DAD TO TOM'S PARENTS HOME FOR THE NIGHT. THEY HAD SEVERAL CHILDREN AND THEIR HOME WASN'T VERY BIG. THAT BED ON THE FLOOR WAS SO WELCOMED BY WEARY TRAVELERS. AFTER BREAKFAST AND PICKING UP THE FOLKS WE DROVE ON HOME THAT DAY. A LONG DAY'S DRIVE. I THINK VERELAN HAD TO WORK THE NEXT DAY. IT WAS A MEMORABLE TRIP. DARLEEN HAD A QUILT ON IN HER LIVING DINNING ROOM AND I PUT A FEW STITCHES IN FOR HER WHILE THERE.
THE NEXT TRIP TO BISBEE WAS WHEN BOB CAME HOME FROM HIS MISSION. WE HAD AGREED TO HELP HIM STAY OUT AND DECIDED TO GO FOR HIS HOME COMING MEETING. BILL AND VONNIE LIVED HERE AND I TOLD HER WE WAS GOING SHE ASK IF SHE COULD RIDE TO JAMIE'S IN CHANDLER. SHE HAD JAMES AND WANTED TO VISIT JAMIE AND KEN AS SHE HAD LIVED WITH THEM FOR A YEAR ARE TWO BEFORE COMING TO RICKS COLLEGE. IT WAS AGREED SHE'D GO. THEN RUTH AND REBA ALSO WANTED TO GO. WE ALL LOADED UP HEADED DOWN THE ROAD AND WHEN WE GOT TO VEGAS MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT STOPPED SO VONNIE COULD SEE A CASINO. SHE HANDED JAMES TO ME AND I GOT TOO CLOSE TO THE SLOT MACHINES WHERE EVERYONE WAS LOOKING AROUND AND THE BOUNCER CAME AND LED ME OUT TO THE FRONT DOOR WHERE I WAITED FOR THE REST OF THE PARTY NO UNDER AGE PEOPLE ALLOWED IN THE GAMBLING PLACE AND EVEN THO JAMES WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD I COULDN'T BE DOWN THERE WITH HIM.. NO MONEY WAS LOST AND WE DROVE ON TO CHANDLER. STOPPED AT JAMIE'S FOR A SHORT VISIT LEFT VONNIE AND JAMES AND DROVE ON TO BISBEE.
WE ENJOYED BOB'S MEETING HAD A GOOD DINNER AT THE WRIGHTS. AND BOB WANTED TO RIDE UP TO LOGAN AND REBA SAID HE COULD. HE SAT IN FRONT BY THE WINDOW AND ME IN THE MIDDLE AS SEATS IN FRONT WENT CLEAR ACROSS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WE WERE PACKED IN TIGHT BUT ARRIVED SAFELY DROPPED BOB OFF AT LINDA'S PARENTS HOME AND THEN WE CAME ON HOME. IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW BOB. HE HAD MET LINDA IN THE MISSION FIELD AND THIER MISSION PRESIDENT TOLD HER TO PURSUE THE FRIENDSHIP WHEN SHE LEFT TO COME HOME. THEY CORESPONDED TILL HIS MISION WAS OVER AND DID MARRY IN THE LOGAN TEMPLE.
THE NEXT BISBEE TRIP WAS FOR DARLEEN AND CHET'S 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. DON'T REMEMBER TAKING ANYONE WITH US ON THAT TRIP IF WE DID IT HAS ESCAPED ME. THEY HAD A NICE CELEBRATION AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN HAPPY WE WENT FOR THAT.
THAT IS THE THOUGHTS THAT WENT THROUGH MY HEAD AS WE CAME HOME SAT. NIGHT FROM PROVO AND COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS AND CLINTON, UTAH. I GUESS SEEING DARLEEN SO HAPPY TO SEE US AND WISHING OUR VISIT COULD HAVE BEEN LONGER BROUGHT THOSE THOUGHTS BACK. I NEEDED TO ADD THIS SO I WOULDN'T FORGET IF I PUT IT OFF.