The epilogue

Epilogue: A concluding part added to a literary work.

Longtime friends approached me expressing surprise after reading the first two parts to this story. They didn't realize the tough times experienced in my early days. Mom, Enid Clay, suffered most while supplying her children, my sister, Denise, and I, with the best she had to offer, even if some of our meals were only flour and water.

I was born with a love of the outdoors in my genes, given to me by my biological father, Willis (Bill) Wollard. My adopted father, Max Clay, continued my outdoor education.

Growing up in Moses Lake and experiencing the fishing, wildlife viewing, camping, hunting and other outdoor activities available only deepened my affection for the outdoors.

One of my friends asked about the people who have influenced me during my first 67 years. This caused a pause to ponder the question. It is a long list with Mom is at the top of the list, followed by Dad.

The basics of life were put in place with my time in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Aiding greatly with the transition from being a youth in Boy Scouts and a young man was an organization called DeMolay, which was a Masonic organization for boys, similar to Job's Daughters and Rainbow Girls.

Mrs. Mary Ellen Smith, my high school English teacher, was a huge influence, but this wasn't apparent when I was her student. My writing ability began to appear while serving as an Army officer, where making official reports and letters were necessary.

My writing career would not be so successful without Mrs. Smith's tutoring. Louis Armstrong's version of "What a Wonderful World" is played at the beginning of the second hour of my Saturday radio show as a tribute to her.

My outdoor writing mentors were Fred Peterson of Spokane and Stan Jones of Seattle. These two outdoor writers were my sponsors into two outdoor writing groups; the Northwest Outdoor Writers' Association and the Outdoor Writers' Association of America.

These organizations exposed me to other outdoor writers and the networking provided suggestions, tips and guidelines about writing and broadcasting, therefore expanding my career.

When considering those who influenced my life, a fact not thought about before came to light. No matter how old a person becomes, there are still new people who can provide influence. These people can be older or younger than me.

For example: A friend of about 10 years and I have worked on a couple of small construction projects, which are secondary to his regular job. At the end of each day, this man hauls all of his tools back to the shop and puts them away, even if we are scheduled to continue the project the next day.

Why would he do such a thing? There are times when we haven't continued the project the next day, even though it was on our agenda. There have been times when our project was put off for a week.

This man wants his tools to be in their proper spot, in the shop, in case he needs them. This has been a positive inspiration to me, with me trying to emulate his actions.

Another friend maintains a beautiful garden and I try to do the same. The CBH editor may offer a suggestion for me to think about. I consider these offering as a part of my continuing writing education. The list continues as old friends and new ones are positive inspirations in my life.

Notice church has not been mentioned until now. Although Mom and Dad made sure Denise and I attend church services while growing up, this part of life, belonging to an organized church, has not caught on with me.

Yet I feel a strong relationship with God, especially when in the outdoors. It has been my experience good things come my way when I go out of my way to help and be nice to people.

Volunteering takes a lot of my time each week, besides my writings, the radio show and my outdoor activities. Helping other people in a variety of ways is uplifting and enriching.

Writing for the Columbia Basin Herald for 24 years has provided many rewarding experiences. Example: The Bits & Pieces column is mostly about Columbia Basin history, so the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce will refer visitors with history questions to me. I'm actually honored to serve Moses Lake in this manner.

The highlight of 2014 and my summer will be meeting and visiting with my two recently-found sisters. We share the same biological father and just this last January learned about each other and made contact. Two days are scheduled in August for visiting and sharing fact to face.

I'm content to continue providing outdoor columns which are informative, educational and even humorous from time to time. This has been my way of passing along outdoor tips and skills to others. I take this job seriously, because providing the appropriate information may save a life or provoke a chuckle.

Now it is time to settle in for the next 67 years of my life.