Reflecting again on 2019

by Dennis L. Clay Herald Columnist
| December 29, 2019 5:51 PM

This was a busy outdoor year with camping, hunting, birding, fishing, wildlife viewing, boating, outdoor cooking, time at the shooting range and more on the agenda.

My parents, Max and Enid, are the reason for my love of the outdoors and outdoor activities. It seems we were doing some outdoor pursuit every weekend.

The 1951 Buick was packed with camping gear on most Friday nights in the spring. After the last out of the Little League game of the Dietzen’s Thriftway Dodgers, my family, along with one of my friends and one of my sister’s friends, would head north for camping along the San Poil River.

Dad would stop and let our family watch wildlife whenever there was wildlife to see. One year the family switched from a manual transmission vehicle to an automatic transmission car.

A deer was spotted on the right side of the road during one of these trips north. Dad, with his usual attitude of stopping at each wildlife spotting, placed his left foot on the clutch and his right foot on the brake.

Of course, there was no clutch, but only a brake. Dad pushed hard with his left foot and with his right foot also. Both feet were on the brake. The vehicle, with locked brakes, skidded down the road for several feet.

The youth in the back seat, me included, slammed into the back of the front seat. When stopped, we all laughed. Dad backed the vehicle to see the deer, but, of course, this deer was long gone.

This incident, although a bit dangerous, created a memory which has lasted 60 years and is sure to last a lifetime and even into future generations.

Thus, a family trip to Potholes Reservoir or just a few miles east of Moses Lake to view wildlife, such as Canada geese or snow geese, may create memories lasting a lifetime.

This column encouraged family outings with a specific accomplishment in mind during 2019. This might be fishing, birding, or just spending the day and having lunch at Sun Lakes State Park.

This way of thinking also featured several daytrips this year. Leave home and head east, or south, or north, but include a large circular route from and back to the readers home somewhere in the Columbia Basin. Expect more daytrip suggestions in 2020.

Indeed, the outdoor adventure possibilities in the Columbia Basin are numerous. My responsibility is to present as many of these adventure possibilities as feasible to my readers. Stay tuned for more next year.

Tomorrow: The final 2019 reflection.