When we were little, our dad bought some property on Eloika Lake Road with the idea that we would move out there someday. He spent his weekends going out there to clear brush, and sometimes Kathy and I went along.
There was an old D9 CAT with a brush blade on the property when he bought it, which was an added bonus for him. He fixed it up and used it for years. He would clear brush while Kathy and I picked up rocks and sticks in the field and put them into piles as he instructed. After a while, and feeling quite pleased, we called out to dad with an emphatic “We're done!” He promptly let us know that we were not done, as picking up rocks and sticks from fields is a never-ending process. I recall feeling a little disheartened that our task would never end, but then he told us that we were done for that day however.
There was an old D9 CAT with a brush blade on the property when he bought it, which was an added bonus for him. He fixed it up and used it for years. He would clear brush while Kathy and I picked up rocks and sticks in the field and put them into piles as he instructed. After a while, and feeling quite pleased, we called out to dad with an emphatic “We're done!” He promptly let us know that we were not done, as picking up rocks and sticks from fields is a never-ending process. I recall feeling a little disheartened that our task would never end, but then he told us that we were done for that day however.
We were tired, dusty, and very hungry after our long day's work. On the way home, we stopped at a little place on the Newport Highway called "The Pine Cone Inn". We took seats at the counter, and I took notice of our dusty reflections in the mirror. We were filthy! But I don’t remember hamburgers and milkshakes ever tasting as good as they did that day.
Recently, a friend of ours brought his little girl to a neighborhood project, which just happened to be the clearing a field for what will be a new community park. As the day wore on, I heard her tell her dad, "I'm done!" Well, you can probably guess the rest. Later, as they were getting ready to leave, I asked her how her day had been. I have never seen a more tired and soaking wet little girl, as it was a typical rainy day in Portland. Her dad just smiled and said, “It was great, and now we're going for a McFlurry!” She smiled and nodded in agreement. Time stood still for a moment as one of those de javu moments hit me, and I realized that a memory was being created right there and then. That's how it works. Life is a cycle, of which we are each an integral part. I find comfort in knowing that special daddy daughter days do indeed continue to take place, building the kind of memories to be cherished for a lifetime, and even longer.
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