Cheryl, Virg, Sydney 11-13-23

Cheryl, my third cousin twice removed (and if that sounds familiar to those of you who “know” Ralph-my-favorite-researcher, it’s because Cheryl is Ralph’s sister) and her husband, Virg, came visiting for a couple of days.  They don’t live all that far away (in Lacey) for part of the year and at the water’s edge at Lake Chelan for part of the year… but,  even so, we don’t see each other all that often.  Not like we did when they had a place at Surfside instead of Lacey.

But things change and life moves on and now we content ourselves to a visit once or twice a year — often around Christmas when Ralph comes out from Virginia for the holidays.  This particular visit, though, is dedicated to a belated (by a year!) 80th birthday gift to Virg.  Actually, I’m not sure if its a gift to Virg or to me, as it involves the last of Nyel’s guns — all three of which were “long guns” used for duck or deer hunting and which came along with Nyel when we got together.  Much to my great horror, I might add, as I am anti-firearms to the point that I don’t think I even allowed Charlie a cap pistol when he was growing up.  But, as they say, “Love conquers all,” and we did get a gun safe.  Finally.

THE Most Beautiful Firewood Ever!!

This last gun is a Remington Model 512, .22 Bolt Action Gun, given to Nyel for Christmas when he was six years old by his father.  Since Nyel’s arms were not long enough to reach the trigger, his dad took the gun to a gunsmith and had six inches of the stock removed; when Nyel was old enough and tall enough, the gunsmith replaced (almost seamlessly) the missing end of the stock.  It’s a story Nyel occasionally told, not proudly, when he was describing his father (from whom his mother was divorced when Nyel was six months old.)  One of the first things I did after Nyel died was to divest myself of his guns — each to men who knew Nyel and who are hunters or collectors, themselves.  Virg asked me for the .22 “because it was Nyel’s” he said.  And, because he knew the story.  I know Nyel would be pleased.

And, typically, Virg and Cheryl came bearing gifts of their own — a wonderful (and gorgeous) insulated shopping bag and some of the most beautiful (and driest) firewood that has entered this old house in years.  Before dinner (for which Cheryl brought the fixings and commandeered the kitchen!), we had a celebratory fire and talked and lamented and laughed!  Third cousins twice removed and great friends!  How lucky I am.