Cross Country (Part Eleven)
Our ride along the coast and through the mountains had been full of adventure and gorgeous scenery. Even our stops in the big cities had been eye-opening adventures for two young girls traveling across the country. After visiting a great uncle on my mother’s side of the family, we headed to another great uncle on our father’s side. We had seen him several times before. He was no stranger. He lived in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains and being with him was always and adventure!
It wasn’t hard to recognize Uncle Sid. On a clear day, you could see Uncle Sid for miles away. He was easily identified by the hat that had formed to his head. It was just as weathered and worn as its owner. His walk also gave him away. For one thing, even at a distance, you could see daylight between his bowlegs. That’s what years of sitting in the saddle on the back of a horse will do. He didn’t back down from even the roughest toughest bronc and dared it to cross him. I would guess he sat in a saddle long before he could even walk. Animals of all kinds did his bidding at a mere word or silent request. His horse Jughead counted with his hoof or stuck out his tongue on command.
Uncle Sid was full of jokes. Little kids would run and hide under the table whenever they heard he was coming. When they poked their heads out to see this legend, they were rewarded with ears wiggling out from beneath an old cowboy hat, a contorted face, or forefingers stuck in the man’s ears with the others wiggling. Solemn soulful eyes belied the playful youthfulness of the aged man. He was full of fun and he told stories just like other members of the family. His straight face didn’t even twitch a tiny bit as he told some wild tale.
You can read some of our adventures with him in a previous post What Does A Cowboy Look Like? All of our experiences with him horseback riding, rounding up cattle and almost getting thrown out of Olympic National Park were unforgettable. We enjoyed seeing his saddle collection. He had a story of each saddle – when and where it was made, who it belonged to, what it was used for, how he acquired it and the history that went along with it. We spent time with him and Jughead, went with him several places and explored the countryside. I feel sorry for any little kid that didn’t grow up with great uncles. We had a blast!
Another perk was seeing Aunt Lois. Somehow, I didn’t think she and Uncle Sid matched. She wasn’t as boisterous as Uncle Sid. She took us on adventures, too. We went to Dungeness Spit and hiked on the beach. We picked boysenberries that we put on her homemade Cream Puffs topped with fresh whipped cream. She cooked fresh wild salmon on the wood cookstove in the kitchen that was the best I’ve ever had. Aunt Lois was an adventurer herself. She loved the outdoors and was an avid backpacker and backwoods camper.
We went as far northwest as we could go without skipping over to Alaska. Backed into the corner of the lower 48, it was time to launch out toward the east. Our destination was Big Timber, Montana. Uncle Sid said he would be headed there in just a few days. As we talked, we asked him if he just wanted to ride with us. He studied the situation a few moments and said, “Sure.” I felt a bit proud to be traveling with a famous celebrity. After all, he was a famous bucking bronc rider and Grand Marshall of the Big Timber Rodeo Parade.
We rearranged a few things in the car. We had picked up a huge chunk of driftwood that we hauled up the cliffs along the Oregon coast as well as a Redwood slab to use for a tabletop. When everything was shifted, there was room for Uncle Sid and his belongings. I climbed into the back and managed to wiggle in between the mountain of gear and other things we had accumulated. I was fine as long as I could see out the window. As we pulled out, we waved goodbye to Aunt Lois who stood in the shadow of the Olympics.
