This is the first of what I hope will be many.

I have hiked, rafted, swum, jumped off cliffs, played with my dogs, played with my kids, played with my kids dogs, friends, my nephews and my family in many rivers.  But until a few weeks ago, I never stood quietly IN the river.  What I realized in a very short amount of time is this....I was put there, in that space, at that moment, for a reason.
On July 5, I left Florida for Casper Wyoming.  Why??  Because Kevin asked me to.  Before he had even finished what he was talking about, I knew I was being included in something I didn't want to miss.  Precious and valuable time "alone" with him I may never again have the chance to do.  He is a husband, a father, a brother, and most of all my son.  He is making a tremendous decision to make a change not only professionally, but geographically.  Perhaps he needed this time as much as I.  But for now, this is about ME. 
He met me in Casper after I had completed a full day of traveling in and out of small, crowded airports.  I changed planes in Salt Lake and was reminded of the time Kevin and Brian were very young. 
We went skiing in Colorado and were shuffled through small airports like cattle.  Most people had their own skiis and were accustomed to this, but we were not.  It was our first and I remember telling them it was a great adventure to be delayed by a blizzard.  We lived in Florida and rarely saw snow.  It was an  exhausting day of travel and being delayed.  And a true test for two young boys to endure.  When my sense of adventure had run out, I suggested it might be a good idea to be nice to the people that were in charge.  There were many angry people shouting, and I didn't want them to think that was OK.  Perhaps that is where "Because Nice Matters" was born.  True to my word, NICE did matter and we were one of the first on the first plane to Vail. 
I no longer am shuffled through airports.  I have the privelege most times of traveling on a private plane where I am picked up at the bottom of the stairs.  Either by a driver or my own car.  This came about through very hard work.  Jerry and I have worked together for over 39 years and I am grateful every day of my life for what we have achieved. There is something to be said about a memory and flashbacks as you get older.  That is if you can remember them.  I can most times.  But I strongly believe this....your companion is the keeper of your memories.  That seems to work for Jerry and me.  What I don't or can't remember, he most times does and vice-a-versa. 

We stayed the night in Casper in Kevin's motor home.  I must remind you this is not a trailer!!  It is the MacDaddy motor home with slide outs I think they call them.  The kitchen, breakfast room, living room, bathroom and bedroom slide out to make an unbelievable comfortable space.  It was already set up awaiting my arrival.  The plumbing, the satellite TV, the air conditioner, the refrigerator was stocked, we had Internet, and everything worked.  The next morning, we awoke early, well kinda/sorta, and headed toward Fort Smith, Montana.  It was remarkable watching Kevin unhook everything and be on the road in a very short amount of time.  I wondered how he learned all this without me.  I could do nothing to help, except walk Luna into a field, hoping she would find a jack rabbit to chase and wear her out for the "adventure."  It was a five or six hour ride into nowhere!!  For a short time we were on an Interstate, but then.....we were not.  With Luna in my lap on the passenger seat, we talked about how being in "the lucky dog club" works.  How being a "Durkin Dog" is very special, and how Kevin and Brian's friends want to be one in their next life.  I'm not sure she was paying attention, but I was when we passed several wild dogs on the side of the road.  I was sad thinking how hard it must be not being a "Durkin Dog."  I stroked Luna's head, a seven or eight week old Katrina puppy we think, being found on I-20.  I jabbered on to her about how fortunate she is.  I thought of "Willy the traveling Goldendoodle" on the Sea Bee1 waiting for me with Jerry in Sag Harbor.  I felt sweet Sophie's presence, even though she is too tired and too old to make these trips anymore.  I thought of all our past dogs and how lucky we were to have them.  We passed fields with herds of cattle, small trailers and shacks on the side of the road, and again was reminded how lucky we all are.  It was then I was certain Kevin MUST be lost.  We were in the middle of the end of the earth, and I finally asked......"are you sure?"  He assured me there was a right turn ahead.  Try as I may....."ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME??"  blurted out of my mouth.  This is the boy I taught to drive a stick shift Volvo, and he is telling me there is a turn into nowhere'sville.  Marked by a sign only YOU could see if YOU were looking for it was our turn.  A few more miles and we were there, making the turn into the camp.  Once we made the very wide turn on to another very narrow road, Kevin said he would unhook the car and then asked me to drive into the camp.  The car he was referring to had made the trip from Atlanta, hooked to the backend of the motorhome.  It had collected all the road dirt and there was a thick layer of grime over it.  No problem I thought, until there was no windshield fluid.  By this time, Kevin is already making the turn into the camp.  I simply put the windows down and did as I had taught him so many years before....drive.  I'm not sure what I was thinking it would be, but it was everything I needed.  It was a very narrow dirt and dusty road.  Barely wide enough to accommodate the motorhome.  There was a small river to my left moving very rapidly.  I remembered the times we had rafted down rivers and thought of that as I passed.  We passed several aluminun boats that were lined up as if saying "take me I'm next."  The trees branches were hanging low and spread out like long arms canoping over the few picnic tables that were also begging to be next in line.  In a flash, I had the tables covered with bright colorful tablecloths and flowers, food spilling out of picnic baskets, tiny grills smoking with the days catch.  There were playpens with sleeping babies, older children running around them, dogs chasing balls and a croquet game set up.  And then, I watched as Kevin made the turn into the very small driveway.  Before I could blink he was maneuvering this monster between two trees that started their lives 100 years ago.  They stood strong and unattended for many years, and now they shelter motorhomes, campers and tents.  People come from all over the world to sit under them and enjoy what they have become.  The secrets they must have heard are just that.....secrets.  He climbed out of the motorhome and together we breathed in the fresh Montana air.  I looked as far as I could see around me and saw nothing but mountains in the distance, a crystal blue sky and a brilliant sun.  In a matter of minutes, he had the water, electric, sewer and satellite set up.  Again, I could do nothing but watch in amazement at how adept he was with all of it.  I didn't need to take Luna anywhere.  She was in dog heaven running freely, sniffing all the new smells and squatting where she wanted to.  And so I watched.  Kevin opened the cargo bin and out came my waders, boots and some fishing rods.  I put on my shiny new outfit and immediately thought of the Sumo wrestlers on SNL or perhaps the Michelen Man in the commercials.  Imagine that, I'm wondering how I look.  C-R-A-Z-Y!!  My boots felt like ski boots only because I have nothing else to compare them to.  It appeared to me, it was time to go.  I looked back at the motorhome before we got into the car.  Camped under a tree, sporadic Internet, no satellite, no cell phone service...hooked up and I am now ready to be "Standing in the River."