Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Gnome guy “Breaks Free!”

On my days off, Gaelyn and I went up to Cedar Breaks, and had a wonderful time! I got another Jr. Ranger badge, and all things were beautiful… We had seen some amazing things… I’m sure that even Gnome Guy, “Ollie”, was having a blast even though he was in the truck the whole time we were there until we went up to Brian’s Head look out.

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We had got there and “Ollie” was rearing to go! He didn’t even have any trouble breathing at 11,000 feet above sea level. He just ran around and seemed like he was very pleased to finally be some place where the air wasn’t so thick.

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Several times we had to tell him to get back from the edge, as he was climbing in and around all the rocks that hung off the side of the mountain… He was jumping through this hole he is standing in front of, and popping up un the other side of the rock. Laughing the whole time!

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Here we are at the look out building… From here you can almost see to the ends of the Earth! We posed for a couple of snap shots and off he went to explore… I realized that I didn’t bring my camera and started back to the truck. The photos you are about to see are not for the squeamish…

   When I was almost to the truck I heard a loud crash and Gaelyn saying in a loud panicky voice, “Oh No!”

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This is the last picture of “Ollie”… He was up on the wall as he is always doing and Gaelyn said that he started dancing some kind of funny little dance and the wind just picked him up off his feet and…

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CRASH!!! This is what was left of him after he was showing off and got blown off the wall… I felt so bad for Gaelyn because she thought I would blame her for it… That guy was always showing off and I kept telling him that if he didn’t slow down, his folly would be the death of him… He would just laugh and say… “When?”

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So the next day, I took “Ollie” to the Zion Over look. If you’ve ever been there, you know how beautiful it is… I laid him on a piece of bark, and said my good byes, and laid him to rest.

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I then placed him under a thick bush so the earth can take him back… He was a pretty cool little dude. His sense of humor was a little questionable sometimes, but all in all, he was alright in my book!

Every where we went after that we kept seeing these rather confusing signs along the road…

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I wondered about those signs and came to the conclusion that “Ollie” would have said,” No driving? Huh…. Good thing you brought your lob wedge!”

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So that’s exactly what I did! I pulled over on to a pullout and busted out my lob wedge! “Ollie” wouldn’t have it any other way! What do you think of the back swing?

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Oh yes! Contact! I smacked that ball a good one… Made sure I wasn’t a spot where there were any plants and well, you see… Nice form I think, head down, rotating through… Ahhh, still got it!

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Now when I think of friends I’ve lost in the past, I remember them like this awesome bird I caught in flight in front of a rain storm… Flying free from all that would make us mortal…

All of the pictures, except the last were taken by Gaelyn. Don't you think she does a great job? I do!

So I guess the moral of the story is this…

“Don’t go dancing on the wall when the wind is blowing… You might break free!”

   I am what I am

8 comments:

  1. Ollie was having SO much fun, just dancing a little jig and laughing away. I warned him about the wind, but he just wouldn't listen. I reached out to grab him, but was too late. I felt So bad. The funeral was sad, yet such a beautiful place for Ollie to soar on.

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  2. Oh poor Ollie!! Well I guess he might still be dancing a jig somewhere. :)

    Of COURSE she takes great pictures!! :)Why do you think I follow her blog?

    We need to fly free here on earth too....

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  3. Sorry for your loss, but I am sure Ollie will live on in all our memories.

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  4. Alas, poor Ollie. I knew him not at all but think quite highly of you and Gaelyn! This is a great post!

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  5. Poor Ollie. No more dancing on the cliffs for him. He should have had more fear of heights!

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  6. What a sad end to Ollie, but as Joan says, maybe he is dancing a jig elsewhere. Diane

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  7. I love this story but I am so sad the Ollie iis no longer with you physically. It looks like he lived an inspired life! I think you have his spirit!

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  8. Mike: It is so sad when we have to lay a free spirit to rest, goodbye Ollie (with a tear in my eye). Watch your knee on that back swing.

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