Our 53rd Anniversary

February 13th is an odd day for an anniversary, I know. I've told the story before in this blog, four years ago, on our 49th anniversary (https://lindafink.blogspot.com/2016/02/49ers.html)  But if you don't want to go back there, here is the story again:

The year was 1967. Johnny was working for the Forest Service in Cokeville, Wyoming. I was living with him before starting classes at Utah State University, having dropped out of the University of Illinois after 3 1/2 years to follow Johnny to Wyoming. (I finally got my degree 3 universities later in 1969, after we returned from a volunteer year in Laos with International Voluntary Services.)

Johnny's boss at the Forest Service called him in on Friday, February 10, for a scheduled job performance review. Everything was great except: it was not acceptable to this Mormon boss for Johnny to be living out of wedlock with a woman. (Remember, this was 1967.) I had to move out, either to the hotel in town that rented long-term rooms... or I could move in with the boss and his wife.

Johnny came home and gave me this piece of news. He had asked me to marry him a year before but I wanted to wait. I did not, however, want to move in with his boss... or live in a hotel. We decided to solve the problem by getting married the following Monday, which happened to be February 13. That morning, Johnny left a note on his desk saying "Gone to get married." It had not occurred to either of us that February 13 was a holiday:  back then it was the day when Lincoln's birthday (Sunday, Feb. 12) was celebrated. Years later Lincoln and Washington birthdays were consolidated into "President's Day". But that year, Feb. 13 was a holiday, and, unbeknownst to us, no one arrived at Johnny's office to read his note.

We gathered up two witnesses, good friends' of Johnny's since he had first come to Cokeville: Ma and Pa Perkins, along with their daughter Marie, and drove to the nearest county seat. But that Wyoming county courthouse was closed. Odd. Oh well, Cokeville is located in the junction of three states, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. We drove on to Utah. "Closed for Lincoln's Birthday", said the notice on the door. Oops. This time we called the nearest county seat in Idaho and it was open! Apparently Idaho didn't go along with this Lincoln's birthday stuff. And that is how we happened to be married in Paris: Paris, Idaho.

Actually, I've never been sure if we were legally married since the Justice of the Peace was a very old man, probably pulled out of retirement to man the office on what should have been a holiday, who kept losing his place in the vows he was reading to us. Johnny was dozing through the long and halting ceremony. Ma Perkins was so emotional about being a witness for Johnny and me that she was crying softly, as people often do at weddings, I guess.

Finally, the justice said, "Do you, John Fink, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, etc., etc.?" Johnny said nothing. I looked at him and realized he was asleep. I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow. He startled awake and said, "I do?"

I've always wondered if answering the question with a question is legally binding. But, 53 years later, we're still together.

In rereading my anniversary story of 4 years ago, I realized that we spent that day (and the previous day) hiking to waterfalls. We saw two waterfalls this anniversary, but without the strenuous hikes.

We drove to the coast, stopping along the way at Gunaldo Falls. No hiking involved. It is visible from a turnout on the road.

We spent a little time checking out eagle nests on the way to Pacific City. Saw no eagles but lots of Great Egrets. Then ate lunch at Los Caporales, our favorite Pacific City restaurant. I love their Mango juice. We wandered our way through the mist and rain to Cape Lookout and on to Cape Meares, stopping at Short Beach to look for Black Oystercatchers ((BLOY), the species I monitor all spring and summer.

Through the rain, I saw at least twenty BLOY so I dashed back to the car to get my camera. Johnny kept watch and saw at least twenty fly off to the south... but also five fly in from the north. It was tough picking out five black birds on black rocks in the rain. My camera found three plus one red bill of a bird just out of the photo. Thank goodness for red bills on BLOY. You'll probably have to click on the photo to enlarge it to see any of the black birds.

After a quick stop at Cape Meares in the pouring rain, we headed home, stopping at Munson Falls as we usually do when returning from the Tillamook area. It is the highest waterfall in the Coast Range. The rain let up for our quarter mile hike in.

 It's hard to tell how high it is without something to compare it with. So I asked Johnny to walk ahead and stand at the landing by the end of the permitted trail access. He looks tiny compared to that waterfall!

And now, it's the traditional Happy Hearts Day, as Johnny calls February 14.

                                                         
                                                       Happy Valentine's Day to all!