Happy Birthday for one who is gone but not forgotten

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
My Father, CR became my best friend. He would drive his motorhome up to Alaska every year and stay in or driveway or very near by. This annual visitation started in 1978 and lasted till his accident in 1994. He would generally stay from May through Labor Day. He would help me in my business and hang out with the boys. It was a great time for us. Most relatives and friends could not figure out that planes worked and that they flew both ways, so it was nice having some my family around.
CR would be 96 today, 7/11
CR with Coho.jpg
CR doing one of the 3 things he enjoyed most, fishing, hunting, and hanging out with my family. He said the reason he wanted to be in Alaska was because we were always fun.
CR Cole Talon & Me.jpg
Here's a picture of Myself, Sons Cole 9 and Talon 11, with Captain CR.
The motorhome behind us was our Charter office, there's a reservation white board just visible and the corner of out business banner. Both of us ran vessels for Halibut and Salmon Charters. The boys would meet us at the dock, help unload fish and customers, then they would clean the vessels. they would clean other vessels on the side during the day. Moon lighting. Karyn wife and Mom would be supporting the operation by making sure all the logistics of the business kept moving, food, meals, supplies, and running the office. She was a busy bee. We worked together, three generations from 1989 to 1994 when CR was in a car accident and had severe head/brain injuries, which kept him in secured facilities till he's passing in December of 2000. Cole our youngest was killed on August 8th 2000 in Thomson Pass just out of Valdez. Karyn lost her Father in 2000 couple of weeks before we lost Cole. 2000 was a very bad year.
The Charter business was started by CR and I in 1989. After his injury we continued with the business and had 4 owned vessels and one leased vessel by the summer of 2000. Talon was my deckhand and Cole ran the office, and Karyn kept us inline. When we lost Cole we backed down and started selling off vessels until we were down to one 34 foot 6 pack vessel. We continued the charter business until 2013 when we pulled the plug for good.
I have been blessed to work with my entire family, and do it in one of the most wonderful places on this planet, Prince William Sound.
 
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