Last adult of my childhood

    This entry is just a little different and really needs pictures, however the pictures I need are from the past and like most of my stuff, their in storage. This entry is really for me as there are things here that I don't want to forget, a part of my childhood approaches an end.
    Received a message the other day that my Uncle Philip was in the ER and not doing well. This man is the last adult of my childhood and I will miss him greatly. In the latter years we have not had all that much contact as lives go this way and that and being close just isn't all that easy, yet in my mind and heart the closeness has always been there.
    I'm not sure what our age difference is, maybe 10 to 13 years, seems like more than that because I've always considered him an adult. Great memories will always be with me of our times together and the influence he had on my life. Early perceptions of Uncle Philip was that he was the only person I knew who actually went to college, he must be a very smart man, he also played a musical instrument that I had never heard of, an Obeo. It looks like a clairanet but with a really small reed for a mouthpiece, and he played in an orchestra. How cool was that.
   Then there were the priceless gifts. When I was really young and he was much older, for Christmas he gave me a pair of cowboys chaps, which included a vest with a star. Priceless, I still have that set and I have a picture of me wearing them standing beside Uncle Philip, sure wish I had that picture to post. Those chaps will remain in the family for a long while. Both of my sons had there pictures taken in those chaps and Jeremy has asked me to find them so that his children can have their pictures taken in them. Then there is transportation. My first bike was from my Uncle Philip, an old bike to him and a new bike for me. The bike was so big that I couldn't reach both pedals at the same time so I had to learn to jump from one side to the other to ride it. Amazing what you can do when you really want to. Then there was my first car, a 57 Ford with a police interceptor motor. I also have a picture of me standing at the front of the car, however, once again, storage. This storage thing is getting to be an issue. More about the car. Uncle Philip once again gave me this car and once again, old to him, new to me. The deal was we had to come up to L. A. and pick it up, literally, pick it up. You see it had a great motor but not so great of a transmission. So what if the car wasn't running, It was a CAR. So we towed it to San Diego. My dad said pull the transmission out and I will have a buddy rebuild it, and so that's what happened.
   Next came High School Graduation. Uncle Philip picked me up and took me to Yosemite National Park for a week, stayed in a tent cabin and had a great time, hiking and just sightseeing, what a time.
   As you can see, Uncle Philip played a pivital role in my early life which I will always be grateful.
Uncle Philip I hope you get to read this. Thanks so much for great memories.

See ya, Dean