2019: our quick recap...

Feliz Navidad 

&

Season’s Greetings

From Phil & Meme

in Santa Fe, (SF) NM 

(UTM 13S 0413700/3934592 – ca. 6686’ or 2038m)

No fantastic fantasies this year, like Eric Clapton asking Phil to play Duane Allman’s parts on “Layla”, but he was busy appearing with Willie Nelson singing duets of “Roll me up and smoke me when I die”, or Justin being Super Bowl MVP in his last game with the Saints, and a consortium of sport climbing gear companies offering Meme “7-figures” to use their stuff (and of course she donated the $$$ to charity). 

A quick recap of our 2019 starts with Justin: as you may recall last year he was poised to start a new job as an attorney for the Great State of New Mexico in Las Vegas, NM. Just before he was to begin he was offered a NM Public Defender position in Carlsbad, NM. In addition to it being significantly more money, it was what he wanted to do: courtroom litigation. He has been there since late January. Carlsbad is an oil & gas boomtown these days, and filled with many challenges, but he enjoys the work and the colleagues.  He gets up to ABQ/SF each month: we had a great scrabble game on Thanksgiving (37 rounds). He also met us in El Paso this Fall for our visit with Meme's sister Pat and her hubby/pal Hal.

Justin, Pat Medici, Phil, Hal Marcus & Meme on trolley (El Paso)

Late January also brought a snowstorm to Santa Fe that resulted in numerous “lack of traction” incidents, one of which found Phil getting arthroscopic surgeryon his left knee in mid-Feb.  He was able to get home in plenty of time to watch his sister Chris judge the Terrier Group at Westminster Kennel Club at Madison Square Garden (good job Chris: she put up the dog that went on to win Best-in-Show). Later in the fall she judged the Hound Group at the National Show in Philadelphia.

Continuing with PT for the knee, we went to Greece in early April, spending most of our time on the island of Kalymnos: a world-class rock-climbing destination, also known for its sponge diving. It was superb: fun & great food.

June and July saw Phil at a couple of short/small fire assignments as a Safety Officer in southern Arizona, and Meme had a rock-climbing sojourn to Maple Canyon (central Utah). That was followed up by a rock-trip to southern Colorado in Sept. We also had a couple of Lucy too road trips (Spring & Fall) to Phoenix for God-daughter Emily Erickson’s graduation from the Grand Canyon University nursing program and first RN job (Banner-University Medical Center) party, and added El Paso onto the latter to visit family- as noted above.

 

(Additional THANKS from Stephen Pastis !)

Reading history remains a favorite activity for Phil, and site steward efforts via NM SiteWatch occasionally makes the calendar.

Meme has been taking Spanish lessons online with an instructor in Guatemala: esta bien. Her ’87 Saab 850 is a classic, but to help keep it chugging longer she acquired a new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SUV a couple months ago.  Sold the Subaru Forester (220k miles) to our mechanic. 

 

New paint - contrast wall

After over 30-years of residence in our home we repainted the interior. All rooms were treated to new tints. We’ve noticed the spider population is temporarily reduced.  We’re sure they’ll be back to participate in our trap-and-relocate program. We are still loving our solar system and the backwards spin of the electric meter. 

Both of us continue with the study of yoga, and probably will all our lives.

Hope you-n-yours have a happy & healthy 2020…

(Courtesy of Santa Fe Hotshots @ The Miller Fire)

The Miller Fire: adventures in southwest New Mexico

(Courtesy of Santa Fe Hotshots)

On the morning of July 3^rdI received a call from dispatch (Santa Fe Zone) asking if I was available for a Safety Officer 2 assignment down in the bootheel of New Mexico (Coronado National Forest). They wanted me at the Incident Command Post/ICP (Chiricahua Desert Museum - Rodeo, NM) for briefing the following morning. I quickly initiated mobilization pack list inventory and headed into town to pickup my ride at Enterprise through the NERV (National Emergency Rental Vehicle) program: I’d be living from a Ford F-150 (double cab). Due to time factors, fatigue and thinking: “it might be my last chance for a shower” for a while, I spent the night in Lordsburg’s Comfort Inn. I got up early the following morning, and made it to the evolving ICP well before my reporting time/briefing. I found out that though in New Mexico (Mountain Daylight Time) we’d be managing the fire on Arizona’s Mountain Standard Time. So, was quite early- I used the time to start my “check-in” process with various Units at Plans (Check-in/Resources), Finance (Time), Logistics (Communications, Supply, Ground Support), and of course with “Team Safety.” 

I found out that a lightning storm in the Peloncillo Mountains had started the Miller Fire on June 29^th. It was in rough and remote country, in the Bunk Robinson Wilderness Study Area, with two satellite “Spike Camps” (away from ICP) that firefighters were working from. I’d be working with the Type 2 Southwest Area Incident Management Team (IMT) 4,who had taken over management of the fire that morning. I was being assigned as the Safety Officer at the Oak Grove Spike, several miles west of Cloverdale, NM. A little over a century ago the area had quite a few residents during the homesteading era. Before that it was home to the Chiricahua Apache, and of course before that Ancestral Pueblo that made a pottery type named Cloverdale Corrugated (or Incised). 

Communicating with the IMT was challenging, especially the first 24-hours: everyone using the radio’s Forest Net channel. As often the case, there were many blind spots for radio use. Emergency repeaters soon provided much improved capabilities, but we’ve become so reliant on our phones for information & communication. There was no service available, except some weak signals via Mexico (they had an interstate highway running semi-nearby south of the border): usage came with a cost, which most of us did not initialize. Eventually a mobile unit was established for WiFi, so email could be utilized to communicate.

The Oak Grove Spike Camp was centered at an old historic dance floor. Rumor was that old maps showed it as a Forest Service (FS) Ranger Station. Some research into that might be in order. It worked well, providing a solid level surface for tables & chairs: often we end up eating while standing at tailgates & hoods, but here we could sit and exchange information. The Camp Manager was a good one, a local FS District employee that made sure trash was being backhauled every night so to limit an attractive nuisance that’d bring in bears and their activity. When bear proof trailer was brought in, indeed a bear did show interest and we ended up taking the trailer several miles east for the evening. Other wildlife encounters included a crew and a mountain lion surprising each other: all kept their distance.

The historic Cloverdale Store became DP-5 (Drop Point). It was a point of interest, BUT a safety alert was issued when we learned that last year an engine crew went into it and came out covered with fleas. As we know fleas can carry disease, like bubonic plague. That pretty much stopped the use of DP-5. Each day we had more Safety Officers checking in at ICP and being assigned out to the spike camps. In short order we had a strike team for safety. During my career we’ve come a long way folks in providing emergency fireline medical services, and the EMTs and Paramedics were really “top shelf.” I’m really glad they were there.   

"Normandy" barriers at US/Mexico border

I also had a couple of Safety Officer Trainees assigned for short periods of time. One I want to mention by name: David Simpson. His day job is being the Superintendent for the Santa Fe Hostshots (they took the header photo during our t-storm July 6^th). I didn’t know him very well before this assignment, but certainly look forward to working with him again: he struck me as a conscientious “safety first!” firefighter.
Overall SAFETY record was outstanding + really enjoyed getting to see BLM's Boise based UAS (drone) efforts = they helped with recon, intel & potential Initial Attack (IA) efforts: well done!

Safe travels to ALL…

P.S. - As a retired federal law enforcement officer I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the U.S. Border Patrol and their efforts during this emergency incident. Recently they've often been vilified, but I found them consummate professionals while integrating with our operations. In a switch from the norm: I met one BP Agent that had been a National Park Service (NPS) Ranger back east a decade ago, but he left because he experienced it becoming "too law enforcement oriented" (his words) and he wanted to be able to be more full-service public safety oriented. What we used to refer to as "a Protection Ranger." So, even though his degree was in Criminal Justice, he left the NPS for BP. He has now been with the Border Patrol 10-years and likes it because it has been a better experience for him.

Kalymnos: last April

Athens (above) & Kalymnos (following photos below)

07-31-19: Imagine my surprise the other day when I sat down to craft some thoughts about my fire assignment earlier this month and discovered I hadn’t posted anything about our trip to Greece, especially the days we spent on Kalymnos (eastern Aegean just off west coast of Turkey).

Our sojourn started in early April, with a couple of nights (1-full day) in Athens. Truly living archeology & western heritage there (from “we’ll ambush at the pass” to “let’s just clear cut the forest”). Kalymnos is a well known world class sport climbing destination. Many climbers come for weeks/months at a time (and from all over the world). Of course the Polish climber I met that knew about New Mexico learned about it from the TV series "Breaking Bad." I told him that it isn't all like that, and that we have history too, like "Billy the Kid"...

April 4 through 18 Facebook posts have plenty of photos. I’ll put a couple here.

I’ll try to get back and add some memories: MAYBE!

The one thing that both Meme & I agree upon about this trip: we’d like to go back!

https://www.petersommer.com/blog/archaeology-history/kalymnos-big-surprises-small-island

Westminster Kennel Club 12 Feb 2019: Chris Erickson (& Fred Young too)

 

Chris judging terrier breeds previously at WKC

Many of you know my sister Chris Erickson will be judging the Terrier Group at  Westminster Kennel Club (New York) this next Tuesday (12 Feb 2019). Whether you know her as Christine Marie Young, Chris Freeman or Erickson, there is no denying she has earned this assignment.  As we were kids “raised-in-a-kennel” yours truly knows she has “paid dues” galore, working towards these well earned moments. I also realize she’d be the first to admit the great influence our parents (Fred & Margaret Young) had on her successes in “the dog biz.” I guarantee that they’re looking down from the big show in the sky proudly loving this.

                 

Fred, 2nd from left & parents

 I wrote about our Mom in this blog (May 18, 2015). So, I’d like to tell you about our Dad:  Fredrick A. Young 1924-1987. He was a unique character, beloved by many. Born in January of 1924 in Littleton, Colorado to Velma Littleton (yep- same name as the town) & Arthur Young. He grew up on a farm outside Laporte (Larimer County), CO near Fort Collins. Like many of his peers he journeyed miles on horseback to school uphill (both ways) fighting snowdrifts & blizzards year-round. When my grandparents lost their place in the Great Depression (I term it as “blown back to Oklahoma”), they divorced. Velma & Dad then moved to Glendale, CA. My parents met their first day at Glendale High School (GHS), during new student orientation. Mom, a recent transplant from New Jersey, noticed Dad’s popularity due to a group of boys laughing around him.  Much later he told me he was telling “stories” (aka- adult oriented jokes). 

4 generations: Dad holding me, 1948

Their generation of classmates grew up quickly: World War II saw to that. While still at GHS, Dad enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor: he was almost 18.  As a Coxswain he served in the Pacific and was part of the U.S. Navy efforts at several key battles, including Midway, Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. During a short leave home in December 1943 he & Mom married.  He was 19, which she would be in another few days. 

After the war he took 2-weeks off before starting a 36-year career with Pacific Bell Telephone. He started as a cable splicer and quickly advanced showing an aptitude for communications engineering. I was their first born, followed by sisters Chris and Laura.

                  

He loved baseball, and was a fair pitcher in his day. He had a good “eye” for talent and scouting too. But his real passion was to bloom in the AKC Dog Show world. Starting with Boxers, my folks evolved into raising/showing Bedlington Terriers (which the Rockefellers also had). His “eye” helped him breed, groom and show some top winners. 

A young Bedlington pup we raised was my best friend “Tonto.” He grew up to be an International Champion and adorn the cover of Sports Illustrated (Feb. 1960). Later that year Dad was grooming a Kerry Blue for the ring at the Pebble Beach dog show when Senator John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for President, stopped by and talked with him (his family had had Kerry’s too). He also campaigned his Mom’s (Velma’s) Norwegian Elkhounds to championships. At dog shows, I became known simply as “Fred Young’s son.”

                  

Malibu kennel

During the early 60’s we moved the family kennel from Burbank to Malibu. After 2-years Fremar Kennel moved back to Burbank- much shorter commute for him to work and me to school (Mailbu had no secondary schools at the time and I “rode the school bus” into Santa Monica .

                  

At Burbank kennel- Chris on right

1970 Great Western Terriers:
My Dad - Meme's Mom

Meme’s parents (Chuck & Ruth Medici) and my parents were good friends through dog show circles for years before we met.  Chris even got her “Erickson” name from Ruth’s nephew. Ah, the dog-biz: bringing some together and driving others apart. Dogs became such an important part of my parent’s life that they didn’t take normal vacations. My Dad would take his time off from work to show, or later judge, at dog shows.

                  

Chris w/ Mom & Dad

Fred & nephews

Dad loved entertaining and bartending: never outgrowing his love for sharing “true” stories (often quite embellished) and jokes galore. He also loved music, being especially fond of Dean Martin and Nat King Cole. Many a morning Chris and I would say good morning at the breakfast table and start singing “Rambling Rose” together.

Showing Elkhound

Our Dad loved a wide variety of sports (and any type of nature program), especially baseball. He was a true-blue Dodgers fan, listening to every game. At my high school commencement he came up afterward to introduce himself to the young lady I’d escorted to senior prom (she was Valedictorian, headed to Wellesley for college): he informed her how moved he was by her speech… so much so, that he turned the volume of Vin Scully’s broadcast on his radio (with earpiece) down as he listened to her.  In addition, he deeply conditioned me as a fan of the Rams, Lakers, USC Trojan football and UCLA Bruin basketball.

Laura on Morgan (Calif. Rangers)

He was a model “Marlboro Man” working and playing hard, a 2+ pack-a-day man. He went through life with an understated smile. When home on weekends, or after he retired from PacBell, he’d ride his Morgan mare before breakfast. I remember the day he quite smoking: he & I went to the Cubs vs. “Our Boys in Blue” game at Dodger Stadium. 

When he retired from PacBell, something both of his daughters would subsequently also do, he was able to spend a lot more time taking AKC judging assignments: first terriers, then hounds and eventually the other groups. He & Mom traveled widely, but usually associated with dog shows. All along he encouraged his children to participate in the AKC realm. 

Rangering at Tonto

I flamed-out: after Navy & college following the National Park Service Ranger trail. I was usually working most weekends while residing in some remote locations. However, sisters Chris and Laura picked up the batons and have been carrying them around the tracks for years. Chris raised and showed Wheaten Terriers (followed by Dachshunds) and Laura has spent years trying to mellow her generations of Australians (no-go). 

When he was diagnosed with lung cancer (1987) he told me it wasn’t the smoking that’d got-to-him, but the cocktail of smoking, asbestos and other exposures. Our kennel, where he spent a lot of time was in between a couple of chroming factories and a dry cleaner producing very bad (carcinogenic) air. In addition, he & I periodically fumigated the kennel house wearing the personal protection equipment for that time period: one cloth bandana worn over the mouth & nose. 

He was told in late June (’87) that he had cancer. He died Nov. 4, 1987. The support our family received from the Dog Show community was overwhelming. We’d lost our compass, but many “dog friends” were there to help show us the way forward. About 400 crowded into the chapel at Forest Lawn, the vast majority being dog-related friends.

Chris with Elkhound

Now it is Chris’ turn. She has been judging for years: way-to-go sis and on with the show. You deserve it. In show-biz parlance: “break-a-leg”

Bedlington Terrier pups
P.S./Note: Even though I didn’t follow in his footsteps at PacBell or dog shows, I know he was proud of all of us. He visited us where we lived and worked. When I was on the L.A. news, regarding an investigation of alleged coyote attacks of an equestrian on my district, he told me I came off as “very professional.” I’m still extremely proud of that accolade and proud to be “Fred Young’s son” and “Chris Erickson’s brother.”

Chris & her brother - a long time ago