1. The ashes of Mike and June Turner were interred this afternoon shortly after 2:30 p.m. at the Williamette National Cemetery. Nancy, Sharann, Sarah, Jackie, and I watched as Terry placed his mom and dad's ashes in their respective containers in the ground, watched as the guys working there covered them up, and then we spent about fifteen minutes talking about what Mike and June meant to us and told some stories. It was a perfect way to bring Mike and June back together again, with silence, reverence, tears, and laughter. I think we all agreed that before the phrase, "keeping it real" existed, Mike and June always kept it real. We all loved that with Mike and June, what you saw was what you got.
2. Terry, Nancy, Sharann, Sarah, Jackie, and I sat down around Terry and Nancy's dining table. Nancy and Terry didn't know that they would keep my soup a day string alive, but they did! We ate delicious chicken soup and skillet cornbread. I enjoyed a beer and a splash of fine brandy distilled in Portland and we continued our conversations about Mike and June and their history and talked and talked about life in the Silver Valley. I was divided. I wanted to be back in Eugene for the Deke's birthday, but I didn't want this time at the table to end. I left, though, warmed by all the great stories about Mike and June and all the digging back into Kellogg/Smelterville/Wallace life.
3. Back in Eugene, I drove straight to the Troxstar's house and once again I sat down with family and friends around a dining table and whole new set of stories and conversation. The Troxstar served me a couple of refreshing pints from his new keg of Bayern Pilsener, from the only German microbrewery in the Rockies for over 20 years, located in Missoula. Pizza arrived. We had a marionberry birthday pie from Sweet Life. I left full of beer and food and exhausted from such a full day.
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