Today I had an early row on Payette Lake, drove north on US 95 through fabulous meadows and canyons, followed the Salmon, Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers, topped Lolo Pass, and cruised down into Missoula, Montana.

The weather was perfect with temperatures in the 70’s, some rain, and Big Sky clouds. My stay tonight is in Butte, short of my goal of Bozeman but what of that?

It was one fine, fine Father’s Day. I heard from my son Ian and my daughter Eryn as I always do and appreciate. Being a father is easy with children like that.

Karen called with the latest news of granddaughter Vivienne’s summer in Coos Bay. I sent Father’s Day greetings to her father Dan and was sorry I was not there to help him eat the German chocolate cake Karen had baked.

***

Much of my psychic energy today was devoted to my own father, Howard. Tomorrow it will be three months since the day he died (St. Patrick’s Day) and I am just beginning to recover from the loss.

I felt my father’s big warm and gentle hand on my back every minute of our years, guiding me and never pushing. A true teacher, he gave me the tools for a good life and along with them the responsibility to decide what to do with them. Whether to sink or swim, was all up to me.

He was confident in me, and I, in him. I seldom asked his advice because I knew he had prepared me well. With him as my North Star, I could not go wrong.

The words “love” and “appreciate” don’t come close to expressing my feelings for him. I’ll never see him alive again. But he will always be with me, his hand at my back.

(Karen took this photo in 2015. Heceta Head lighthouse is in the background.)