Running Bear

Actually, his real C.B. handle was Running Bare. An example of his sense of humor. But, I knew his wife's voice as Honey Bear and the actual spelling never occured to me. I don't know when she left. I guess I was so wrapped up in my own problems, I never even missed her when she disappeared from the radio. She had never talked very much anyway, you usually heard her in the background when Bear was teasing someone, or being teased.

Several of the CH 34 gang had talked about meeting FLF and I. We always told them they could meet us anytime by joing us at the diner any morning at 5:30 a.m. It was our serious joke. You had to get up early to see us. I'm pretty sure Bourbon Supreme was the first to take us up on it. Then he joined FlyRod in teasing the others about meeting FLF and I. But, every time FlyRod talked me up, Bourbon Supreme would come back with a comment about me actually being a "grey haired ole lady." My hair has been pure white every since the aneurysm. It was very striking when I was young. I always swore no one would recognize me if I wore a dark wig. I really felt that all anyone really saw was my hair, and if I changed it, they wouldn't know me.

One morning it was pouring rain. I'd stopped to pick up FLF, who didn't want to go out that early in the rain. I had to talk her into it, and we were late getting to the diner. We ran inside tucked together under my umbrella. Tom kept his lights low because he wasn't actually open that early. So I didn't see who was at our table at first. But I recognized the voice of Running Bear as I lowered by umbrella and I heard him say, "You really are a grey haired old lady!" I'd heard that voice often enough on CH 34. There was only one stranger at the table, so that had to be him. I didn't say a word. I just walked over and hit him with my wet umbrella. Hard enough to break the handle off of my cheap rain protection. That is how I first met the man I'm married to today.

Not that I had the slightest idea that was where life was taking me. I hadn't even admitted to myself quite yet that I could actually leave W. That was still going to take a few months.

Bear can't say he wasn't warned. How many men would come back for more after the woman broke an umbrella over their heads. Still he did join us again and again at 5:30 in the morning. And, he always greeted me with, "Good morning grey haired old Lady." Guess I had my warning too.