About aging and autographs

Life surely does change as the years go slipping by. Last Tuesday, I put on my coat to walk the 75 yards to our mailbox. The driveway was icy in spots, so I told Iris, "I'm taking the cell phone. If I fall down and break my leg, you'll get a call."

Iris was playing her weekly cribbage tournament with our two sons but quickly replied, "That's a good idea honey. That way as soon as we finish the game we're in, somebody can come look for you." This exchange was mostly in fun but ... not completely.

We all know activities considered routine at one age become more difficult or impossible with the passing of years. As folks age, each is vaguely aware of that reality. Certainly, as a young man I knew people cannot keep jumping out of airplanes into dangerous situations to infinity.

It was always common sense to me that climbing 4,000 feet up through rock cliffs isn't something a person can do forever, and skiing 50 mph down steep snowy slopes isn't a highly recommended activity for guys 15 years into their Social Security; however, probably very few men think in depth about needing help to button a new shirt, go looking for "a lost watch" he took to the repair shop yesterday or ...taking a cell phone to the mailbox.

That is kind of where I am. To the best of knowledge, I'm still very healthy for a guy pushing 84 years; however, one problem I deal with is that three of my long-time friends in the "Over the Hill Gang" are also in their 80s but are on "The Mountain" skiing as I sit in a warm den writing this.

A couple were still climbing in Glacier National Park last fall and, of course, we all have the fresh memories of our pals Ambrose Measure and Elmer Searle doing such challenging things until age 90. Cannot seem to get the ambition and/or nerve to see if those things are still doable and fun. Maybe next year?

In other worldly matters, recently was visiting the new/old Sykes Grocery and Market to pick up an arm roast. The young woman at the checkout told me she was from Troy, so I asked her if she knew Donald Jones.

Don Jones is currently among the most devoted and gifted of active wildlife photographers I know about in Montana, maybe the United States. He doesn't have a day job. He's at it 24-7-365. His books are magical works of unforgettable art that must be viewed over and over. Got a letter from a long-time woman friend to whom I had sent Jones' "Born Wild in Montana," featuring baby animals and birds. She called it "the most beautiful book I've ever seen."

Back to the checkout counter at Sykes. The lady said she knows Don quite well, as do most people in Troy. Told me she was at her family's store up there with her daughter a while back and bought a copy of "Born Wild in Montana" and gave it to her. Apparently Don came in and saw the little girl walking around with the book and offered to personally autograph it for her. The girl handed him the book.

A little while later, the daughter came running to her mother near tears and told her, "Somebody wrote in my new book." She handed it over and angrily pointed to the title page saying, "See what he did."

Mother patiently explained that the man who wrote in her book was the one who took the pictures and it was made more dear and precious by his autograph.

Life is good. See ya next week.

G. George Ostrom is a national award-winning Hungry Horse News columnist. He lives in Kalispell.