I was born in Washington D.C., and grew up in Rockville Maryland. Rockville is sixteen miles out of Washington D.C., in the '50s and even in the '60s Maryland had a steady growth. But most of this part of Maryland was scattered farm and forests land. Today however it has become a megalopolis. When I visit I am so amazed of the amount of people and buildings. It takes you twice as long to get anywhere, the speed limit is 55 on the freeways and they drive 75 on a 14 lane highway. At rush hour they drive 5 may be 15 so here you have seven lanes in each direction and if you're one of the lucky ones you're in the seven lanes that are not in the rush hour. My cousin David who is one of the smart ones he lives inside the Beltway and works outside the Beltway, so he is reversed rush hour. I wonder if he laughs at the people sitting still when he's driving to work.
When I was 18 I went to school in Arizona, and spent a year in the desert. The Vietnam War was ongoing at this time, and I was drafted. So I quickly join the Air Force to avoid the Army. It turned out to be a very good thing for me. I spent two months in basic training in Texas. Then six months in Illinois in missile school.
The land of Lincoln is a windy cold place in the winter time. You can be driving down the road fighting the crosswind and pass a grain elevator. The grain elevator has been shading the road from the sun so there is a sheet of black ice in the shade. The wind that you have been adjusting for is now gone and you're on the ice, quite exciting.
After I finished in the land of Lincoln I was shipped to northern Maine. It was the middle of July when I drove into Maine. It was the first time in my life to be so far north. The week I arrived was unusual weather for Maine for high temperatures were in the upper '90s in the humidity would melt you away. The sun rises in the 4 AM area and said near the 10 PM area. Very long days. In the winter the sun would rise around 9 AM and set around 4 PM. Now the first snowfall came in the first part of October and melted away. The second snowfall came in October and you couldn't see the ground again until the first part of May.
Fishing in northern Maine was something all new as well if I wanted to go bass fishing I would need to travel 200 miles south. The only thing to fish for was lake trout and perch in the lakes. Any stream that had a gallon of water in it was usually full of Brook trout. You needed to be aware when you're in the woods for the moose don't take kindly if you're trespassing and their territory. I was a bird hunter in those days and woodcocks and ruffled grouse was the game. Which was also in new experience the grouse would sit tight as you walk up on them. But the minute the second you have your back to them they take off behind you scaring the chit out of you. The variety of wildlife in Maine is unmatched to anywhere else I have lived. The winters were the coldest. The northern lights were the brightest most beautiful I have ever seen.
From Maine I was shipped to California seems long way away from any potential enemies but there are quite a few missile bases in California. It was also July when I arrived in California. A totally completely different environment from Maine. I entered California on U.S. Highway 50 from Carson City NV.( You know I had to see the land of the Ponderosa. You have to be vintage to know about Ponderosa.) Driving into the Sierra Nevada's I see these massive trees and I think I'm looking at the great redwoods but no they were Western Cedars.
I was stationed just outside Sacramento California. As luck would have it, it was the perfect place to see California from. Not far from San Francisco and not far from the Sierra Nevada. The American River that flows through Sacramento has found its way to my great rivers list. Swimming, canoeing, fishing, and panning for gold is what I remember about the American River. Leaving Sacramento on Highway 16 Jackson Rd I do not remember how far it was but there is a place I would go fishing. As you drove along heading east on 16 you top a hill and the whole valley was covered with hops for making beer incredibly beautiful. Down in that valley was a creek that was always full of water and the water was full of bass. It was one of those creeks that you waited up or downstream. California's middle altitude you'll find apple hill which you'll find all along the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.
When I had completed my patriotic duty I move to Arkansas. Now Arkansas is home I have lived here longer than anywhere else. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words so I will let my pictures to the rest of the talking.