1986
January 1986. I had Rattle Canned With Krylon. (Primered Gray) The Chevelle
A few Months earlyer and Now it was my Daily Driver. I had sold The Dodge
Dart Swinger in late 1985. And This was my only Car Now. Still Had the
Chromed Baby Moons on it with New Tires. Now I wanted to work on the Inside.
As that was in such bad Shape. So that is what I would consentrate on for
The Next Year. This Picture is taken at the Packing House agine infront
of the Main Engine Room
As summer was Beginning of 1986. I was Dating a Girl Name Tracy C. We
had taken a Day Trip up to Crater lake. And had stoped along the Way for
a Couple of Quick Pictures. This Might have been the First out of town
Trip I took with the Chevelle.
We had driven about half way to the Lake from Union Creek at this Point.
There was lots of Snow up there for June. One thing I knew I had to deal
with soon was the way the Car sat so low in the Back. you can really see
it Here. I wanted it higher in the Back then the Front. I would make that
happen later in the Year.
Tracy C. I dont remeber How we met.? I dont think we had known Each other
very long before this Day. Tracy seemed very unhappy most of the time. I
was never sure why.? But we had a lot of fun togather on this Day. We had
stoped at a Snow Park Probably farther back down the Road then the last
Picture. The Next 5 Pictures are Taken at the same Park.
In this Picture we are very Near the top. At The Rim. for those of you that
Know about Crater Lake. It was very sunny on the dirve up there. But at
The Rim village. The Weather was Bad as we will see.
We are now on top. at the Rim village. As you can see the Weather is pretty bad.
We left the Car over by the little Gift shop area. and we have walked way down
to Where the big Lodge is at.
This is the First Picture I took once we got to the Top. It was Dark and Foggy
there. The lake would be Directly behined Tracy and the car. But no Hopes of
Seeing that on this day. So we just walked around. There was Practically No
one eles up there at all that day.
The Next two Pictures we took was standing under this Huge Bank of Snow.
This was really very Dangerous. This Bank was atleast a 1000 ft long
Between where the Gift shop was then. And the Big lodge to the East.
You can't see it in the Pictures but some parts of this Hugh Bank had
Fallen down. It could have happend agine at any second. But like
Allways someone is allways watching over Us.
Here I Grabed a Quick close up of Tracy. We had walked into the Little
Tunnel that They set up so you can venture out past the Wall to see the
Lake. We could not see the Lake. But It was nice and Cozy in there.
This Picture is looking back at the Big Parking lot. We are standing
about Half way between the Lodge and the Gift shop. You can see one
Car besides Mine in the Parking lot that would hold several Hundred
Cars. There was just allmost no one up there that day but Tracy and I.
And Two young Women in the Gift shop Looking very Board. I Imagine
be cause they Had no Customers.
This is the last Picture I took of our Trip to Crater lake. It was time
to go back to Medford. We stoped down at Union Creek and Had a Nice late
Lunch. Early Dinner At Beckies Cafe
That was really a Fun Day. We both Enjoyed it a lot. I hated to see it
come to an End. Tracy would Leave Medford and move back
Home to Madras Oregon. Just shortly after our Fun day at Crater lake. later
on in the Year I would go up to Madras to spend a Few Days with Her. I was
Really Hoping for Things to work out for Us. It did not. I Remember Leaving
There and driving up to Portland to spend a Week. with Relatives. And
Thinking to my Self. "There is really no Future for the Two of us?"
We stoped Writing to each other after that. I have never Seen Tracy agine.
Or have any Idea what has became of Her. I Hope she is Well.
This Picture is Probably Right after Tracy Left Medford. The Reason the
Hood is a Diffrent color then the Rest of the Car. I got rid of the old
hood. "to much damage" And When I finished with the Sanding on the new
Hood. I could not find Gray Primer. So I had to use Flat Black Krylon.
I didnt like it at first but the more I looked out of the Windshield
and Saw that Black Hood. The More I wondered How the Entire Car would
Look Black. Picture Taken at the Packing House.
So Here I'am starting the Prosess of once agine Rattle Canning the Entire
Car agine. It took an Entire Box of Krylon. The Box is sitting on the Shelf
to the Left. This is a House on West 8th Street that I shared with my older
Brother John.
Well Here it is. My 72 Chevelle after having been Primered Flat Black now.
This Picture was taken at the Packing House. My Freind Shawn Budovic and I
are Putting a Lift kit on the Rear Axle. This is not the best way to give
your Car lift in the Back as I would later find out. But it sure looks good
all Black now.
The BMW is Shawn's. He is under the Car working. Shawn was a Chevelle
Owner. He had a 1968 Super Sport. And was being force into selling it.
Family Problems I think. Anyway He was Selling me His lIft Kit. It added
Three inches to the rear of the Car. I last Saw Shawn in 1994. I dont know
where He is now.
At Mom and Dad's House. West. D St Jacksonville. My Doggy Chief Standing
beside My chevy. He sure looks small standing there.
At the packing House agine. The old Chevy is Looking Pretty good. All
Black like that and the Chrome. I was Very much thinking of Painting it
Black. I liked the way it look with the Black vinyle top. Just thought
it looked sharp. But I stuck to my Original Idea. of fire Truck Red
With Black Super Sport Strips. The Paint Job would happen in one Year
from this Picture.
Yeah. My New Chevelle Prodject Car was looking Pretty good by summer
of 1986. I was slowly Replacing the Interior. The Carpet was Probably
the Most Exspensive Part of the Interior. I had to Replace both
Front and Back seats. Got them out of another chevelle. But then
I had to Reapolster them. It was very Exspensive and took me a solid
Year to do that. And then I could move on to Painting in 1987.
I was living in Medford. on W. 8th street at this time. I could not have
Chief there. So He stayed here at my Parents House. I have no Idea what
He and I are doing in the Picture. I Guess I was sitting on the Ground
and He just came over to say "Howdy".
I took a Trip to Coast during the Summer. I took lots of Pictures there.
But most of them are kind of Boaring. This is my Favorite Place to be on
the Coast. Battery Point Island.
Cresent city California. I love it there. Very Peacfull.
I love to go out and sit and just think about things. Like how far
away is Gilligans Island from Here.?
The Next two Pictures were taken very Early in the Morning. Summer time.
At Lost Creek Lake. The Little Parking lot at the Dam. No one eles was
There. I was on my Way up to Madras Oregon. I was taking the back way
to go visit Tracy. for a day or two. My Chevelle looked really good here
I thought. I Guess it was the Way the Sun was shinning on it.
Here I'am in Madras. At Tracys House. The Next two Pictures must have been
Taken agine in the Morning. And Probably the Next Day. I dont Remember just
How long I stayed there. One Entire Day I think. Things didnt work out for
Us. And I knew that When I left there. It was kind of sad. From Here I would
go to Portland and spend a Week with my Aunt & Uncle. And then back to Medford
And Get Immediately Involved with someone eles. I sure Have made that Mistake
a few times in my life.
Here I'am in Portland. Fred & Gingers House. Standing here with my Uncle Fred.
At the House in Portland. I Guess it would be considered East Portland.
I would stay here about 5 Days I think. Had a Good time with them. We did
alot. Took a lot of Pictures too. But I only have 4 to share here.
We are at the Portland Zoo. Uncle Fred thought it would be fun for me
to have my Picture taken with The Elephants. I didnt want to. But what
The Heck.
Agine at the Zoo. Yup that is Me standing Next to that Totum Pole.
This is Kelly. I first Met Her in Mid 1982. I was a Roller Skater back
then. I had joined the Speed Time. And thought that is what I wanted to
Do. Be a Speed Skater. It was fun. But I was so much into the Party
life I was not doing good with the Speed team. It didnt matter.
I would Shatter my Left ankle on May 2 1982. And that would put a
End to my Speed Skatting Career that never got started in the first
Place. This Picture is Taken in my Back yard on W, 8th St.
Kelly. worked there at What was MSU back then. She was very attractive
to say the least. we became good Freinds. But we would not begin to get into
Dating untill The summer of 86. Oh as I look back now. I wish we had just
stayed Freinds and not began Dating. It all ended kind Bad by late
1986. And I Eventually would begine Drinking agine in Very late 86 after allmost
2 years Because of the Pain I brought to both of us.
I dont remember what we were doing in the back yard that day. Just taking
pictures I Guess.
We were getting ready to go out that Night. dinner.? Movie? I dont remember.
As a Teenager I had done quite a bit of Gold-Panning in the Jacksonville
Creeks. So on this Day I took Kelly along with Me.
She had never done anything like this before. And was very Excited to
Give it a Try. I'am sure She would have been even more Excited if She
Had found some Gold on this Day. She didnt. I Found a Pocket Knife
in the Creek.
This is Jackson Creek. We are where the Creek Runs along Hwy 238.
Just less then 1/4 Mile out of Jacksonville. heading to Ruch. I had
Indeed found Gold here in this same spot many Years before. But today.
No Luck.
If you look directly Past Kelly to the Creek Bank you will see a
Dark spot that looks like a Cave. That is indeed what it is. That
Cave has allways been there since I was a Kid. It does not go Back
very far. And I bet If I whent backup to that spot tomarrow. that
Cave will still be there. It is the only Cave you will find along
that part of the Creek.
Late in 1986 I had driven to the coast for a few days. I stayed at least
one night in Cresent city Calif. Stayed at this little Redwood Motel
in town. It was a Nice Plesent trip as far as I Remember. I think I wanted
to just get away from Medford. I know Kelly & I were having Problems at
this time in the Year. Late in the evening before I whent out for dinner.
I wanted to go down there to the End of The Citizen Dock area and watch the
Sun set. At the End of the Dock there is this big rock Hill area. And
that is where I had whent to watch the Sun set. I had climbed out on the
First Rock you come to. And was looking out as you see in the Picture over
the Bay in Cresent-City. You can see the Light House Battery Point Island.
A Couple of Girls had followed me out there to do the same thing I Guess.
They are sitting on the Rock infront of Me. You can see there two
Silhouettes on the left side of the Rock. I'am so disapointed in the
Way this Beautifull Picture came out. so Much is Lost transfering it to
A computer file. Anyway it was a very Plesent time. I really enjoyed
Sitting out there on that little Island Rock and watching a Beautifull
Oregon-Coast-Sunset.
The Next 10 Pictures are from my Week spent in Portland with Fred & Ginger.
We saw some of those earlyer.
I was not living here in Jacksonville at this time. But I spent a lot
time there. You can see Chief standing there infront of the House.
And there is My Chevelle. The Pickup with Camper is My Grandfather Bennett's.
Grandma Bennett Had Died sometime in 1975. And Grandpa being alone now.
Began to start Drinking alot. I Guess He had been somewhat of a Drinker many
Years before. And Now with the Loss of My Grandma. It began agine. He got into
Trouble with the Law. "Drunk Driving." So My Family took away His Pickup
instead of getting Him some type of Help with Drinking. He just continued
to get into Trouble untill The State of Oregon Had to come in and take control
of Him and His Propertie. They took and Kept the Propertie because of back
Taxes. But Before that Happend My Dad's Brother Freddy came in and Cleaned out
most everything and then Left the State. Hopfully He got in Big Trouble for
That.?
In These Next four Pictures we see My Little Brother Rodney's Jeep.
He had a Wreck up Near the Lilly Praire Area. Even though it does not look
to bad. It was totalled.
Chief is 9 years old Here. Doing Pretty good. Still Active. He would start to
Slow down alot in the Next few Years. And Then Die in March 1991.
Here is Kelly agine. I Intoduced Her earler on. We had a lot of Fun togather.
I dont have a whole lot of Pictures of Her. She did a lot Picture taking.
We whent on a lot of Trips and things like that. I Imagine She still
Has all those Pictures. I was very sad when things didnt work out for the
Two of us. It was not to painfull. I guess it was not Ment to be for Us.
I got over Her Pretty Quickly. I wish I could Have said that 8 Years later.
I had decided I wanted to try my Hand at a little Gardening. So I Plowed
up this little Area in the Back yard. And began Planting Whatever.?
I dont Remeber. It looks like Sunflowers, Tomatos, Corn.?
The Next Day I woke Up and whent outside and found this... NO. That would
have been cool. By what every time Late summer this is what I ended up with.
Not to bad. I think I needed better Dirt. Or at least something added to
The Soil. And the Back yard just didnt get enough Sun. But I was still
Pretty Happy with it.
go to 1987