Two weeks after Dad sold "So Much Unfairness of Things" to The New Yorker, he read in the newspaper that thanks to the Berlin Crisis, his reserve unit had been activated and that he'd be stationed in the other Washington, at Fort Lewis outside Olympia.
On October 16th, around 5 PM he asked our mother "Phoebus, will you marry me?"
He writes she could but say "Yes".
The next day they left Washington DC. Mom followed Dad's Austin Healy in her volkswagon bug. Dad had the cat Fog. They got as far as Youngstown Ohio.
The following day they arrived in Clinton Iowa on the west bank of the Mississppi.
They arrived in Fort Collins on October 20 where Dad met my grandmother.
On Monday, October 23rd, after 3143 miles of driving they pulled up to Bailey Motor Inn in Olympia Washington.
They spent the next day house hunting and found a house they moved into at 11:20 AM on the 25th.
Their address was Route 1, Box 148. I still haven't figured out where the house might have been. Mom said it was near water which really isn't much help.
They got married at St John's Episcopal Church at 4 PM on December 28th.
The Bailey Motel is 30.3 miles from where Lansing and I live today. Like salmon we have returned to the spawning grounds.
I really enjoyed this little timeline. I never knew those details. Thanks Saint, you salmon you.
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