Today they say goodbye

To day Bruce's friends and family say goodbye to him one more time. They will be spreading his ashes in Joe's Gully. His favorite place to camp. He camped there since he was a baby.

Every time we'd go camping with his family they tell some great stories about all the great times they had. Bruce's face would light up every time someone would tell one.
Even if he heard it a thousand time he would hang onto every word. I love those time Bruce would look so content and at peace. If you went there now you wouldn't think it was this special place. But this place was a part of Bruce's sanity and it gave him some place to soul search and be at peace with himself. It was Bruce's Disneyland. This place was magical in it's own right. It may sound stupid to you but it brought out a Bruce that I truly loved to be around. Of course there were times when the magic faded and things weren't the greatest but most of the time I enjoyed being with Bruce at Joe's Gully.


He would become this little kid when he knew we were going down there. He would make sure he had everything he needed to relax and have a good time. He would always make sure he had all his fishing gear and beer ready! lol We always bought new lures to start off every camping trip. He always made it a true adventure sometimes the adventure was frustrating but a adventure never the less! lol


He was the one that really showed me how to fish and have Patience. We'd go out on his father's boat for hours and just fish. This is where we had some our greatest talks. He loved taking Melanie in the boat and showing her how to fish and all the places he would go to play like the the scary rapids (I hated when he took us even now I get a little shaky lol). He spend hours showing her all kinds of things and telling her stories of when he was a little kid. I love those time because Melanie would listen with all she had. Then she blast him with all this questions of wonder. I can still see the big smile on his face of pride when Melanie would ask "Dad you were little boy and you did this too?" He'd reply with his famous laugh "Yah Babe dad did those thing too."

He had always told me when he died that Joe's Gully is where he wanted to be. I would tell him only good died young and he'd live forever so we didn't have to worry about it. But if it made him feel better I would make sure it happened.

I remember one summer Mel, Bruce and I went up a week before everyone set up. So this one morning Bruce left me and Mel sleep in. To Bruce sleeping in was sleeping in until 7:00 am! lol So he woke me up about 9:00 am looking a bit freaked out. I asked what happen and he said he was out fishing in the lake when he felt a small tug on his line and he started to pull it up. But as he was pulling it up he started to feel real uneasy about what could be coming up. He said it pulled funny it didn't feel like a tug of a fish it felt like something was rocking on his line.

So he looked over the boat to see what it could be and all he saw was black and a little brown below in the water. So he got a bit brave and tugged a little harder on the line. He said he saw a branch then it look like some cloth or a shirt of something. This started to freak him out so he cut his line and lifted the anchor and came back to camp and woke me up. It freaked him out so much that I had to stay near him most of the day and reassure him that he did the right thing. That night it got so dark it freaked both of us out. Mel sleep like a baby and Bruce and I held onto each so tight because he got me freaking out from his fishing trip. What made this so much scarier we were both afraid of the dark! Bruce's fear was worse than mine. So we didn't help each other out much in that department lol! The next morning we took to laughing at how scared we were.

We decide that he should take Mel and I to the same place and see what would happen. So we set up in about the same place and throw in our lines and sat there for about an hour and I felt a tug on my line so I let him know. Then I told him it felt so heavy this made him freak out a bit. But he realize he had to keep his cool because Mel was with us and didn't want her as scared as he was. So I start to pull it up and I told him I'm starting to get freaked out because it wasn't pulling it felt like it was only bobbing. By this time I could see something and it look like a very large log but it had cloth on it also. I was sorta getting scared. The water was so dark you couldn't really see much but a dark thing in the water then I saw something white. Then I got scared and looked at Bruce. He looked over the boat then said "FU$% this we are out of here" and cut my line. And I wasn't sure what was on my line So we went back to camp and we didn't talk about for awhile then I started to laugh and laugh a nerves laugh. Bruce sorta figure what I was laughing at and joined it and Mel not having a clue why her parents were acting strange started to laugh with us. It was a great week then family came down and we finished up our vacation with family and had a great few weeks.

I'm thankful I know the place that is Bruce's final resting place because when our grandson is old enough I wanna take him there. Take him to the place that his grandfather loved. I know that Bruce will be so proud of his grandchild and be so pleased that he made it to the place that Bruce felt at ease at . Mel has been so unhappy because she wanted to be there when they spread her father's ashes. But as you know she's to pregnant. I keep telling her that her father would understand but those are just word right now. It doesn't bring any comfort to her. But I know in time she will not beat herself up for it. I told her, her dad's with her now and that's all that counts. He's in her heart, her face and her soul and that's all that matters. And I will in time tell her more great stories of Joe's Gully. I think she remember Joe's Gully but I don't want to push her to remember them now. She dealing with to much. But in time we will sit down and talk about that wonderful place down the hill with the high rocks around it. I even have a wonderful memory of climbing the rocks the very first time I went there with Bruce when we first dated. It's my very own memory and I will cherish that forever. Bruce and I had our hard time but we had some really great times to. I have never regretted them. I get angry at all the things I allow to happen but the only one I should be angry at is myself for allowing them.

So I guess with this I will just say my own Goodbye to Bruce one more time. But this time I'm not crying I'm smiling knowing that Bruce is where he wants to be. He's finally where he always felt safe and happy. He's finally apart of Joe's Gully. He's apart of the wind, water, the land. He's at peace and that's all I ever wanted when I was with him. And he's finally get's that. I just wish it didnt' have to happen so soon but I know deep in my heart this is what Bruce wanted.

Goodbye Bruce Love you Always
Cherlee