Dead Man On Trail

Yesterday a dead man was found in Blacktail creek near a trail that Jennifer and I frequented during our summers when we stayed in our trailer at the KOA. They are still investigating the cause of death, there were no obvious/suspicious signs of the cause (e.g. murder). Unfortunately this area is frequented by a lot of homeless and/or vagabond persons as it is very near the interstate Highway.

As I said Jennifer and I would bike/walk on this particular trail fairly often when we were here. When I heard about it, the first thing I thought is “What Jennifer would have done if she had come across that”. I tell you what she would have done, she would have freaked out! She also would likely never want to use that trail again.

We used to take that trail to go to Starbucks for coffee or to go over to Harrison Avenue or Father Sheehan Park (when we used to play Pickleball there.). Jennifer and Elaine walked that trail to go to McDonalds for breakfast when Jim and I would be playing Pickleball at Stodden Park.

It also triggered a memory of a story she told when she worked at the Finlen Hotel. Both Janice and Jennifer worked as front desk clerks and maids while they were going to Tech.

One morning they were cleaning rooms and there was a room that Jennifer knocked on the door and announced Housekeeping. There was no answer so she opened the door and there was a guy laying naked on the bed. She thought the guy was dead and freaked out. I think if I remember correctly the guy was just heavily inebriated and was passed out. Either way Jennifer never forgot that incident. It was many years before she could laugh about it. Both Janice and her had many interesting stories from their days of working at the Finlen, but that one was etched in her memory.

Well I better get moving, have lots of things I want to get done around here today.