by Paul P.
Picture this
scenario in your mind's eye. It's the summer of 1969; I'm wading and
fly-fishing a beautiful mountain stream in Colorado's Gunnison Mountains. It's
a gorgeous day, bright sunshine, a fresh, wispy breeze blowing through the
trees and the big trout are ready to eat. I'm slipping past a small lodge where
many folks are in an area overlooking the stream. Wham, the hit of a huge brown
trout and the fight is on. I play the fish for a while and bring it to net; it
looks like a great dinner to me! I place it on a small stringer as I'm
approached by an elderly gentleman from the lodge. He congratulates me on my
catch and we chat, a thirteen-year-old boy and a man likely in his seventies.
Turns out he owns the lodge. He asks where my family is and I say we're camping
just upstream. He wants to know if we have anywhere to watch the Apollo landing
on the moon that night and I tell him no. He invites me and my family down to
the lodge to watch the Lunar Landing. The six of us head over that night and
enjoyed a wonderful evening. What a great way to see and celebrate that
milestone. Who would have known then, that 43 years later I'd be celebrating
that very milestone, among others, while working for the company who helped put
that vehicle on the moon.
