Old Priest Grade at sunset
Gary having decided to visit his sister Kay, and Brother-in-Law, Don Da Valley, at their affluent lake front home in the 19 square mile gated community of Pine Mountain Lake, a mile northeast of Groveland. The Buick reaching Moccasin on highway 1 20, approaching Priest Grade, named after Margaret Priest, the 1870’s proprietor of the Waystation and Hotel at the summit of Grizzly Gulch. Gary making the decision to take Old Priest Grade, the 2 mile, serpentine, 16 hundred foot cliff endowed elevation to the summit of Grizzly Gulch, rather than new Priest Grade, the longer, 6 mile, highway 1 20 summit route on the other side of Grizzly Gulch.
Arriving at the Da Valley’s try-level home, with its sandy beach, affronting a scenic view of the quasi-stellar private lake. The community, sporting an 18 hole golf course, country club and restaurant, equestrian center, and airport, was a preeminent presidio display of monetary affluence. His brother-in-law contracted as a computer systems engineer, at Loral Space Systems in Palo Alto, responsible for programming the meteorological, GOES, 8, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, to maintained its geostationary position, and likewise involved in other projects that because of security classification, was not at liberty to talk about.
Don’s bay area commute required him to spend weekdays in San Mateo at his mother Celesta’s residence, Kay allocated to reside in Groveland alone, Gary finding the accommodations at the three level Lake House exceedingly spacious, his sister introducing him to her stay at home routine. Kay and Don having initiated a long desired project, purchasing 90 acres of rural land on Ferretti Road which was a scenic loop from the town around the gated community, and rejoining Highway 1 20, 7 miles from Groveland. The property eighteen miles from the Big Oaks Flat entrance to Yosemite National Park, and like most of life’s endeavors, with its purchase, a seed was planted. Katherine and Don’s master plan for the acreage was to plant forty acres of olives trees, work having begun on the renovation of an old cabin on the 90 acre, its presence having a colorful past, once a residence, a tack house, even a rural church, the cabin to be converted into a showcase exhibition room for their product. The couple having hired Jacque, a carpenter from San Francisco, who previously provided workmanship at Don’s mother‘s home in San Mateo, and provided him with a place to stay at the lake house when available to work on the cabin.
Gary being questioned as to his future, his sister putting forth an offer for him to remain and assist in renovation of cabin and their ongoing projects, with an overture of residency at the lake house and some financial compensation, but the objective of his venture west was to assess the perspectives of returning to California, not to make a decision. His sister introducing an exposure to the world of the stock market and as an avid participant, an awakening to the corollary of Day Trading, providing an insight accomplished by experience. The DaValle’s having been active traders, especially with the gaining appearance of IPO’s (Initial Public Offering) inaugurating from the High Tech Companies of the Silicon Valley. Weighing the perspectives of his sisters offer, moving to California, the pro’s and con’s and the recourse on his family and friends, deciding to efface the numerous questionable complexities. The only question: should he to return to the encumbrance of the past, or traverse into the uncertain clarity of the future?
The decision was made, he would move to California, reservations for a round trip flight to Kansas was coordinated, scheduling a pickup date by United Van Lines to remove his possessions from his apartment in Kiowa for the journey west. Katherine rendering him to San Francisco International for a flight to Houston, then boarding a 25 passenger commuter jet to Wichita Mid Continent Airport. The flight concluding with a rental car, and the drive to Kiowa. Gary’s journey from Mid Continent to Kiowa was a melancholy experience, twenty years of traversing this highway, scenes and recollections from the past entering his thoughts, knowing this drive might never be renewed. Entering the darken apartment, the fragrance of vacancy accompanying a forbearance of sadness, a sense of being privy to all memories that were captive within the walls, and experiencing a hollowed emptiness, knowing the past and one couldn’t change what had been written in the book of life.
A 53 foot United Van Lines tractor and trailer was parked curbside at the Price Apartments in Kiowa, three employees embarking to remove Gary’s apartment of his possessions. The moving experience taking less than two hours, Gary discovering he would leave several unwanted items, placing a call to his daughter Sandra, asking if she would assist in the final dispersing of items left behind, and finish with the cleanup.
The loaded United Van Lines contemporary began its trip to Groveland, the afternoon finding Gary bidding a goodbye to Kiowa returning his rental car, boarding a Wichita United Airlines flight via Denver to San Francisco, the final move now decisive. The arrival at SFO, Gary finding Don accommodating him at the airport, the two spending the night at Don’s Mothers in San Mateo before returning to Groveland. Surprisingly the furniture accorded Van arrived in three days considering the probability of other stops as his few possessions were minimal in a 53 ft. van. The driver wasn’t without comment, complaining about traversing New Priest Grade, having to utilize both lanes of the highway to make the winding curves because of the trailer length, and he wasn’t looking forward to the return trip. Gary finding a temporary home at the lake house, but a deep seated question remained of his decision.
Inquisitive Quest 
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