Ron and Florence Riley

TUESDAY WAS MAIL DAY, THE BIG DAY OF THE WEEK IN FOREST GROVE. PEOPLE CAME LONG DISTANCES FOR THEIR MAIL AND SUPPLIES, AND FOR FAMILIES LIKE THE WESTMANS IT WAS A TWO DAY TRIP; CONSEQUENTLY ARCH AND PRISCILLA WERE BUSY IN THE STORE AND POSTOFFICE AND THE LODGE. WE ON THE HOMESTEAD WERE BUSY, AS WELL, SO MAIL DAY WAS NOT AN OPPORTUNE TIME FOR LONG CONVERSA¬TIONS, BUT WE DO REMEMBER FEELING THAT THE NEW OWNERSHIP WAS AN IMPROVE¬MENT. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG, HOWEVER, FOR ARCH, PRISCILLA, BOB AND MADELENE TO DISCOVER THAT RUTH LAKE WAS AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO VISIT ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS AND ON SUNDAYS. ON ONE SUCH OCCASION WHILE CRUISING AROUND THE LAKE FOR A GOOD PICNIC SPOT, WE WENT ASHORE AT AN OPEN, GRASSY BANK. IMMEDI ATELY. ARCH AND PRISCILLA LIKED IT SO MUCH THEY DECIDED TO BUY IT.

ARCH FOUND A SET OF DEER ANTLERS, AND THE SPOT WAS PROMPTLY NAMED "BUCKHORN POINT". THAT WAS THE START OF THE DEVELOPMENT IT IS TODAY. THIS PROPERTY AND ITS OWNERS HAVE GIVEN A LOT OF PLEASURE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS CONSIDERED RUTH LAKE HAD BEEN FISHED OUT -NO TROUT HAD BEEN SEEN FOR YEARS. IT WAS ARCH WHO PROVED OTHERWISE.

ONE SUNDAY WHEN HE AND PRISCILLA CAME TO VISIT HE SAID TO RON, "LET'S GO FISHING AND I'LL SHOW YOU THERE'S TROUT IN RUTH LAKE." IN VERY SHORT TIME, FISHING OFF THE POINT OF THE 'BIG ISLAND', THEY EACH CAUGHT A NICE RAINBOW TROUT.

WE REMEMBER MANY PLEASANT EVENINGS OF MUSIC AT FOREST GROVE LODGE IN THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES. ARCHER WAS PRETTY GOOD ON THE CELLO AND TO HEAR PRISCILLA ON THE PIANO WAS A TREAT. HEARING HER PLAY CHOPIN IN A PLACE LIKE FOREST GROVE WAS INDEED AN OCCASION. RON'S CONTRIBUTION WAS TO INTRODUCE A TOUCH OF JAZZ PIANO - AN ATTEMPT TO SHOW THAT GERSHWIN HAD A FEW WORDS TO SAY TOO. THESE HAPPY OCCASIONS, BEFORE TV, MADE WINTERS IN CARIBOO TOLERABLE.

THEN THERE WAS THE CHRISTMAS WHEN THE WHITES AND THE PARKINS EACH BOUGHT SNOWSHOES FOR THE OTHER COUPLE. THE PROBLEM WAS HOW TO GET THEM TO BUCKHORN POINT, WHERE IT WAS PLANNED TO SPEND CHRISTMAS, WITHOUT SPOILING THE SURPRISE. FIRST ONE, THEN THE OTHER, ARRANGED TO DELIVER THE PACKAGE TO US AT RUTH LAKE FOR RON TO TAKE TO BUCKHORN THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. THIS HE DID, BUT ON APPROACHING THE CABIN HE HEARD NOISES INSIDE. IT WAS BOB INSTALLING KITCHEN CABINETS. WHERE TO HIDE THE SNOWSHOES? RON SAW THAT A HOLE HAD BEEN DUG IN THE SNOW LEADING TO THE CRAWL SPACE UNDER THE CABIN.

JUST THE PLACE! AS HE CRAWLED IN, SOMETHING GROWLED. A BEAR IN HIBERNATION? NO, IT WAS JUST GOOD OLD PRINCE, BOB'S DOG. AND ON CHRISTMAS MORNING THERE WAS SURPRISE, AND LAUGHTER, AND THE QUESTION, "HOW DID THE SNOWSHOES GET HERE UNSEEN?"

FOR ALMOST HALF A CENTURY WE HAVE SWAPPED SUCH HAPPY MEMORIES, HAVE ADVISED EACH OTHER ON MATTERS DOMESTIC AND POLITICAL, AND HAVE KEPT UP A STEADY FRIENDSHIP.

OVER THAT TIME THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS. FOREST GROVE LODGE WAS SOLD; RUTH LAKE LODGE WAS SOLD. FLORENCE WENT TO WORK IN THE BRITISH COLUMBIA LEGISLATIVE BUILDINGS FOR THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION;

PRISCILLA WENT TO WORK FOR THE BRITISH COLUMBIA MINISTRY OF WELFARE. IN 1970 FLORENCE AND RON MOVED TO ENGLAND; SOON AFTER PRISCILLA AND ARCH PAID US A VISIT. IN 1983 FLORENCE AND RON LEFT ENGLAND AND RETURNED TO VICTORIA TO FIND ARCH AND PRISCILLA WERE THERE ON HOLIDAY AND THROUGH IT ALL RUTH LAKE HAS REMAINED A FAVORITE LOCALITY - PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY - FOR US ALL.