Memories

From David Coats:

The photo on the front page of this site is of John & Rayma on their wedding day. As J&R are no longer here, nobody can find or remember the exact date — not even I who was there! But it was in March or April of 1974, at the beautiful blue tile domed Catholic church in Altea, Spain. I was John's Best Man, Peggy was Rayma’s Matron of Honor and our daughter, Mercedes aged 4, was the Flower Girl. It was a Grand Affair and very proper — or as proper as anything John and Rayma could organize. Rayma wore an ivory dress trimmed with lace with a medieval ivory satin lattice cap. John wore a traditional wedding get-up complete with grey top hat, black morning coat with a grey waistcoat, striped grey trousers, all topped off with a grey satin cravat with silver pin and very 70s sideburns. We had all been in England a short time before, so J&R were able to buy all the right traditional garb, not so easy to find in Spain, but readily available in English charity shops (thrift stores).

The church was full of guests from the local ex-pat community of painters, writers and other sundry artists - Dutch, English, American, German, French — together with many Altea locals and a few tourist onlookers. The ceremony did not start on time. Rayma was there. John was late. While we were in England he forgot to buy the right shoes so we all had to wait for the glossy black spray paint to dry on his old brown work boots — one example of many solutions that John would conjure up at the last moment to save the day.

John and Rayma emerged from the church. There were shouts of congratulations. Photos were taken. Hugs and kisses were given. Rice was thrown. Then the reception started at a friend’s pizza bar, the Equinox, down the street from the church. Later we all moved on to the place that J&R rented just outside of town for more wine and wedding cake.

In the few days before the wedding, John insisted we transform their place from an ordinary casita del campo to a Grand Casita del Campo. In a junk yard John had found a pair of huge and beautiful old doors and we installed them somewhat precariously. Even if they did not function very well, they looked wonderful. As a garden centerpiece and for shade, we built an elegant pergola sombra out of reeds and cañas from the almost dry river bed, and while we were there harvesting the cañas, we noticed two huge agave cactuses that had been cut off at the roots and thrown away. Perfect, but heavy. We grabbed them and brought them back one at a time in John’s ancient and creaky Citroen 2cv van and dragged them to their new posts.

When guests arrived for the reception party, the cactuses stood like prickly sentries on either side of the magnificent doors. Flowers in pots were everywhere. We gave speeches and drank toasts in the cool of the sombra, and we enjoyed lots of champagne. It was a great event. And the spray-painted boots still looked good at the end of the day.

Peggy and my wedding gift to J&R was a three-night stay in the never-to-be-forgotten Hotel Alone in Alfaz del Pi.

From Dave Sabold:

Our irrigation company secured a written easement to work on property through which our canal flowed. I filed the agreement here at my home since I kept records for the company. When the property sold, the new owner had a strong reaction to the scooped out dirt that the backhoe left on the edge of the ditch, and threatened a lawsuit. John represented the new owner, and asked me if we had permission to do the work, since the easement didn't show up on the deed. I'd neglected to record the agreement with the County! John immediately drove to my place, snatched the document, and drove to Okanogan Courthouse to record it! Problem solved!