Must have been int he winter of about 2006 or 2007. Morongo's tribal council traveled to Northern California to visit with Yurok's tribal leaders. The Friday scheduled for the meeting was stormy -- there was snow on I-5 and at the Klamath site of Yurok Administration Center, but it was a good welcome from Yurok and a good visit. Then it was time to go home. A Yurok Councilman carefully drove us back to our luggage and to the airport near Eureka. I was accompanying Macho on the air flight back to Ontario, being her secretary at the time. When we arrived at the small airport it was filled with waiting passengers -- all the flights had been delayed and there were no more flights available that late afternoon on a Friday.
Decisive man that he was, Maurice headed for the car rental counter and he asked for an I arranged for the largest SUV rental they had left -- and we took off -- literally took off in a snow storm, about dark, headed for the Oakland Airport and only hoping to get a flight back to Riverside County that night. I din't flinch as the speedometer reached 70 and then 80mph. We were out of cell service area so I kept dialing Macho's favorite travel agent. Suddently Macho slowed down -- when I looked up I see he was stopping to visit with a friendly Califoria Highway patrolman. After the ticket was written and warnings given and accepted, we took off more slowly.
About ten laters when the CHP had stopped following us, the original 70-80 resumed. Macho once asked me if I was comfortable, and since my husband drove about the way he did, I was. It also helped to know he use to drive fire vehicles in Morongo's canyons, not an easy feat. Just before the full darkness arrived, we were driving through beautiful redwoods and he slowed a bit then just to see the snowfall on the trees. He remiinisced about taking his young children there many years ago -- Alan and I did the same with our offspring and recollections were shared. Then the wild ride resumed. We finally reached cell service and I talked to Pam about our dilemma; she found two tickets on the last flight out of Oakland. We arrived at the Oakland airport area 45 minutes before take off -- run to return the SUV, catch a bus -- run to security, wait, wait wait, run to the gate and then wait again -- fortunately the flight was about 20 minutes late and we made it ten minutes before takeoff.
Safely at home now with several years having passed, I pray that Macho's family recalls his love for them -- the sights he showed them -- the lessons taught -- and that they can share it with his younger children and his grandchildren. Family, loving and sharing makes for a good life -- he did that very well.
