A TRIBUTE TO MY FRIEND

"A TRIBUTE TO MY FRIEND

"

Updated, Sunday, March 27, 2011.

Written on June 04, 2001.

Bob Marchese My Friend.



I have talked with Bob Marchese. He and his wife Judy are going to attend the class reunion on June 04, 2001.



For those of you who do not remember Bob. He was the Drafting, Wood Shop and Stage Crew teacher, and my friend for more than 35 years (~ 44 years when he passed away, he was 80 years old). Bob and I worked designing and remodeling homes together. We also were a little crazy in our younger years, as the following story will attest:



Bob and I would go prospecting for precious metals anytime he could get away from teaching and I from school. We would travel as far as Cerro Gordo, out of Keeler, and for fast outings, we would go to the Kern River.



Bob and I would normally ride together as I had a four-wheel drive truck and you needed this type of vehicle to drive to where we would set up camp, or I thought. On one occasion, Bob said, "Rich, I will meet you below Lake Isabella dam at the campsite." He was bringing his son with him and would be a little late.



It was about one o'clock in the morning, the stars were shining bright, and the moon was just coming up over the mountain, when I heard a strange noise. The noise seemed to echo from the woods all around me. I sat up trying to discern what was making this noise. As I waited, I could hear the roar of a large engine revving to a high pitch and then nothing. At the same time, there was rustling, cracking and scraping sounds coming out of the woods. I rose to my feet peering as hard as I could to see what was making this racket. Suddenly, I heard part of my name being called over the revving of the engine. "Egaaaan!" Then I saw lights and this enormous class A Motor Home bearing down on me crackling and scraping through the trees. As I stood there with my mouth wide open looking at this enormous Motor Home, where a Motor Home should not have been! This huge vehicle slowly comes to a stop in front of me, the door opens, and Bob leans out and says, "Where've ya been?!" Need I say more?



Note:



The motor home had to be towed out. We used my four wheel drive truck to tow with.