I am so so happy you decided to contact me. No, I do not recall your husband, but I'm sure we met.
Wow... so much to say... I'm gonna do a copy and paste, so I can be as complete as possible. Warning... this may be a long message. As you now know... I like to write!
This morning I stumbled across your motorcycle blog completely by coincidence, and was so surprised to see a posting about Tokosaben. I'm related to the Benthins...
One of the best families I know. I was not able to become as close to them as I'd wished. Jane & Parker are a little older than me, and much more cerebral. I'm more of a visceral kinda guy.
... through marriage, spent my honeymoon at Toko back in 1992,
I have permission from the Kobiashi family (Wink & Tim are my age, and Jill), to spread (50% ish of) my ashes on their property. The 'plot' closest to The Lake.
To me, life revolves around Tokosaben (and the Sierras in general), and The Monterey Bay (I grew up in small community called La Selva Beach, in Santa Cruz County. I am now living in San Francisco, living with my wife Sharon King, who moved here in 21 years ago. If you EVER get close to SF, PLEASE let me know. Phone number here, and at bottom of this message:
Ned Opdyke
831-818-2936
... accumulated my share of Tokosaben stories over the years,
Here's one of my earliest ones:
My twin brother (Don) and I would get up about 8am, have breakfast, and then hop on our matching Honda 50 Mini Trail motorcycles. His was blue, mine was red, and the yellow one was the 'extra one for friends.'
We'd take off, and explore as much of the area as possible, until our gas was running low, and then return to home base for gas, a swim, and some food. Usually within 30 minutes of our return, we'd be off and away again, exploring more of the surrounding area, or... playing on a fun stretch of terrain that we'd found to me entertaining. For example, no too far off the property was the 'Hill Climb.' It was possible to get to the top without having to put our feet down to help push the bikes up the last part of it, but it took a lot of skill and some luck to do it.
... watched my kids learn to fish there,
I have never been a big fisherman. I'm pretty sure, the only fish I've ever caught, was a Trout, captured out of South Fork of The Tuolumne River... upstream from Rainbow Pool to be exact (which has been my favorite place IN THE WORLD since my first visit in 1970.
The 'funniest' fishing story I have about Toko, is when I was out in the Kobiashi's "Full Boat" (a large, home made kayak for two). Wink caught a 'sun fish,' which is one of the 'feeder' fish, his family had stocked the lack with, as food for the Bass. He reeled the little guy (girl?) up to the edge of the boat, and instead of reaching down to unhook it and let it go, as I was expecting him to do... he pulled it out of the lake... adjust the line, so that the fish (about 4~6" long as I recall) was hanging about 12" from the end of the pole.
What he did then is hard to write about. It still makes my heart sad. He started, swinging the fishing pole back and forth over our heads... smashing the fish into the surface of the water. Back and forth, back and forth (maybe about 5~8 times?) until the fish broke apart, and fell off the hook.
It was carnage and disgrace, and all every other bad thing that can be said about the sanctity and respect for life. What saddens me most about this memory, is that it still makes me laugh a little on the inside. SHHHH. I will never admit that. Oh wait, this is in print. Fortunately, I can be very creative when I write, and I'm sure if anyone ever brings it up, I'll be able to come up with an explanation that makes me appear to be a good guy.
... got to know Virginia Tindall,
Another one of the Great Families in The World. Virginia became my mom after my mom died.
... and eventually mourned Aunt Thea & Uncle Dick having to sell.
I don't think anyone mourned that sale more than me. I tried and tried to gather enough funds to buy the property myself. I also tried really hard to develop a relationship with the folks that bought it (relatives of some sort... maybe you could help me with this...).
I was (am still) hoping that I would be considered to do maintenance work on the cabin, in trade for occasional visitation rights.
... It seems even more coincidental that I saw your posting today, after having a long but rare phone conversation with Dick just last night.
There are no coincidences. I'm getting ready to read The Celestine Prophecy Series, by James Redfielld again. If you haven't read them, I highly recommend that you do.
I make that recommendation to everyone that can. It was (kind of) life changing for me. Not really, but it's a damn good story. A spiritual philosophy that I believe is as close to true truth as I've ever read. Clarification: Some people believe there is only one truth. I believe there are infinite truths. One for each living soul.
It seems unlikely you'd remember my husband Bill, the oldest of the Benthin's four nephews.
It seems unlikely you'd remember my husband Bill, the oldest of the Benthin's four nephews.
See above.
He helped build their cabin, working on it almost every weekend that year.
Do you have any pictures of the process? Or access to any pictures? Are you close to Jane and - -? Stokes?, or Parker?
... Of the Quintero boys, Rob would have been closest to your age,
I just turned 58. Yes, I am aware that I look much younger. I feel a whole lot younger too, by the way. Usually. Sometimes I get tired and have to take a nap... but I ALWAYS (knock on wood) wake up rip roarin' and ready to go. Ask me about how and why I wake up that way if you're curious.
... so maybe you'd remember him. Rob and Bill both loved Toko,
I would be concerned about the sanity of anyone who did NOT love that 40 acres of paradise on Earth.
... and both are now avid motorcyclists.
Please forward this message to both of them. Rob, Bill... LET'S RIDE !!!
I've attached two of my favorite pictures of Honey, my 2006 Honday VTX 1300 R.
(Another connection that made your blog seem like even more of a coincidence!)
Please understand: I am seriously a 'true' believer that There Are No Coincidences.
... I'm sure if Uncle Dick still had the place, or Virginia was still around, they'd be making road trips there.
Good news! I'm very good friends with Ambria Witt (a daughter of Terry, Art & Virginia's daughter) who now owns and lives in the Family Home). With a little notice, we could stay there anytime we ask. As is very typical with members of Great Families, she is very family oriented, and gracious and generous, and all those really cool things that makes a family (person) Great.
FYI, I stumbled on your blog while googling research on the Stanislaus National Forest for work, and started reading some postings --
Wow, that is REALLY NEAT to hear. I had no idea my blog was getting so 'high' on the search engines' results. I should really go back and add in a lot more 'key words.' I haven't been very diligent with that, since I first opened the blog about 5 years ago.
... awfully easy to be distracted on a leisurely Sunday morning.
If you don't remember, that's one of the first things you read on the 'Cover Page' of my blog:
"I do enjoy sharing the circumstances and events that occur to me on my Road Trips, but mostly...
With the hope of distracting and encouraging you to think outside the box.
We all need to be distracted and encouraged once in a while, don’t we?
If this distraction also brings enjoyment or entertainment to you… It will make me happy.
Anyway, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to drop you a line.
Lisa, please feel free to correspond with me as much as possible.
And the same applies to everyone who ever reads any of my ramblings. But please remember... as I say as my 'copy write protection' at the end of each of my stories...
"All rights and wrongs are in place."
