Griz was a big part of our Bi-Centennial Wagon Train adventure.

Our mother and Carl (whom we lovingly called ‘Griz’ because he was as big as a grizzly bear!) were married as soon as the Wagon Train ended and all departed back to their homes.

Our mother and Carl were married as soon as the Wagon Train was over.

Griz was a ‘G’ man.  His career with the CIA for over 30 years had filled our imagination with stories of espionage and intrigue.  We knew behind his smile were stories we would never come to know or hear of.  He was a man with connections, that we only caught glimpses of…like the night our bus (it truly was a school bus converted into a 4-horse trailer) broke down on the way back home from the Wagon Train.

We had gone far off route looking at a horse to buy.  The folks kindly offered us their living room floor to sleep for the night so we could repair the bus the following morning.  The entire household was awakened by firm wraps upon the front door.  Whereupon opening stood two state troopers looking for three young people.  They listed each of us by first and last name!  That was just one glimpse of Grizs’ connections.

Between the two of them stood ten children.  Griz had three grown and gone sons, and two mostly grown, though still at home, daughters.  Our mother had one grown and gone son, and two sets of twins.  All were on their own except for one twin living at the Caverns.

Griz and our mother were preparing the canoes for a trip!

Having grown children at home provided an easy answer to the question of who would care for the house and animals as Griz and our mother were preparing for a trip.  A trip that required the repair of Griz’s two Otca Old Town canoes, named Castor and Pollox.  Griz, our mother, and two other crew members were going to canoe 1,000 miles on the Mackenzie River in Canada!