Memory is a Fickle Friend

On the way to the snow, we drove past the site of the St. Francis Dam disaster. Being good tour guides Craig and Dad informed our visitor (Aunt Kathleen) that the St. Franics dam collapsed due to being built on top of an ancient landslide and the landslide gave away and a wall of water rushed from Santa Clarita to the Pacific Ocean, killing many, many people. I looked it up, and the exact number is unknown, but it is said to be more than 600. I have walked on the rubble of the dam many times, and passed by the site many more times, but this time I learned something new.

Dad reported that two motorcycle riders rushed ahead of the wall of water warning people and saving lives and that a statue was erected in Santa Paula (which was in the water's path) in their honor.

I can't remember what I had for dinner last night- ok- that is a bad example. I only eat about three different things for dinner, so it is fairly easy to remember... how about- I can't remember if my boss is a first or second lieutenant, no matter how many times he has to correct the letters I draft for him, so I was plenty surprised when I heard myself say- "I've seen that statue."

And so I had. Back before I had the dogs (pre-2004) I had a very pretty brilliant black 2000 Mazda Miata with tan leather interior and I was in a Miata club. We would to go for drives together, all the pretty Miatas in a row- sometimes as many as 60, but more usually around 20.

(I know Bloom is in the Miata in this picture and this is obviously a Miata Run since I don't have beautiful snow capped mountains with scenic overlooks by my house. In fact, this was shortly after I got Bloom and one of the last "runs" I went on. It was to King's Canyon and Sequoia National Park and I am very happy I went since it was so beautiful and scenic. Bloom is sporting his doggles and a whale spout to keep his fur out of his eyes.)

It's more exciting than it sounds. Sometimes you saw good sights and sometimes you drove twisty roads a bit faster than was safe, but it was all in good fun. We only had someone crash once. So- back to the statue. On a local "run" we drove the twisty mountain roads from the backside of Camarillo into Santa Paula. Then we paraded down the picturesque Main Street and lined up by the rail road tracks to wait for the rest of our group. I saw a statue that looked like it might be commemorating some War Heros. That was my impression. Maybe it was because the motorcycle that looked like the one Indiana Jones stole from the Nazis in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. I wanted to take a closer look but I couldn't as pretty much as soon as I spotted it our stragglers caught up and off we drove, to new adventures and a tasty lunch. I had some really good homemade lemonade. I think I was trying to drink less pop/ soda. See what I mean about memory?

When dad talked about the statue, I remembered all of this. What I couldn't remember is- was there one rider or two? Or maybe one guy on the motorcycle and one in a side car? Or was the side car idea coming from the Indiana Jones movie? I thought the guys looked militaryish and I remembered it was a bronze statue...

The next day on my way home I resolved to stop in Santa Paula and find the statue. My fickle memory came in handy because I remembered the street we came in on that went by the statue was either 7th or 10th Street. Yes, not only do I remember what I had for lunch on that sunny day over four years ago, but I also remember the name of the street that we drove into Santa Paula on. Am I weird? I pulled off the 126 highway at 10th Street, drove through the picturesque down town and found (right by the railroad tracks) a bronze statue of two police officers riding motorcycles that still looks like the one in the Indiana Jones movie. No side car, though.

Apparently I have a visual memory.

Since I was not in a long line of Buick SUVS during a Buick SUV club drive, I was able to pull over and get out and read the inscription. The inscription reveled the two were police officers residing in Santa Paula who received news of the impeding doom via a telephone operator. They did not actually witness the dam break, but upon hearing the news they jumped on their bikes and notified many people in the low lying areas of Santa Paula.

Can you see why my overall impression when viewing this statue for a few moments from inside my car was of a military person?

Maybe I can't remember how old I am or that time sheets are due every other Thursday, but I can find the location of a statue I saw once for a few moments in a town I've never been to before or since, four years ago...

Maybe I should start making more visual aids.

Besides exercising my apparently amazing long term memory, I was able to offer aid to a local motorcycle rider who saw me with my camera and enlisted me in taking a picture of him and his motorcycle in front of the statue so he could load it into the digital picture frame he bought is 90 year old mother for Christmas. Of course he had trouble understanding my name, but he was polite enough to blame it on the earplugs he was wearing. A nice guy. I wonder what other pictures he took that day? I guess I'll never know, but I'm sure his mom will like all of them.

Well- I'm off to eat one of my three usual dinners. I won't tell you what they are so I don't embarrass myself.

**why is it my formatting always disintegrates at the end? Where are the spaces between my paragraphs??