Day 54-Gary Brown Golden Boy

This morning I had the opportunity to visit my mom's brother, Uncle Gary, at an assisted-living home in Scottsdale, Arizona.  His older sisters, Annette and Nadeen (my mother) have both passed away.  We talked about his family and friends from Saint Johns, Arizona where he was born and raised.    He talked of his buddy Sonny Cowley and laughed as he thought of the escapades they had together.  We reminisced about Pioneer Days every July 24th with the parade, rodeo, and camparama.  He remembered when I ran a watermelon race once and came in second during the rodeo.  I can still close my eyes and see him dancing with my cousin Gail during an outside dance at the tennis or basketball courts.  Gary was always quite the dancer himself throughout his life.  He told me that Ester Farr in high school, though taller than him, was the best dancer. In his younger days, Uncle Gary had Paul Newman eyes, crystal blue, a charming smile, and chuckle to match; he was oh, so handsome.  We talked about the Rexall drugstore on the main street where we could sit at the fountain and order cherry-lemon Sprites or vanilla Cokes. We talked about his father, Grover Pratt Brown, being born and raised in Saint Johns, and how he fell in love with Jeffie May Duke as she rode in on a horse with her long black hair.  We visualized the house he grew up in where many grandchildren have spent summers in paradise.   He could recall the taste of the hot chili, Cora, a friend of my grandmother's would make;  a smile appeared on his face thinking of that delicious  fiery chili.  

There must be something alike about uncles because as a little girl there was no way I would ever try Cora's chili because spicy heat radiated from the jar, but Uncle Gary had no trouble.  Like Gary, our nephews in Arizona always remember when Uncle Rick drank a cup of hot salsa at a Mexican food restaurant.  After that they affectionately named him "The Wild Ricker."  Time has a way of traveling faster than we ever imagine, but memories and senses can help us recall moments in time as if they were yesterday.  Uncle Gary in his day was known as Gary Brown (GB) Golden Boy and though hard to see this in him now, I can remember when he wore the name well!