Meet Dale

Meet Dale Chorman

Dale lives in Homer Alaska, where I intend to travel to next year. I was hoping to go this year with Rona but work and her treatments conspired against us.

Dale was probably my favorite cousin growing up. I was quite a bit younger then my Uncle's children so really didn't know them, hang around with them, play with them as my sisters did. It seems like my Mom and Dad and my Uncle had planned their children. Mom and Dad would have a child, then Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Nancy would have a child. Then Mom and Dad had another, Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Nancy had another. Until of course they had me -- Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Nancy said no thanks at that point!

Being so much younger I really looked up to Dale. He was everything I wanted to be. He knew all of the birds, all of the animals. He could mimic any bird call or song, and he could hear just a bit of a song and identify the bird right off. He could name any plant, any tree. And he was kind and gentle and always always so kind to me (and remember being so much younger that wasn't always the case wtih older siblings and cousins! Everyone needs SOMEONE to pick on and I was a pretty easy target!). He wanted to be a veternarian, I wanted to be a veternarian. He wanted to travel the world, I wanted to travel the world.

Well neither of us became vets. But Dale surely pursued most of his other interests and goals. He has traveled the world, quite extensively. He suffered severe frostbite of his toes (eventually losing them and having plastic prothesis toes put in their place) getting caught in a winter storm in the French Pyrenees. And I've ridden by bike in the French Pyrenees.

He has travelled all over. He travelled extensively with Rona as well: Costa Rica, Hawaii, Machu Pichu, California, etc. And these aren't tourist trips. These are hiring a native and floating a raft down the river in the back country trips. I am truly jealous of his experiences, his courage, his sense of adventure and of all that he has seen. Well except for the yucky stuff, bugs, snakes and getting sick. The cool stuff, pretty scenic views, etc.

He learned carpentry from his dad, my dad and uncles. He obviously paid attention and was a good student as he has made most of his living in construction and has built some of the most amazing homes, lodges, cabins and etc. Rona shared that love with him, as you'll recall in a previous blog the tree house cabin she built by herself in Crested Butte, and the renovations she made to her house in Glenwood Springs.

Dale visited a friend in Alaska and fell in love, both with the views and with Diane. Together they married, made a home and had a wonderful son (who I've not yet met except for as an infant but hear wonderful stories about) Nathan. Dale took them all around the world, shared his love of nature with Nathan, and has truly carved out a life to be envious of.

In addition to being a master carpenter Dale was a commercial fisherman (until Exxon Valdez changed the scenery in Alaska), a naturalist and a guide. He learned his love of birds from Grandma Chorman, Uncle Ray and my dad. While I share his love of birds I definitely lack his attention to detail, willingness to study and knowledge. He can identify a bird by a call, or on a quick look at their pattern of flight or silhouette. He is amazing and it saves me all the trouble of learning them -- I can just ask Dale!

He is much more comfortable hiking a bovine trail, communing with nature, or watching for birds then in a crowded mall or busy street. And he is still the Dale I always loved so much as a child. Kind, gentle, caring, understanding. He always made me feel special as a child and nothing has changed all of these years later.

In every tragedy I seem to gain so much. With Rona's death I was able to re-connect with Dale. I know she very much wanted me to visit him and share his love of Alaska and all that is there. I have no intention of letting her down. I just wish we could have gone up there together.