Another comment about Uncle Harlin . . .
Sacramento Audubon Society
Uncle Harlin Third from Right
Uncle Harlin Third from Right
Dan Kopp, a real estate agent in Sacramento, California, left a comment on my blog of Uncle Harlin's obituary:
Harlin was a fixture on Sacramento Audubon field trips; in fact, if you look at the Sacramento Audubon Facebook page you will see Harlin in the top banner photo.Thanks for that tip - I've 'borrowed' the photo. If you look, you'll find Harlin third from the right, a partially hidden, stooped but still tall old man.
Several of us had, and will retain, many Harlin-isms. He was a tad cantankerous, but so am I, had a habit of elbowing folks away from spotting scopes so he could get a look (he often became miffed if someone took more than three seconds to look) and let you know exactly what he thought about anything!Not a politically correct fellow in some of those opinions, I'd bet:
He forever changed my vocabulary regarding what we all used to call telephone polls: "they're utility poles!" he would half-way shout in frustration.I think I also underwent that learning experience with him once. Let's see what else he did:
Every field trip to Bodega Bay he would insist on getting clam chowder . . . [around] noon, even though the trip write-up said to bring lunch and liquids, so as to keep the down time to a minimum . . . he still made whoever brought him break away from the group to take him to The Tides restaurant for his clam chowder.Well, he probably earned that chowder, living as long as he did and prowling around for birds despite his age.
I believe I last saw Harlin in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco earlier this year, while there for a rare bird, a Rustic Bunting. The man did get around despite his age and decreasing mobility; as you know, he birded right to the last day.Yes, that's what my brother Shan told me. Anything else?
I could probably go on but there others in Sacramento Audubon who spent a lot more time with him; hopefully they will add some more stories.Add more, everybody! This could turn out to be a very informed obituary after all, so if you have any stories to add, then add them there.
And thanks to Dan Kopp for more about Harlin!
Labels: Family, Friends, Harlin Perryman, Humor
posted by Horace Jeffery Hodges @ 5:59 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Very nice comments about your uncle.
In case you did not know, Bodega Bay and Bodega are towns where many scenes of the movie "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock were filmed. Brenda and I spent five days in a town just south of there called Valley Ford, which is not much more than a wide spot in the road, but the Valley Ford Inn had a world class chef. We actually took wine, cheese, and meat down to the Bodega Bay wharf and had a picnic lunch. The "church" scene in the movie was filmed in Bodega and there was a fine rustic bar just below it where we partook of local brews. If we had known of Uncle Harlin at that time we could have looked him up.
Jay
Thanks, Jay. I think you would have liked Uncle Harlin.
Jeffery Hodges
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Uncle Harlin was one of a kind as we'd say. I was able to get to know him better as an adult and even spent a long weekend with he and Betty that was full of good red wine and thoughtful discourse. I will miss him.
I've missed him for 18 years - that's about when we lost contact.
Jeffery Hodges
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