In our basement, called the recreation room, is a large sailfish on the west wall. I want to tell you how it got there. When Bill Avery was governor, he and about six other governors were invited to Mexico. My husband was going along to cover it for the Kansas City Star. They generally left from Topeka but the Governor made arrangements for Ray to be picked up in Olathe so I could have a car while he was gone. Our youngest son, Scott, went with us to Olathe Air base. He was not in school yet. We waved goodbye to him and then I drove home from Olathe. A few weeks later they were coming back. They were landing in Kansas City so we went to meet the plane. As they got off the plane the other reporters said "You have got to let him keep it." I did not know what. About three weeks later we had a large box delivered to our door. It looked like a coffin but contained a stuffed 5 foot sailfish. With help from people we got it on the west wall of the recreation room.
I was a Boy Scout den mother and my den met in the recreation room. We passed a new rule. If you hit the sailfish you were out. Ray said they got to Acapulco and had a day off so went fishing. Two sailfish were caught. His was one of them. A photographer got the other but did not have it stuffed. It is in excellent condition as a nice cool basement is a good place to live for a dead sailfish. Ray was very proud of it. I was never sure whether I was grateful to the Governor or not.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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