A tribute

Harley Waldrop was a true Alaskan. He would disappear for a few weeks. Then reappear and act as if he'd never been gone.

He was a poster child for the old saying of when someone was full of piss and vinegar.

Mostly he was our friend. The friendship between Harley and my husband started in Friona, Texas in 1971.

Long before I'd ever meet Harley, I'd heard about him. Then one day, when we had our shop in Homer, this old hillbilly waltzed in. Harley didn't recognize Roger, nor did Roger recognize him. But they talked. And talked. And talked. They learned they'd both lived in Friona during the same time. They learned they'd both worked at the same place at the same time.

Roger told him a story about this guy he used to work with. The guy was jumpy and when Roger was very new to the job, someone poked this other guy in the ribs. His arms flew out and he punched Roger. Roger's pretty small. For years I'd heard about this huge guy that punched him.

The guy in our shop just stared at Roger. "That was me," he said. Almost thirty years later and their friendship was renewed, far away from Texas.

Harley was a great friend. During our darkest days, when we thought Roger wouldn't be with us much longer, Harley was only a phone call away. When I needed help, or just a break, Harley was there. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Roger.

There wasn't anything Roger and Harley wouldn't fight about. When the two of them got together, they sounded like an old married couple. I'd sit back in amazement, wondering which one would drive the other one crazy first.

Harley disappeared a few weeks ago. He called Roger and said they needed to do a little adjustment at the hospital. When we didn't hear from him we assumed it was another one of his walkabouts. He was very famous for his walkabouts.

We learned today that Harley left us Sunday.

Godspeed Harley. You were the best pain in the ass I ever had the honor of knowing and calling my friend.

Roger misses you. I miss you.

Give Barbara a hug for us.