WHY DO WE CELEBRATE OUR AGE?

In 1982, when I first met Paul Moeller, I gave him a cat my daughter hauled home from a goat show. He didn't want to take the cat without his wife seeing it first, but he did. Then he kept me informed and sent pictures of the cat's antics for the rest of its life. He lost his wife two years ago, and at lunch yesterday, he told me, "I reach for Martha's hand each morning before I'm fully awake. But our cat likes to sleep where she slept and I touch fur instead. It comforts me."

In 1983, he talked me into joining a Public Access group. Happiness for Paul is producing video of what goes on in the community. He loves to find raw talent, put a camera in someones hands and send them out to do video with minimal instruction. Learning comes later. I reluctantly at first, and then enthusiastically helped him produce around 80 videos. Paul has done thousands, so my part was very small.

Paul has suffered a stroke, a car accident, a broken femur and he can no longer drive. He is still happiest when producing videos for the Public, so he hires a driver to take him to the shoot, and at 86 years old, he still produces video. His driver is my housemate, Karen.
I learned a great deal from this man, and I treasure him as one of my best friends. It doesn't take much to realize that life is a journey and keeping active, no matter how hard, is what we do to make it all worthwhile.

Later in the evening, Karen and I drove to the Pizza Factory and joined my two brothers to celebrate my birthday. Theresa and Clark, me, Bill and Karen.

The same photo with Jan.  Some friends are as much a part of the family as family.  I'm fortunate to have three brothers out of five still living. So, we count our blessings and say, life is good, and then we make it so. Stay as healthy as we can, do for others, overcome adversity, smile and be happy.

RANDY VINING'S STEALTH RV

Randy Vining is a unique character who chooses to live full time traveling the country in his "stealth" RV. When Randy stopped in Murphys for a few days, Producer, Paul Moeller decided to feature his interesting vehicle and lifestyle on a program for Public Access.
Randy likes the anonymity his vehicle gives him. He can pull into any parking lot, or reasonable space and stop for lunch, or a nap, or wait out a storm, then pick up and be on his way.
The vehicle is a featherweight cargo trailer converted through his own inventiveness into 84 sq. feet of living space. It contains a shower, toilet, holding tanks, refrigerator, stove and a bed. Not that you can see them. The vents are really windows. He has solar panels on the roof. Its hard to believe that he can manage his favorite radio station, television, a computer desk and all of the comforts of what the rest of us call home, in such a small space. RVers tend to live light inside and heavy outside where the weather is pleasant and cares are few. (No mortgage). Randy has been retired for 35 years, much of it spent on the road, and wouldn't want to live any other way. Travel as a way of life gives him the time to write his poetry, philosophical essays, indulge his curiousity about people he meets, and visit quirky places in this country most of us have never heard about. Check him out at www.http://cheaprvliving.com/StealthCargoTrailer.html and mobilecodger.blogspot.com. I loved hearing his stories from the road. Local Access in Calaveras County is Channel 7.

PUBLIC ACCESS IN THE MOTHERLODE

When I first moved to the Mother Lode, people would ask me, "What do you do?" Inherent in that question was another, 'aren't you bored?' Nobody asks that anymore, and, I've never been bored. Paul Moeller is known in the area as Mr. Community Television. He started Calaveras Community Television in 1983. He went on to help nearby Amador, and Tuolumne Counties start their access programs. He taught video classes at Columbia College and at every school in the county. He promoted building a studio and it was built with the expertise of a volunteer contractor and volunteer labor. A stunning achievment. Paul is an indefatigable producer recognized everywhere he goes. He has produced 5,000 shows for Public Access in Calaveras County. At 82 years old, he is still shooting every week.
Here he is taping myself and the Ramblin Man, Jim Jaillet and interestingly, Jim has produced 95 Public Access programs for Olympia Public Access in Washington State and I've worked on over 85 programs for Public Access here in Calaveras County, mostly as an anchor. There are activities for every interest in the Motherlode. I'm probably biased but I think Calaveras County is the jewel of the Motherlode.