DEAR JUNE;I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF MY FRIENDS HERE IN MISSOURI(FROM SAN BRUNO) AND TOLD HIM THAT WHEN I WON THE LOTTERY,I WAS MOVING BACK TO THE COAST,BUYING THE GIFT SHOP IN PRINCENTON HARBOR AND RECREATING “GENE’S BEER AND PIZZA”.
I GUESS WHAT TRIGGERED THIS WAS READING THE HMB REVIEW YESTERDAY AND SEEING THE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN PRINCETON.
MY NAME IS GRAY GARDNER; I MOVED TO EL GRANADA IN OCT. 1967, SPENT MY FIRST NIGHT IN GENE’S, WOKE UP WITH A TREMENDOUS HANGOVER, HEARD THE SOUND OF THE WAVES, AND KNEW I WAS HOME.
TWO OF MY FRIENDS FROM MISSOURI WERE LIVING IN THE STUDIOS BEHIND THE HARDWARE STORE–I MOVED IN–AND LATER LIVED ON TOP OF THE HARDWARE STORE WHEN REX BUILT THE APARTMENTS..
MY LAST FIVE YEARS I LIVED IN THE BEACH HOUSE BELOW THE “DISTILLERY” IN MOSS BEACH.
JOE DOSHER (“MIRAMAR JOE”). IS STILL A CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE AS WELL AS DAVID AND PAT ANDREWS,WHO OWNED THE DISTILLERY.
I STILL GET BACK TO THE COAST AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR,BUT MISS THE “MINIATURE CANNERY ROW”. I WISH TODAY THAT I HAD TAKEN MORE PICTURES OF PEOPLE AND PLACES AND FEWER SUNSETS.
I’VE TOLD PEOPLE FOR YEARS THAT A LITTLE BIT OF “CANNERY ROW” WAS STILL ALIVE ON THE COAST WHEN I MOVED THERE,AND LASTED A LITTLE WHILE. I WONDER NOW WHERE THE POOR COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN AND COWBOYS GO TO DRINK AND FIGHT.
SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU’RE LIVING HISTORY,YOU ARE TOO MUCH IN THE MIDDLE OF IT TO KNOW.
I HAVE THE RAILROAD BOOK AND “HALF MOON BAY MEMORIES’ AND PLAN TO ADD YOUR “PRINCETON-BY-THE SEA ‘ BOOK.J UST WANTED TO SAY HI.
REGARDS-GRAY GARDNER
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS,MISSOURI