What fun it was watching these little kids running around the fields like swarms of bees. Sure, the coaches tried ever so valiantly to keep order and teach teamwork, but the kids really just wanted to run in bunches.   At times, they actually lined up and took turns kicking the ball into the net and doing what they were told.  But, they were having much more fun chasing each other and knocking each other to the ground.  The coach would yell “Take the ball” and that’s exactly what one little boy did—he picked it up and ran with it!  If the ball wasn’t lined up perfectly in front of the net, one little girl  just picked it up and put it where she wanted.   I give the coaches a lot of credit for having such patience and, most of all, a good sense of humor!

This was a very special sponsorship because my grandson, Tyler, was part of the clinic. Seeing Tyler on the field was a truly bittersweet moment.  I felt so much joy in watching him run up and down the field and make all the mistakes the other three-year olds made.  A few times I heard myself yell, ‘Go Da–, Tyler.”  Dave’s name slipped out a couple of times.  I have to admit it wasn’t only the bright sun that made my eyes tear. To see Dave turn from one of the bees in the swarm to a great player was an amazing  journey; not only for him, but for me, too.

Who knows if soccer will be Tyler’s “thing” like it was Dave’s.  No matter what he decides to do, he’ll find his Grandma rooting him on—maybe not with a tray of oranges—but rooting him on nevertheless.

Now if it were Dave taking this trip, he’d want to sail down the river in a sampan Chinese Junk boat with a boatload of old, chain-smoking, toothless Chinese men.  Me?  A little comfort doesn’t hurt the experience!

We had been told that the view had drastically changed due to the purposeful flooding of the Yangtze River to prepare for the construction of the Three Gorge’s Dam and that the Gorges had lost most of their charm. But as we cruised away from the dock and the muddy waters of the Yangtze, we were pleasantly surprised to see the water color changing to a beautiful green and were wonderfully impressed by the dramatic vistas before us. There was no mistaking we were in China with the little villages dotting the mountainsides and the farmers along the riverside wearing modernized coolie hats.

I spread Dave’s ashes in a unique and beautiful place; the Wu Gorge at Goddess Peak.  It is a very well-known and starkly beautiful rock formation in the Yangtze River / Three Gorges.  As I sprinkled his ashes, I was once again overwhelmed to be in such an exotic place for Dave…in the green, green, waters of the Yangtze River in the middle of China! Of course, during the course of cruising along this area, several black butterflies flitted by.

There’s a myth that the Goddess watches over the boatmen on the river. Maybe now she’ll also watch over Dave.
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So, I went to China, but forging ahead alone in such a foreign country was not in the cards for me.  Sorry, Dave, but I had to take a tour for this one.

In my journal, I wrote, “As we neared the entrance to The Wall, I felt the emotions get the best of me–like when we approached Mt. McKinley.  Dave was supposed to make these trips and it just really hurts that I am seeing these spectacular places and it should be Dave; not me.  He’s the one who had such plans to travel the world.  I know he looked forward to this trip because he mentioned it to his friends and even, Jess, his buddy on the Survival Course.  I sure hope he was sitting on my shoulder!”

It wasn’t easy to climb The Wall. I huffed and puffed as I climbed the steep steps (and this was the “Easy Route!)  Part of the problem is that the steps differ in height so it throws off your cadence whether you’re going up or down.

There were other beautiful places in China where I sprinkled Dave’s ashes, but The Great Wall was the most special. 

It was something we planned to do together.
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The Causeway is an amazing rock formation along the shore. The rock columns are the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. The sea “instantly” cooled the rocks into their current hexagonal shape. From a distance they appear to be cigarettes standing on end. As unusual and striking as the formation is, we found the surrounding area to be even more beautiful and awe-inspiring. It had it all; the angry sea crashing on the rocks, the calm blue coves with the sea gently lapping the shore, the sheer cliffs, and the expansive green pastures with cattle, sheep and horses. It had been as spectacular as Mt McKinley—just in a different way.

It was a magnificent place to once again spread some of Dave’s ashes.

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The hike to the bridge was beautiful in itself, but as we rounded the bend to see the rope bridge, Rob, Bob, Jan, and I took a few deep, nervous breaths before we headed to the bridge.  We were a bit (actually, MORE than a bit) concerned because we had been told that the wind was very strong that day and the bridge could possibly be closed if the winds increased.  Seeing the swaying bridge caused some people to change their minds at the last minute.  But we anxiously moved on.

We had to carefully place one foot in front of the other while tightly holding the rope railings.  However, I clutched Dave’s ashes in my right fist so I could only rest my fist on the rope. The wind was buffeting us tremendously.  Once over the water, I opened my hand and instantly clutched the railing.  How exhilarating once we reached the other side!  The view was indescribable–the blue, blue water, the clear blue sky, wildflowers growing on the cliff sides.  The only problem was we had to walk back. Gulp!

We were told that sometimes people finally make it across and were so frightened that they wouldn’t walk back so boats had to be sent to the island to pick them up.  If we had done that, Dave would’ve hung his head in shame at such a “wussie” family.

Friends exclaimed, “What, are you crazy!!  You wouldn’t catch me doing that.”  I can only recall how many times I said those words to Dave. 

Well, Dave, I hope we did you proud.

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When the owner of the cottage heard our plight, his twenty-something daughter (who RUNS in the mountains) offered to be our guide to discover Slieve Martin in Rostrevor Forest.  (Dave would have approved of our guide.)

As we climbed past Fiddler’s Green, where music festivals are held, it began to rain–of course!  A day without rain in Ireland would be a miracle. But when the sun does come out, you realize that it’s worth a little rain to get the most amazing rainbows and the greenest of green landscapes.

As we reached the Cloughmore Stone, the sun came out. (Our “angels” were once again watching out for us!)  It was a beautiful view of Carlingford Lough with the Republic of Ireland on the far shore.  But the most beautiful part of this spot was the mountainside of different shades of violet heather.  It was absolutely spectacular and soooo Irish!!  There also was the amusing tale of how the rock arrived at this spot; the giant, Finn McCool, tossed the rock at his enemies and this is where is landed.

It was here in fields of heather and fragrant wildflowers of fireweed and milkweed that I sprinkled Dave’s ashes near a smaller rock off the path; a spot worthy of Dave.

We continued climbing amongst oak, ash, cypress, douglas fir, and hemlocks. In the open fields, the subtle heather was everywhere creating beautiful splashes of violet.

We climbed and rested and climbed and rested some more until we reached the top.  The winds buffeted us every which way, but the climb was definitely worth the view before us…a patchwork of little Irish towns and rolling hills.  At the peak is where Dave’s ashes were swept from my hand by the wind.  They literally took flight in every direction.

As we headed down the mountain, we were mesmerized by the brilliant green that surrounded us.  There were immense beds of clover and ferns. Even  some the tree trunks were covered in green moss.   With these surroundings, I half-expected a leprechaun to jump out at us.  It was a surreal  descent.

The winds of Ireland may have taken Dave’s ashes wherever it wanted, but no matter where they landed, I guarantee it was a beautiful place

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Scouting became a thread that ran through our family.  I was a Den Leader.  There were hikes, parades, Blue & Gold dinners, Camporees, Pinewood Derby competitions, trips to No-Be, and many badges awarded from Tiger Cubs to Star Scout.

Dave left scouting due to an unfortunate conflict between scouting and the several soccer teams that absorbed his time.  But even though he left scouting, scouting never left Dave.  He carried his love for the outdoors the rest of his life.

It is for this reason that we wanted to express our gratitude to the scouting community by contributing to the high adventure program for Troop 47 in Westwood.

Richard B of BSA provided this brief explanation of the high adventure program of Floodwood:

“Basically Floodwood is the Northern New Jersey’s High Adventure Base located in Tupper Lake, NY in the Adirondacks.  Floodwood offers week-long hiking and canoeing treks.  Treks are typically canoe treks that paddle around the Saranac Lakes area and camp on the islands along the way.  The area is fantastically beautiful and home to a number of wildlife!”

With all of Dave’s interests – scuba diving, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing—this type of program would have been right up Dave’s alley.

We hope this gift in Dave’s name helped make wonderful memories for a worthy young man.

When Dave and I marched in the St. Patrick’s Parade in 2006, we talked about the next reunion and how I really wanted to go, but didn’t have anyone interested in going with me.  When Dave said he would go with me, I happily looked forward to the next reunion.  Just a few months later, Dave was gone.

The reunion was a distant thought until I started receiving information about the McAteer World Gathering to be held in Ballyholland, No. Ireland. I then sadly remembered Dave’s promise.  I was truly uplifted when Rob, Bob and Jan agreed to go along with me. now

Dave would’ve loved this trip. We stayed in a little Irish cottage on the lush, green mountainside of the Mourne Mountains; mountains that were prone to daily rainbows; many double-decker beauties.  The Sitka pine blanketed the mountainside with horses and sheep dotting the landscape. There were beautiful wildflowers everywhere.  Despite the wind and cool temperatures, the tenacious Irish butterflies would sun themselves on our windowsill like little soldiers. 

No matter where we went in the countryside, the view was amazing, but none more spectacular than our own McAteer ancestral home.  The acres and acres of rolling farmland with cows, horses,  and sheep were separated only by hedges.  I sprinkled some of Dave’s ashes in the trees a few feet from the remains of the actual foundation of the McAteer ancestral home.  This spot overlooks the enchanting view of the expansive McAteer countryside.  (See picture above)

Dave met the fun-loving McAteers in New York, but he would’ve loved them even more on their own turf.  The McAteers love to party and we all know how Dave loved to party, too!  We had many laughs with our distant cousins, but knowing how easy-to-know Dave was,  I just know he would’ve made friends for life.

When the reunion ended, we continued our travels and discovered more spectacular places for Dave.  Stay tuned for more postings.

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Since Rob had great memories of scuba diving with Dave in Greece and Dave ultimately becoming a certified diver while in the Marshall Islands, what better way to remember Dave than for Rob to place a memorial under the sea!! Rob loved the idea because it was so different from anything else we had done to remember Dave.  Rob remembered Dave saying that diving was “almost like being in space.”  

The memorial consisted of a plaque that Cori and Ara contributed, a small piece of imitation coral that Rob hollowed out to hold Dave’s ashes, and for all of Dave’s friends, Scuba Steve.  At first, Rob wasn’t too sure about the Scuba Steve addition, but afterward commented that it was a good idea and that it added a bit of humor for Dave’s friends who smile at the story.

The morning was warm and sunny as we headed out to the Elkhorn Park snorkeling/dive site.  Lorne, the master diver, accompanied Rob while videotaping the scene.  Rob swam down to the ocean floor looking for the perfect site to place Dave’s plaque, coral and Scuba Steve.  He decided on a spot by a striking grouping of orange coral.  Rob was especially happy with the area because it is a popular dive site where many people will see Dave’s memorial.  He had to smile watching Scuba Steve “bobbin’ around down there.”  We’re sure Scuba Steve will break away and make his journey into the unknown–just like Dave.

We couldn’t leave Andros without visiting the AUTEC Naval Base where Dave was stationed.  We were fortunate that the contact person on the base remembered Dave.  Since the base is accessible only if escorted by a family member or friend, we were so grateful that Rhonda W. agreed to be our “friend” and personally give us a tour of the base.  She pointed out where Dave’s living quarters were, where he played soccer, went to the movies, and the beach he most likely wrote his poem, CROSSROADS. It was great seeing where Dave lived during his tour.  But most importantly, knowing that Rhonda remembered Dave “as being a friendly guy who always had a smile and was always willing to do what was needed to be done” meant the world to me.  They were sorry that he was leaving at the end of his tour.  Being that AUTEC is a restricted base, we were unable to take pictures, but that’s ok, because the pictures are permanently etched in my memory.

Well, our mission was accomplished.  It was time to leave.  We once again said our good-byes to Dave as we left a little bit of Dave under the sea off Andros Island.  I always blink back the tears as each new place falls in the distance.  I am so proud of doing this ‘for Dave,’ but I know I’m also doing it for me.  There are no goodie cartons to mail, Christmas and birthday gifts that I can give.  There’s no helping hand that I can extend to him.  There’s just these special ways I can remember him.  It helps me.  It makes me feel like I’m doing “something.”  I don’t know what else I can do.  There are over 20 places where we’ve “remembered Dave” and we’ve only just begun. 

Dave, are you watching?

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After a brief discussion to pique my interest, they sent me to the website www.geocaching.com where I learned that “Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices.  The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors (anywhere in the world) and then share your experiences online.  Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.  There are 1,111,199 active caches and an estimated 4-5 million geocachers worldwide.”

From my understanding, a member can locate caches by going to the website, entering a destination (city, country, etc.) and all caches within a certain radius will pop up.  Once the cache is found, the registered “travel bug” is removed to continue its travel by the person who found the cache, the logbook is signed, and the cache is returned to the exact spot for the next person to find.  Most people leave a token, such as a special coin or another “travel bug”, in the cache.  A message that the cache was found is then logged onto the site.

One of the caches that pop up for Andros Island is Dave’s LIFE IS GOOD travel bug.  This is what Jan wrote on the site:

“CURRENT GOAL: To travel internationally all over the world and all 50 states

LIFE IS GOOD is a celebration of Dave Buschow’s amazing life.  In his 29 short years, he lived his life to the fullest.  After serving in the Air Force for 4 years, he became an independent contractor working for overseas companies.  One of his year tours was on Andros Island, Bahamas, where we will start this TB’s journey.  He learned the balance between traveling and having adventures, to maintaining all his relationships with family and friends. ‘To a life that accepts Nature’s hand in sculpting an individual expression. Nothing is exempt. From the mellifluous rhythm and tone of the wind chime, to the transitional form of the cloud. Nothing exists alone.  All things thrive and whither in confluence with one another.  So it is; the paradox of our divinity.’  Dave Buschow–www.rememberdave.net”

Our recent trip to Andros Island in the Bahamas was Dave’s first cache.  We rode and walked our bikes up a very rocky trail.  A short distance off the path is where we found someone else’s cache.  We deposited Dave’s “travel bug” and general info and headed back.  Since it took over a year for the cache to be found by us, we thought it would be quite some time before Dave was on the move again.  But lo and behold, only three weeks later, it was discovered–coincidentally by someone visiting AUTEC.  Here is the message from the fellow who found it. 

“6/11/10 retrieved from Sunset View-Bahamas

I found this during some free time during my stay at AUTEC.  I will take it with me to the states when I return in a couple weeks. This was a great little hike to a scenic bay lookout.  Though the sun wasn’t shining when I got there, rain had started to fall, the ending was beautiful and the hike was great.  I knocked this cache out, along with the Rainbow Blue Hole, on the same day.  Many thank yous to the crew at Small Hope Bay Lodge for placing the cache.  I took the LIFE IS GOOD TB (travel bug) with plans of getting it back to the states.”

Thanks to Bob and Jan for knowing how important it is to me to find new and creative ways to keep Dave’s story alive and to allow him to continue his travels.

What’s Dave’s next destination?  We’ll keep you posted!!