Fondly remembering an energetic Doug Ostling | Letters | Nov. 5

Published 4:21 pm Thursday, November 4, 2010

It is impossible to imagine the emotional impact this tragedy has had on Doug’s family and friends. The news reports were pretty much done in the Journalism 101 style. They included the “Who, What, Where, and When” but not much about Doug. For those who didn’t know Doug, let us add a little to the story.

We knew Doug from the time he was about 3 or 4 years old. Our son and Doug were classmates through high school, and his father and I worked for the phone company, commuting together for many years.

Over the years we hired Doug for a number of jobs and he became our “hired hand” when we had a small farm on Day Road. We had sheep which we turned over to Doug. He read up on raising sheep and took great care of them. He also helped my wife plant and maintain her rose garden. She remembers many enjoyable conversations from those times. Perhaps one of my favorite memories of Doug was the time he outran the yellow jackets.

Doug had cleaned out the stables, stacking the pile so it would start composting. About a month later he decided it was time to take the tractor and turn the pile. I heard a yelp and looked around.

The tractor was running with the bucket off the ground and Doug running full speed toward me. It seems yellow jackets had built a nest in the pile and Doug cut it in half with the bucket.

After putting ointment on the four or five stings he suffered, we looked at the tractor, still running, the angry yellow jackets, and at each other. We laughed until the tears ran down our cheeks and the tractor sat there until it ran out of gas.

This is the Doug we’ll remember. Be at peace now, dear friend.

Dick and Diane Culp

Bainbridge Island