e-Compass – December 2015

A True Moose Tale -Dan & Gail Presley

Multop has had the privilege of assisting former ARCO/BP employee of 34 years, Dan Presley, effectively transition into retirement and is thrilled to hear what he and Gail have been up to. Here is one of Dan’s stories he has graciously shared with us to share with you.

When asked about his favorite aspect of retirement, Dan confidently replied, “being able to do what I want, when I want,” and since April of 2014 he has spent his time doing just that. Together, Dan and Gail have enjoyed fishing and taking trips in their RV with former coworkers, Robbie and Karen Haynes; Dan has also partaken in snowmobiling, flying his Citabria 7 GCBC two-seat plane, constructing a commercial-sized meat cooler, and hunting legal bull moose – can’t have a cooler without meat to fill it.

Dan’s love for hunting started when his father introduced him at the young age of ten, and he has kept it a family tradition and favorite pastime ever since.

One particularly dreary evening this September Dan, his brother Keith, and their friend Jeff set off for a weekend of hunting on the Kenai Peninsula. Dan split off from the group on horseback and had been riding for about an hour when he found himself ten miles from the nearest road, with rain bucketing down just as the clock passed 9:00PM; he spotted the moose. He rode closer, dismounted, tied up his horse and removed his rifle from its scabbard. Luckily, he was downwind and tucked behind some tall brush, allowing him to remain unnoticed. He lifted his rifle, aimed, and fired; bringing the buck down with one clean shot to the neck. Hesitantly, but with great excitement, he approached this giant and realized that his shot was a success. This was a mature bull with a beautiful rack of antlers and the biggest body mass Dan had ever seen. The fun was definitely over; now, the real work would start!

Dan immediately called the other guys; requesting assistance with the harvest, but by the time they reached him after their 45-minute drive with a horse trailer, Dan was nearly complete. With their help, Dan was able to finish packing up the hind quarters of his bull moose into panniers (a large basket or pack, often carried on the back of an animal).

By the time the dew started to settle, the men were ready to pack out. It was now 4:00AM and exhaustion had set in. From a distance, Dan heard a loud “waaaahh” (which he described as a moose bull sound) and assuming it was Keith just up the trail pulling a practical joke, echoed the loud call in return. Chuckling to himself and dismissing the notion, he heard the sound come again, “waaaahh.” Dan quickly suspected that this was a real bull moose and jumped atop the nearest log, giving back a loud cow (female moose) call in return.

From the stump he had a clear view of his brother who was indicating through sign language that there was a young bull moose with a cow within 150 yards of them. To be a legal animal a bull must stand a minimum of 50 inches tall with four brow tines on each side. The young bull, Robert and Linda Gistnow within 25 feet coming to investigate, met neither requirement. After the moose lost interest the trip back to Dan’s cabin was fairly uneventful.

Back at the cabin, Dan hung the moose in the aforementioned meat cooler and spent the remainder of the trip enjoying the local scenery and picking blueberries for his wife, Gail. She no longer participates in Dan’s hunting excursions, but still joins him on fishing trips with their friends Robbie and Karen Haynes, and has been enjoying time with their family.

The team here at Multop Financial is honored to contribute to Dan and Gail Presley’s comfort within retirement by providing investment advice and portfolio management. We eagerly await news of their next tremendous adventure!

Team Focus

A Mural at Camp Horizon – Danielle Thomas

7506 Gemini St., Blaine, WA 98230

In 1986, Bay Horizon Park became home to Camp Horizon; a summer camp owned and operated by the Lions Clubs of District 19H. It is a quality residential camping experience for individuals with special needs throughout the Pacific Northwest region and lower British Columbia. Counselors are paired with 2-3 campers and provide care and assistance for any of their needs including showering, toileting, dressing, transfers and walking assistance; to name a few. Camp activities consist of arts & crafts, bowling, talent shows, water play, horseback riding, relay races, team games, magicians, storytellers, camp fires and so much more.

Danielle held several summer positions at Camp Horizon between the years of 2007 and 2012, volunteering at Lions Club events and maintaining relationships with campers during the off-season. Danielle largely credits her perspective on life and understanding of basic human interactions to her involvement with Camp Horizon and the Lions Club of District 19H, which is why she quickly accepted the task of volunteering her time to add color to the walls of the dining hall.

The mural covers approximately 130 square feet on the south wall of the mess hall. The lion-head centerpiece consists of over 250 triangles geometrically pieced together, each of which has several layers of shading done with semi-gloss latex interior wall paint. Taking a step back, you will see larger triangles of analogous paintings pin-wheeled together; the more sizable of which showcase an array of images that encompass the many ties this location has to the community.

Each of the outlying triangles tells its own story and represents a unique component to Camp Horizon:

A Simple Campsite: The red and orange triangle shows a campsite in a heavily wooded area to celebrate the rustic beauty of the Pacific Northwest, as well as the many nights spent singing songs around a warm fire.

The Radar Tower: As it would happen, Phil Multop, owner and founder of Multop Financial, has a personal connection to the park. Lions Camp Horizon Park now occupies the former location of the 757th Radar Squadron; the small US Air Force installation (commonly referred to as the Blaine Air Force Base) where Phil was stationed in the late sixties during his years of active duty. In 1979 the radar was removed, but the cement structure still stands tall at the end of Gemini Street overlooking the Lions Camp Horizon Park.

Mount Baker: A local landform peeks over a lupine covered hilltop. This particular image was based from a photo taken by Danielle on one of her many hikes along the Mount Baker Highway. You can see this view in person from the Skyline Divide trail.

Lyrics and Notes: You’ll find the lyrics “I hope you had the time of your life” from Green Day’s “Good Riddance” written above the corresponding music notes. At the end of the final meal of each camp session, all of the counselors link arms at the front of this very room, and join in song: “It’s something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life.”

Wheelchair by the Bay: When Danielle started working as a counselor at Camp Horizon a charter bus would take all of the campers and counselors down to the beach for games and a picnic-lunch. You may ask yourself why a man in a wheelchair would find himself at a beach at night; but at Camp Horizon they ask, why not?

Hot Air Balloons: One of the most popular activities at Camp Horizon is to gather in the back field and watch a hot air balloon inflate and rise off of the ground.

Hands: The blue and teal triangle is a collage of multi-colored hands with hearts in the palms representing the beauty you can find in the unity of the many colors, sizes, and abilities of individuals within any group. Among the hands are the prints of the Camp Directors, and Danielle herself.

“As I got older and had to start supporting myself it became less realistic to take summers off from work and still make ends meet,” Danielle explained. She still volunteers when time allows, but she said that being given the opportunity to paint this mural was a way for her to give back to the community while accommodating her busy schedule. Lions Camp Horizon Park offers rentals while camp is not in session so the mural can be enjoyed by those passing through. Multop Financial prides the diversity of interests, skill sets, and community involvement of our employees and looks forward to the many great things to come from each member of our team; thus making our team greater than the sum of its parts.

Maple-Pumpkin Custards

This recipe requires a few hours of chilling time, so make it early in the day. It comes together very quickly, and the results are wonderful … a rich, smooth custard with all the flavors of fall. I like this better than pumpkin pie! A nice perk is that it’s gluten free and only 200 calories per serving, but tastes like much more. I hope you give it a try! Bon appétit … Melanie.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups lowfat milk
4 large eggs
¾ cup maple syrup (use a high quality product)
¾ cup canned pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp. each of cinnamon and nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
Garnishes: all, or a combination of whipped cream, chopped nuts, crystallized ginger

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Put a kettle of water on for the hot water bath. Line a roasting pan with a dish towel.

Heat milk over low heat in a small saucepan until barely steaming, not boiling (watch the milk carefully, it can get hot very quickly!). Whisk eggs and syrup in a large bowl until smooth. Gently whisk in the warm milk (a little at a time so the eggs don’t cook). Add pumpkin puree, spices and salt. Whisk until blended.

Divide the mixture among six 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Place custard cups in the prepared roasting pan. Pour enough hot water in the roaster to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Use a kettle with a spout so you can easily pour the hot water around the dishes. Place the pan in the oven (carefully, as to not slosh water into the custard). Bake uncovered for 45 – 50 minutes or until the custard is set, but still quivers when shaken.
Transfer custard cups to a baking rack and cool for 45 minutes. Then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until well chilled. 4 hours is best.

Garnish with a drizzle of maple syrup and finely chopped walnuts or a sprinkling of crystallized ginger. Whipped cream is nice, too.

Wine pairing … golden dessert wine, such as Dolce from Napa Valley, or Iniskillin Vidal from Ontario. Make sure the ice wine is VERY cold. Dessert wine should also be very chilled. A nice cup of hot coffee or chai tea are also good companions to this dessert.

Download & print this recipe