Connie Dagoon was born in Davao City in the Philippines on December 8, 1967 to Eliseo Dagoon and Anecia Aguilon. She was a precocious child and spent more time outdoors than indoors. Her father not being the fatherly type soon left the picture and eventually Connie’s mother sued for a divorce. Connie never really had the time to really get to know him because he left when she was quite young. Anecia, being a lovely young lady even being with one child had no problem attracting the attention of a new suitor. She soon after the annulment was finalized married a likely young man named Manuel Salazar. He raised Connie as his own and in reality became her father. It wasn’t long before there were more siblings to keep Connie company. Helen was the first and was born in 1970, followed by Henry in 1972, Hazel in 1975, and last but not least, Hector in 1985. They were a close knit family. Manuel worked hard as a security guard to provide for his family as did Anecia. She made extra money as a seamstress. The children when old enough helped out as well by picking seasonal crops. Helen moved to Japan in search of work. She eventually settled there and married a native and now has two sons and is quite happy. Connie, my future wife was the second one to move out from the brood. She moved to the United States in 1994 on a visa. She married her Pen Pal sweetheart the same year and settled in Rhode Island. They were married three plus years before they eventually grew apart and were subsequently divorced. During this time, Connie was supporting herself working at a Catholic School teaching elementary level students. She met another good looking guy at a friend’s party. After a whirlwind romance they moved in together. Unfortunately, eternal bliss was not in the cards. Joe developed esophageal cancer and passed away after a gallant fight at the all too young age of 42. Having spent the last ten years with Joe, Connie was devastated and became a virtual hermit by packing what she could fit in a car and leaving Rhode Island for parts unknown. Before leaving, she donated the rest of her belongings to a local nunnery. She pushed and pulled her car all the way to the west where she became one with the prairie dogs in Arizona in 2013. She soon found a job working for the National Park Service at the Ol’ Grand Canyon. She hiked till her shoes fell off and left when all the trails were all exhausted. She canoed down the Mighty Colorado River with her trusty car in tow on a raft behind her. Just kidding, boy, you are so gullible. Eventually she ended up in Utah where she obtained gainful employ at Zion National Park. She worked there for seven months before meeting her Sir Galahad.
On one of her extended run of days off, she joined a Las Vegas Meet-Up group traveling to Havasupai Falls in Arizona. The group, due to its large size had two campsites reserved for its members. Connie stopped at the first meet-up site to socialize and rest up. It just so happened that I was also camped at that site. There were several other members camped at the site as well. We all seemed to hit it off. As a matter of fact, we still keep in touch to this day eight years later. Connie ended staying at the larger group with a girlfriend of hers. That night we all hooked up for a party at that site. One thing lead to another and we started talking and the next thing you know we were an item. We spent the next two days hiking together. We all exchanged contact information before we went our own ways. Connie made a few trips back to Las Vegas to meet up with the other members of our little group. I, unfortunately was working on those occasions. We finally set up a breakfast date together at a local French cafe. I met her there after I finished my night shift at my hospital. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, I was sick as a dog. But something told me not to miss this chance. I just had the feeling that she was the one. So I dragged my sorry ass over to the restaurant. When I saw her all dressed up in her tight jeans I knew she was definitely the one. While eating our breakfasts we planned out our next meeting place, this time on her home turf, Zion NP. I stayed at a hotel close to the park. I did some hiking while she worked and then we went out afterwards. We hiked some more the next day. The next week I made a repeat trip to Utah and did an outdoor photoshoot with Connie. Never one to let sleeping dogs lie I soon thereafter asked her to move in with me. I knew it was the right thing to do even though the situation was less than optimal. While I lived in a 4,000 square foot house, it was a little crowded with a legally separated wife and a roommate living with me. I am still amazed to this day that she agreed to move into a rattlesnake pit like that. I think she sensed the same thing that I did that it was meant to be despite the obstacles placed in our way. We have been together a total of eight years now with seven of those years as husband and wife. They have been an amazing eight years and I could not be happier. Well, I could be rich as well, LOL.
Connie loves the outdoors, hiking in particular, as well as gardening. She is a stay at home housewife who besides enjoying the outdoors, is an amazing cook, much to my chagrin . She is also a very talented photographer and does all of her own product shots for her online Etsy business. She also enjoys traveling as much as I do. Unfortunately over the last two years, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not had the ability to travel very much and now thanks to the exorbitant gas prices, road trips have been put on hold as well.
Relax, I did not forget the rest of the siblings. Henry was the next to move out. He moved to Manila where he is a big cheese at local police department. He has a beautiful wife and three lovely children. Hazel remained at home and is raising one child on her own. Hazel helps with the house chores and assists her widowed mother in her business ventures. Hector, being the youngest was the last to move out. He lives close to his mother. He also has a lovely wife and his family tops out at four children. Following in his father’s footsteps he also works as a security guard.
