Memories of Tavia Iris Widder

In memory of

Tavia Iris Widder

Durango, CO

February 6, 1943 - September 22, 2023

Feb 6, 1943 - Sep 22, 2023

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John Paul stanley

Hi ,my name is Paul Stanley,i was friends with Tavia (Bird Lady) i lived in Farmington,met her one evening at Bondad Bar at a semi biker party,gave her a ride home but 1st she showed me her TP. What a surprise! She went through the TP lighting one candel after another after each revealing its contents around it on the floor, on tables, hanging from the walls.I use to come up to visit,we sit around getting stoned, she told me once how she wanted to add a glass atrium onto her upsataries bedroom pointing out where exatly,i recomended she add on a stoop of sorts with a continues long cushins atop so could sit ontop up close to the widow looking outside over the valley especially on a snowy day.After the atrium had been built she showed me it saying she appriciated so much my recomendation that everytime she sit relaxing on it looking out she think of me.I came over once she showed me her new water purifier giving me a glass of water explaing how the water had no taste how it went through a charco flter to give it taste.her eletrice wire fence to keep her big dog in the area.Back when those boys broke into the casino near Cortez she told me she once dated one of the boys father who lived not far from her in Wild Cat canyon. The girl she rented the TP out to who's one of many jobs was working for Outward Bond.How this girl mother sent her a satilite phone so she could always be able to reach her daughter ,evidently the girl didnt want the phone and through it off into the vally below the house.Tavia later searched for it but never found it.The girl wintered over loving living in the tent with all the snow around it,Once the head of Outward Bond contacted this girl saying she had a special assingment for her.The trip began from Durango in big land Crusier along with additional vehicles around it.Inside with her was one other girl and a very big guy .The caravan left Durango headed to their destination to Big Bend Nat. Park i believe it was? Once after they crossed over the border into Az. the big guy told the girl he'd been instruted to now explaine everything,he asked her if she recongnized the other girl? She said sorta but not really? He then told her he like to introduce her to Chelsia Clinton! Chelsia handed out her hand to her shacking it.The trip went very well the Outward Bound girl was very impressed with the presidents daughter determination to achieve all chalanges and to acomplish them while the secret service guys strugeled to keeo up.Strange conection how this girl was chosen by the top of Outward Bound for this special trip and who her family was and the busniess her family owned? Her family owned the company that sales the USA flags and their #1 customer was the US goverment for all military and goverment services.I met her only once when i was by for a visit.Tavia showed me a few black & white photos of her long ago wearing a belly dancer outfit,she told me about how she was once a flight attendent for American air but fell in love got married ending her carrier as a flight attendent because back then Flight attendents were suposed to be singale and avaliable a sort of male fantasy.Her husband passed away early.Tavia was left to find a job to suport her and her family ,she became a profesional Belly Dancer a favoriate to the sheiks and guest at special parties in the Middel East and events. To open her performance she had several very musulare black men carry in a rolled up Persian rug atop their shoulders kneeing down they place the rug onto the floor gently but as they stood they'd hold onto the edge of the rug pulling it unrolling the rug with Tavia inside it,she raise up slowly from the floor to her feet dancing her belly dance to great surprise to the audiance! People in the M.E. were quite taken by her because of her proffesinalism her her dance (she nailed it!) and her blond hair and great beauty!Believe she was well paid.Oh yea.. she got her contacts in the M.E. from her time when she was a flight attendent with American Air. Guess she was quite a flirt making a lot of friends and gathering busniess cards that she later used when she was prepared to be a belly dancer. Flash Back...When i 1st started working in the M.E. I was layed over in a nice hotel in Barain waiting for my work VISA to Saudi to be prossesd at the Saudi Embassy in Barain.On the top most floor was a restraunt with a great view over Barain,on my 1st night there was going to be a proffesional belly Dancer costing a $100 for a seat to watch her show.I watched the show at the same time thinking of my friend from long ago Tavia and this story as i've shared with U just mentioned. I'm unsure how i lost contact with Tavia ? I went by to visit her once just prior to my deccision to relocate from Farminton to Ko Samui Thailand .This was before the NY bombings,before the use or my use much of the internet.I would work summers in Alaska and winter over in Samuie till i'd run out of $ around April returning to Alaska to $ up again,but after the bombings this all came to a abrute end,then was the time i decided to leave the USA ,thats when i went by to say by to Tavia just prioer to my leaving. She returned to me a old post card i'd accidently left at her house from my visit before.This post card has a photo on it like most all post cards had.The photo is of a swatt vehicle painted in camofloug with a police swat tem along the side some squating in the front row the rest standing in the back row. They are all wearing black ski hoods with only their eyes visable .On the back side is some writting in Portagese . Telling u whoever read this cause i believe even after Tavia handed me back this very special post card i ended up leaviing it at her house again.If U find it please dont throw it away! Try ti find someone who can read Portagies (Brazil) to read it to u. This card along with some other items came in very handy opening doors and getting me out of some messes while i traveled cross country in Brazil 1st part of year 2000. 2 simulare things me and Tavia had were flying American Air my cousine was a flight atendent for American and she used to give me free D - 3 stand by flight passes ,and Tavia was on SSI disabilty payments from a head injury and so was i before i met Tavia from a accident (head injury) in 1979 way before i met her.Plus we liked smoking high grade pot i had conections for out of Durango. Please do contact me! Like to hear more about Tavia after i left! So very sorry to hear from Jane Shockley yesterday about Tavia's passing! Jan knew Tavia a little bit .When she wrote me after she was in the human society there was a ad for a pigeon that was the only survivor of 35 birds after owner died .Oh yea i rember those noisy birds!Especially as dawn would come the birds awake and waken me asleep on the couch not far away way before my normal time to wake up.Remember Tavia walking around in the big bird cage feedig and watering the birds laughing as she tried to keep that bid wide brim hat ontop of her head she wore to keep the birds from crapping on her. As i wrote not sure who or if anyone will read this?Tavia had a daughter dont recall if i ever met U? Hopefully Tavia might of mentioned me? To whome ever please contact me through Facebook friends? look for John Stanley Happily Retired Baguio,Philippine .Profile photo of a friend of mine wearing glasses and white hair in the foreground and me in the background in the photo As i wrote i'd love to hear more stories about Tavia! I was so very lucky to of had her in a page of GREAT Memories in my life from Way back then!!!

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