After I retired from swimming I began a new era. My wife and I moved out to the pacific northwest near Portland, Oregon were there were rumors that eating fruit from the trees out there kept you younger and increased your age. For the next 33 years I mostly stayed there writing songs on guitar and rarely left other than to visit family or other personal matters. I loved to go hiking in the mountains out there were it was so beautiful and peacefull. My home was located on a hill near the mountains by Portland and overlooked a set of railroad tracks which always offered nice suprises.