Kathy and Me

While we were preparing Mom's celebration of life, my cousin David was kind enough to send me a bunch of photographs, which I used in the event's slideshow. I didn't use this one, since Mom isn't in it, but I'm still quite happy to have this photo of my cousin Kathy and me in Devon, Alberta, from around 1988. Shockingly, this may be the last time I saw Kathy in person. 

The Last Photo of Dad

Dad died four years ago today. This is the last photo in which he appears, at least that I'm aware of; one of my cousins or aunts or uncles on Mom's side must have taken it, sent it to Mom, who then must have sent it to me. Or maybe my cousin David (seen here between Mom and Dad) sent it. 

The saddest thing about photos of loved ones is that one such photo will be the last, and you likely won't even know it for a while. This photo was shot near Salt Lake, Manitoba, on August 11, 2018. While this was happening, Sylvia and I were with her parents at a dinner theatre show in West Edmonton Mall. A little over a month later, Sylvia and I left the car in Leduc with Mom and Dad just before we flew to New York. Dad's colour was off that day, but at the time we didn't understand the significance of it. 

Just before we returned, Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was gone a few weeks later. At the time, I honestly thought he was going to be okay; I think maybe my brain wasn't allowing any other possibility.  Even when the doctors had to call off the operation that had a chance to save him, I thought they would just try again another day. They didn't; they couldn't. 

So Dad moved on, and all of us miss him. He was a good man. I wish he was still here; for our sake, sure, but more because Dad was still enjoying life and I feel like he had more he wanted to do. 

That's all. 
 

Barbara and Earl

Thanks once again to my cousin David Newton, here's another blast from the past: a photo of me sitting on the lap of David's sister Barbara, who recently retired from her nursing career. 

Earl and Darwin II

It's still 1971, and Darwin Jones (right) and I are captured here sampling goodies during the 40th wedding anniversary celebration of our maternal grandparents. Once again, this photo was scanned by our mutual cousin David Newton. 

Earl and Darwin, 1971

Thanks to my cousin David Newton, who scanned this image of me putting a funnel on the head of our mutual cousin Darwin Jones. 1971. 

Earl and a Garden Gnome

Here's another of the images my cousin David sent over: me with a garden gnome, maybe a day or two before or after yesterday's image. 

Summer of '70

Here's a nice discovery - a photo of Mom and Dad and me that I've never seen before, shot in the summer of 1970 in southern Manitoba. My cousin David has been going through some old family photos and thoughtfully sent this along. 

Salt Lake Sunset

On August 11, Mom and Dad journeyed to Salt Lake (near Virden) for a community gathering and captured this sunset. It was 39 degrees C - a great day for a swim, and many locals took advantage.

 Here are Mom and Dad with my cousin David on the day. 

Streamer's

My cousin David Newton called my attention to this Winnipeg Free Press story about Streamer's, the independent hardware store in Cranberry Portage, Manitoba, where my grandmother lived until her recent move to nearby Flin Flon. When we lived in northern Manitoba, our stops to visit Grandma in Cranberry Portage were often punctuated by visits to Streamer's, usually to pick up fishing equipment. I took the photo above in 2006, when I drove Sylvia up to see Leaf Rapids.

According to the Free Press story, Streamer's has been around since 1928. Not bad for a small store in a tiny community on the edge of the edge of nowhere. 

Postscript: Arson on the Road to the Edge of Nowhere

A couple of weeks back, I documented the trip Sean and I made to Manitoba, including our stop at the old Etsell farm. I'm doubly glad we went, because scarcely a year later, some miscreants burned the old Etsell house, home of our mother and aunts, to the ground.

Photos courtesy of my cousin David.

It was indeed arson, at least according to witnesses. A lightning strike or other natural cause would have been sad, but much easier to bear than this senseless vandalism. Thankfully no one was hurt, and I hope the perpetrators are caught and punished and never do anything this stupid again.

Return to the Edge of Nowhere, Part IV

Read Part I

Read Part II

Read Part III

Mom and her sisters - Margaret, Marjorie and Jean, plus their husbands - travelled from Winnipeg, the BC interior and Edmonton, respectively, to take part in this ceremony, which featured a bagpiper, cake, speeches (including Mom's) and coverage by the local media.

It was quite an affair, and Mom was delighted to see her sisters, brothers-in-law and old friends from Manitoba.

It was doubly nice to see kids frolicking in the lake, as Grandma and Granddad intended. 

Of course they did so at their own risk...

Sean and I worked on the phrasing for the cairn.

There remains, however, some controversy over which Woods brother can claim final credit for the draft as engraved.

(Unfortunately, the memory card filled up instants before the cairn was unveiled.)

Uncle John and Dad share a laugh.

Earl and his cousin David Newton. Some people say there's a family resemblance.

But I don't see it.