I never even noticed there was a MSA :( I wonder what I haven't found on this site...LOL
Just entered my shot in the MSA Gallery
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I never even noticed there was a MSA :( I wonder what I haven't found on this site...LOL
Just entered my shot in the MSA Gallery
Welcome Xia Ke to MSA Gallery. Now that you've found us, stick around for upcoming assignments! Thanks for posting! ;)
So here's my post. Actually I posted two. The beach my wife and I go to relax and my wife waiting patiently with out two little dogs while I fiddle with my cameras.:)
In the 1920's a young man accompanied his parents, sisters and brothers on a move from Eastern Ontario to the mining, farming and lumbering country of Northern Ontario. They settled their farm, lived, worked hard and started to prosper. In 1939 this young man and two brothers volunteered for the Canadian Army and then spent six years training in England and fighting in Europe before coming home in 1946. We never heard what happened, but one brother moved away, one worked diamond drill rigs and slowly drank himself to death, and this young man bought a veterans lot next to his Dad and started his own farm. Until his death, he never left the farm except to hunt, fish, and go to funerals. He prospected passionately, and was awarded an honorary lifetime prospectors permit by the Ontario government. He died a couple of years ago at almost 90 years of age.
His name was Ed. I married his niece.
I met Ed in 1978. He and one brother were still farming then, milking and separating by hand, and keeping the cream in a spring fed cooler to be sold to the local dairy. I spent many hours sitting with my back against their cookstove, drinking thick black tea and talking. Ed was a conspiracy theorist with a deep distrust of government and we used to argue about stuff like that. About a year before his death, he let me drive him into th e hospital for some tests, and we were talking about something that led to a bet for a case of beer - I don't remember what we were talking about. Some months later his health finally failed, and as he went out of the house on a stretcher, he gave his brother a $20 bill and told him to give it to me in payment of the bet. He died shortly after. We bought a case of beer with the money and had one at his "grave".
He didn't want a grave or a stone or a funeral. He gave his brother very firm instructions and they were followed. Here's where his ashes are scattered. It's where he used to sit and watch as moose, bears, foxes and other assorted animals would go about their travels. Only a few of us know where it is, so one day I decided I'd make the photo. The gray box at the base of the tree is the box his ashes came home in.
http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u...ave-750pxw.jpg
I miss Ed (and his brother - who has also passed away), but life goes on and I see both the old guys every time I see the rest of my sweethearts family. Here's the rest of the crew in another spot that's close to us. It's a cemetary that can only be accessed during the summer. It's about two miles into the bush on a sand/gravel road, but it's a nice spot for a visit. My sweethearts parents and sister are buried here as are a lot of her Aunts and Uncles. This is where I helped dig the grave for her cousins Dad. Her cousin was my best man when we got married. It's a peaceful place. We sometimes go and have lunch and a couple of beers when the weather is nice.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...ily-750pxw.jpg
Life goes on .....
cheers eh?
A marvellous image and a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing something so personal with us John.
Thank you Dinesh. The pictures are easy, it's the stories that are a bit difficult.
For the rest of you who think you "might" have a special item or place or person to post a photo of, or possibly even a story to go along with the photo(s), there's only today and tomorrow left, so get posting and let us see what your heart holds!
Barbara Ann will be making her winners choice over the next few days and the victim ... err ... winner :) will be leading the Jan/Feb 2008 MSA session.
cheers eh?
Hey Jim, thanks for sharing your photos with us! Many of us have patient family members or friends who wait for 'us' while we do our thing. Perhaps something related to this could be a future assignment. Something like, "The Things Our Loved Ones Do While We Fiddle With Our Cameras ", or something like that. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by jimagain
The view from your favorite beach looks like an exciting place to photograph from!
Thanks again! :)
Marc
Everyone needs a place to clear one's mind and your place is beautiful!Quote:
Originally Posted by Xia_Ke
Marc
Hey John,Quote:
Originally Posted by John Bartley
What a great story/photo combination! I could feel your emotion as I read your story and looked at the photographs, which were well done, by the way. Cool stuff.
Thank you,
Marc
Ok Folks .... the September / October 2007 MSA assignment has run its course and I'm told that Barbara Ann has already selected a victim ...errr - ummm ... WINNER to lead the Jan/Feb 2008 MSA.
Barbara Ann will be posting here very shortly to tell us about her decision so stay tuned for that and also for a new thread starting the next round.
cheers for now eh?
Barbara Ann ... ??? It's all yours !!! :)