Monday, July 1, 2013

THE SUN RETURNS AND A FINAL GOODBYE TO MOM

Good bye, Mom


The sun returned alright, with a vengeance!  We went from needing the heater to needing the air conditioner overnight.  Our high today of 32C is nothing like many parts of Western North America though.
The last while saw me gathering and organizing photographic material for my Mom’s memorial service which took place yesterday.  I put together a short slide show set to music with long pauses on each image so people had time to actually look at them then the funeral home employees projected the show on their large screen TVs.  I think it was the nicest service I have ever been to.  Our son Richard was the very able MC who held things together.  My brother Sam did a beautiful eulogy.  My sister’s Wendy and Becky along with Sam’s wife Sharon led us in three old hymns with great audience participation.  Several other people got up and shared memories.  There was a large turnout and lots of visiting occurred while sharing in the bountiful spread of food prepared mostly by our families.
This afternoon, a group of us travelled down Island to inter Mom and Dad’s ashes on the summit of Mt Prevost which was one of their favourite places during their courting years and for many years after.  Unfortunately, there was a steep hike involved so that meant many people wouldn’t have been able to attend. 
It is a relief to finally have all this behind us.  Aileen and I will soon depart Vancouver Island and try to resume our exploration of new areas and return visits to places we’ve seen in the past.  We have a few things to attend to in Salmon Arm so that’s where we will head July 17.  Our last commitment on the Island, so far, is the 65th wedding anniversary of one of Aileen’s cousins in Victoria.

Tomorrow we are going to Campbell River for a couple days then hope to find a quiet spot for a few days to put the last couple months behind us.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in this area is the Coombs Market.  The main building is known far and wide for the goats that live on the sod roof.

On the way home from the market, we saw this deer family on the side of the road


Sunset at Qualicum Beach the other night


The last resting place for my parents

The group who made the climb to inter the ashes.  That's me on the far right.

2 comments:

  1. So sorry for the loss of your Mother, John. It's always a very tough time.

    What a tremendous and thoughtful way to remember her though by interring your parents ashes at a place that held such importance and great memories for them.

    I admire you too for making the steep hike up to the top of Mt. Prevost - what a climb that is!

    Take care.

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  2. Thanks, Rick. Glad you and Paulette had a good time up there the other day. Mom and Dad can look down on our old farm which is now part of the golf course on the Cowichan Lake Highway as well as the farm Dad was raised on.

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