Kevin, I echo what Ken said and send my condolences to you and your family. It was exactly one year to the day yesterday when my mother-in-law passed away. Circle your wagons around your wife and give her your love and support. My wife and I offer our prayers to you and her. Peace be with you all.
My condolences, Kevin. With each of my parents, and with my wife's much younger cousin, death (all in the past two years) provided a welcome relief from suffering. Nevertheless, each of those deaths was a significant loss for me and my wife, as well as the source of a meaningful reorientation to life and what is important.
Here are some more photos from the mountains of western Alberta. These are from Lake Louise where, I'm guessing, thousands of photos are taken per waking hour, every day, year 'round, because of its stunning beauty.
kwoodard wrote:
Well, the merciful thing happened last night when my mother in law passed. She, like my dad who passed in January, was in monumental amounts of pain at the end, so it truly was a mercy. Now we are dealing with selfish siblings who do not want to honor their mothers last wishes and do what they want. It's disgusting.
I'll join others among our cyber friends who've expressed their condolences Kevin. This evening I received an email from a friend who was informed today that her dear friend was approaching the end of his life. I wrote back to her making reference to leaving "the mortal coil." I know the reference from Shakespeare but did a quick search to make certain I'd used the term properly. This is what I found in the "Urban Dictionary."
The Mortal Coil is the understanding that we have been given the greatest gift, the gift of life, and with this gift we have also been given the knowledge that it will be taken away from us one day due to our mortality.
We all, as conscious beings on this Earth, must come to our own terms with "The Mortal Coil".
I appreciate that the simple fact we will all eventually come to the end of this life we've been given is no solace when it is a loved one who has died, but as so often happens, your mother-on-law's passing was in reality a relief. That seems to often be the case. So we celebrate a life and we accept the end as a gift even as the life was a gift.
Kevin, I just thought about something I read in January following the death of my friend Mary Beth who had ALS. She loved it and wanted me to read it during her memorial service. Perhaps it will speak to you...
Do not stand at my grave and weep --
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star light at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
kwoodard wrote:
Well, the merciful thing happened last night when my mother in law passed. She, like my dad who passed in January, was in monumental amounts of pain at the end, so it truly was a mercy. Now we are dealing with selfish siblings who do not want to honor their mothers last wishes and do what they want. It's disgusting.
My condolences Kevin (again ).
I hope your family will come to their senses and handle this with the deserved respect.
Thanks for all the likes and comments I appreciate it.
Glen I really like the last shot of the Alberta Mountains, It conveys "cold."
Raphael gotta love the Clampetts, their cars and their guns!
I was supposed to post these yesterday> More from the Arches National Park. In fact there a five shot left in my queue so I hope Fred does not mind me posting five today. The last is one used in Chevy, Ford, Dodge truck commercials.
Ken Hill wrote:
Thanks for all the likes and comments I appreciate it.
Glen I really like the last shot of the Alberta Mountains, It conveys "cold."
Raphael gotta love the Clampetts, their cars and their guns!
I was supposed to post these yesterday> More from the Arches National Park. In fact there a five shot left in my queue so I hope Fred does not mind me posting five today. The last is one used in Chevy, Ford, Dodge truck commercials.
One of my favorite places.
I have to ask, what PP did you do to your images? I would like to get back there someday, last time I was there was in 2003 and I had a pathetic little pocket Canon. When I get back I would like to shoot a lot and just curious as to the adjustments you made to these.
Rafael I love the Beverley Hillbillies .... such a wonderful depiction of that type of people !!
I notice too that Curtis is delighting us with his floral contributions again ....
Fabulous flowers .... though I have no way to match the technique of Curtis, I will offer a few from the French Alps
There were Black Petunias which I had never seen or heard of .... most black flowers to my mind are actually very dark purple ..... I think these might be that way too .... but I am no expert !!
Taken at Les 2 Alpes on a floral cart laid out for the pleasure of passers-by
And a white Peony in a flower bed further up the mountain .....
I have to ask, what PP did you do to your images? I would like to get back there someday, last time I was there was in 2003 and I had a pathetic little pocket Canon. When I get back I would like to shoot a lot and just curious as to the adjustments you made to these.
Robert,
First of I like your screen name ... pretty cool!
I use Capture NXi for tweaking the raw files in contrast and color, also to level if needed. Then once done I convert to JPEG and use "Picture Perfect" where I can add HDR, contrast and tweak the color if needed. Some shots, not a lot, I have added "grunge" for special effects, but that's rare.
On the PAN shots I use Elements 13.
These are just about all of the ingredients of my secret sauce.
The SOOC results are also good with the Df and Manual Focus glass.
Kevin, I'm sorry for your loss, and for how it brings out the worst in some - hopefully, you can witness it bringing out the best in others.
wrote:
Well, the merciful thing happened last night when my mother in law passed. She, like my dad who passed in January, was in monumental amounts of pain at the end, so it truly was a mercy. Now we are dealing with selfish siblings who do not want to honor their mothers last wishes and do what they want. It's disgusting.
Kevin, condolences also on behalf of Kristina and myself.
Just went through a similar situation, where less then pretty things were said and done under siblings.
All I can say is that I believe you to be a fair, honest and dedicated father and husband, and that Donna has your full support and aid. You can only be so much for others, as they let you be. I am convinced you will treat everyone fair, and that is all you can do. Whether they accept that, is up to them.
Sorry to hear that. My aunt also recently passed away and the cousins and family were relieved that her suffering was over.
wrote:
Well, the merciful thing happened last night when my mother in law passed. She, like my dad who passed in January, was in monumental amounts of pain at the end, so it truly was a mercy. Now we are dealing with selfish siblings who do not want to honor their mothers last wishes and do what they want. It's disgusting.
gbohannon wrote:
Nope, no marriage here. Already have one wife and if I don't "divorce" myself from some of my current lenses, that real marriage may be in jeopardy.
Just kidding of course. My wife is very supportive and patient with my affliction to manual focus lenses
Thanks to all for your Likes and comments on my recent image posts. This post--and a few others to come--features the area around Sulfur Mountain on the outskirts of Banff, Alberta, whose summit my wife and I accessed by riding up on a "gondola" (a cable car in this case, not a pointy black boat with a picturesque Italian gondolier). The photos below show a couple of views from the gondola, and a panorama from the summit (made easy by the Fuji X-E2's pano mode) courtesy of the 16 f/3.5 Ai fisheye (that's Banff down in the valley on the right-hand side of the pano).
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