Erik was and is

(He's squinting into the sun here.)

Dear folks,

Andree here. All of you, all of us tried so hard, but Erik had other adventures to go after.

Erik left us at 7:22 am yesterday, after a brave fight but a peaceful passing. Nancy was with him, as were Mom and Dad (Terry and Donna); sister Brynn, brothers Sean and Hans, and myself; and Adam Baker, Andy Rotchford, Dean Paris, and Mike McGraw. He was home in Washougal.

These days you don't often get the privilege to send someone you love on their way on their terms. We had the chance to watch his face grow completely peaceful as he lay in bed, and hear birds sing and his hound dogs bark in the blue and golden morning. He's free now. And probably already putting together his next big thing.

Thank you, all of you, for the love, the support, the prayers, the emails. I mean to keep this blog going for a little while yet, so watch this space. It was my honor and privilege to do his for you, and I thank you for the support it has given me particularly.

Hi everybody

(Andree here) Hello all those who love E,
Please forgive me for not posting for so long. We were in a place where we were fighting hard for a couple of victories. Because we are positive folks, we want to dwell on that side of things. Yet the fight has become very intense, and I ask you all for your prayers.
Thank you again for your generous love and care, which we feel so completely in your emails and wonderful photos.

Tent Shirt

(Andree here) Marianne Kay wrote me this morning to send this photo along. Her message was such pure distillation-of-Erik that I must record it in its entirety:

Andree,
This is the tent that Erik built. (Were it not for him, the two people wearing the shirts might have been home in bed instead of selling goods from a tent at 6am on a field far from home. Thanks, Erik. We think.)
Please give him our love.
Marianne & Rick

That's okay, you two - someday he'll build you an even bigger tent. Hah!
He needs to get a little sleep though, first. He's got stuff on his mind. You think?
Will everybody reading this stop for a second, look at that photo of E over on the right there, and send him some slumber?
-- Oh you did? Good, thanks a lot!

Lovely ladies workin' the Shirt

(A here) Rowen and Mia, and then Rowen in what we'd like to think is the latest in hot skatewear (Heelywear??).

Guys, rocks and trees. . . Buncombe Hollow

(Andree here) The usual suspects (=Terry and Hans), with the addition of Bob, bitty little Ava, cousin Adam M, and the brutha from another mutha Andrew.

iamnotdeadyet gallery!

(Andree here) Jimmy Tsen works with Bob and E. Here he is rocking the Shirt, set off fetchingly by his exquisite baby girl.

Some photos

(Andree here) I'm happy to say the new email address accepts photos just fine. So here's a couple from auntie Heather on Nancy's side:

Lyric at Lake Merwin. Boy, what a refreshing looking lake!

Party time for Jaeger!

Try a lullaby; send pix here

(Andree here.) No photos yet from the weekend - but if you have one, try thepetmuseum@gmail.com, and I'll see if I can get them off that account.

Erik's doing okay, but could sure stand a little good sleep. I ask you all for cosmic nap vibes so that E can take advantage of that great natural healer - you know the quote:

"Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care. . . sore labor's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast" (Macbeth, of course)

The fate of photos

Andree here. Hey gang, I have to find another email address for photo sending - Hotmail has decided to wipe out all of mine (in all my accounts), and won't accept any more. Apparently this is something it does occasionally. Lucky me. Stay tuned.

I wasn't around this past weekend as I had a wedding out of town to attend, but it was Jaeger's birthday and Erik was in good spirit and shape to enjoy it most of the day - oh come on! Like you can get all the way through a little kid party unscathed yourself!

Pix to come. Somehow. I hope.

Sheri at Swiss Army Vehicles sends pix of what life's all about

(Andree here) Like watching young people discover the opposite sex, even if they climb a tree to get away from you.

Like boating on Beaver Lake on a gorgeous day.

Like the logistics of getting your monster boat to said lake.

Like Handsome and Snoopy being all fluffy and that.

Ahhh! Little things are the best.