Sunday, September 13, 2015

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken in September of 2007. Mattie was five years old and Peter introduced Mattie to going out on the Potomac River in a row boat and fishing very early in life. This was something Mattie enjoyed doing, maybe for the adventure, but also because it was an activity that the "boys" did together. Most weekends I stayed home in the morning when they did this together, but that particular day, Mattie asked me to come along because he wanted me to watch him fish and to experience this with him. So I was in boat doing what I did best.... snapping photos of Mattie. Mattie caught several catfish that day, of which I would then take a photo of the fish before Peter threw it back in the water. 


Quote of the day: When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time -- the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes -- when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, forever -- there comes another day, and another specifically missing part. ~ John Irving

Peter and fellow dads and cancer advocates, developed the "Be Bold Go Gold Challenge" today. A challenge that is taking place on Facebook! Basically these dads are being challenged to paint their big toe GOLD with nail polish. Not something men typically do, but when motivated to bring awareness to childhood cancer, you would be amazed at the response! You can see the video Peter created today and posted on his Facebook page:
https://youtu.be/GNu-loIbRhM

Our Facebook friend, Tim, created another wonderful tribute to Mattie and sent it to us today. Tim picked the photo himself and when I saw it cropped into this piece, it took me only minutes to remember the context it was taken in! 

I can recall this day as if it were yesterday. Mattie was sitting on our kitchen counter and beside him sat his large birthday cake, to celebrate his fifth birthday! Of course you can't see any of this content when looking at the photo here. But since I took the photo and remember that very rainy day in which we celebrated Mattie's birthday at the zoo it is etched in my mind. 

We went for a three mile walk today around Huntley Meadows. A beautiful nature preserve near Alexandria, VA. As we entered the boardwalk that traverses over the swampy area, this glorious butterfly came to greet us. 

Typically this area pictured here is covered with water. But given the near drought conditions, because of our lack of rain, all the water has dried up. I have never seen the swamp looking like this. 

Fortunately there is some water around, and of course where there is water, there is wonderful life. Turtles
were up on a log sunning themselves and they were a sight to see. Many people stopped to look at this line up. 

A beautiful Great Blue Heron

A White Heron

I know a lot of people are not in love with Canadian Geese, but I happen to love them. I like how devoted they are to one another, their team work 
and cohesiveness. This was a mother goose with her grown up babies behind her. They were a thing of beauty to see them gliding through the water. If Mattie were with us, he most definitely would have commented about this mother goose. Mattie was intrigued by mother animals and their babies and would always compare them to him and me.