Sunday, October 11, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009

Last night myself, Marg, Heather, Winston and Oliver joined 28 odd others at Sheila and Jan's place to dine on turkey - with all the trimmings, and a wonderful ham - from my good friend 'Bill the butcher' of 'Just an Old Fashioned Butchery' in Oakville.

The real story this week end can be seen in the attached pictures. The fall colors were spectacular for this time of year. Normally, by TG the landscape begins to take on a grey hue as the leaves fall to reveal only the bare tree trunks and the exposed granite of the Laurentian mountains.



All these pics were taken at Lac-des-Seize-Iles, QC. Short and to the point this posting.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Greenwich, October 2009 (or when my photo skills went AWOL!)

Stan Wort is my oldest friend. He's at least 89. My uncle Stewart is older - at 91 - but I'm related, so that doesn't count.

I've known Stan for over 20 years, but I'd have to say that it's only been over the past five or six years that I have regarded him more as a friend than just an acquaintance. Peg his wife has recently had a few health issues, and therefore Stan has been her full time care giver for a number of years. And, at his age, this is a hard job.

Stan is a remarkable man, however. And he's been remarkable for a long time. He's had a life unlike most folks you are likely to know.

Stan grew up in England, and as young men of his era did, he joined the Royal Navy and went to war. He was sent to Hong Kong early in the campaign, and was ultimately captured by the Japaneese during the Battle of Hong Kong. He then spent the following 4 years or so as a POW in a truly unbelievable hell on earth. He Survived. He recovered; married; had two children, all the while rising to the top of his company - Rolls Royce. Then wrote a book telling his tale as a POW.

Everyone in my aquaintance should buy and read this book! It's called PRISONER OF THE RISING SUN (ISBN-10: 1848840039). You can buy it at Amazon.com.

Stan begins his story by relating some of the humorous situations in which he found himself and provides a realistic account of what life was like for servicemen in pre war Hong Kong. He describes the prelude to war and the part he played in the Battle for Hong Kong. Then it follows the story of what happened to him when taken prisoner and the life and death situations he found himself in while a POW in prison camps in both Hong Kong and Japan. It tells what it was like to be shipped to Japan in the hold of Japanese merchant men with constant fear of being torpedoed. In Japan itself he and his fellow prisoners were used as slave labor. Treatment was harsh and brutal and although many of them died the Japanese never broke the spirit of the survivors. You get the idea! In August 1945 he saw the Japanese bow before loudspeakers and although he did not realize it then, heard the Japanese Emperor announce the surrender of Japan.

Oh... Stan has also survived cancer. I am in awe of this man. He overcomes every obstical. And he does so with humor and humility. He is one of the most important men I know.

He is also a fly fisher of some renown - this is how I met him, As one - if not the - best buddy of my uncle Stewart, he has been on countless trips into the wild searching for Atlantic Salmon and the best single malt available. It was on one of these trips that I first met Stan. That was in the early '80s.

Our recent trip to Connecticut allowed me to facilitate a visit with Stewart and Stan, as well as allow Marg to do a bit of damage the fabric shops of New York city. I think Stan and Peg enjoyed our company. I know this because Peg ventured out with us on more than one occasion. Venturing out is not something she has done very often of late. I think Marg had a great deal to do with this. She and Peg seemed to get along famously, and as women they were able to communicate better than either me or Stewart. And I know that Stewart had a ball. I know this because of the tears of laughter I witnessed while he and Stan kibitzed.

I have included a few of the photographs I took along the way. Somehow my (minor) skills as a photographer seemed to elude me. These are the best of a bad bunch.

For those who have never visited Greenwich, it is a most beautiful and affluent city just across the NY - Connecticut border. I doubt you could buy even a modest home there for much less than several million dollars these days. With this kind of tax base it has wonderful facilities, including many beautiful parks. I saw more Aston Martins, Maseratis and Bentleys than you could shake a stick at.

In short, it was great to see good friends. And to dream a little. Even be inspired.

That's it for today.

You can order Stan's book here

 

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