Mother's Day Wishes

To Nancy, Gina, Jane, Teriann, Carrie, Pat and all the Mother's...best wishes.

When I Am Among The Trees

By Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment, 

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, "Stay awhile."

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,

"and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine."

Photos from McCormick's Creek State Park not far from Bloomington, Indiana.

Pacific Northwest January 2015

Deception Pass

This posting includes images of the Pacific Northwest, specifically Deception Pass and Whidbey Island on Puget Sound. 

Coupeville, WA

 

Looking east from Coupeville, WA.

Ebbey's Landing, Whidbey Island

Mt. Rainier from Ebbey's Landing

 Thanks for looking!

My Dad, Ross Oliver Hambly

On December 21st I traveled out to Washington state to be with my Father and my family. Dad lived an exceptionally long life, always in close proximity to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am so grateful that I was able to be with him during his last days. When he retired in 1981 his employers described him as a "solid citizen" and thanked him for his "splendid cooperation". I thank him for all he taught his children and I move forward with the lessons learned and a wealth of fond memories.

December 2010

Obituary

Ross Oliver Hambly died peacefully on January 6, 2015 at The La Conner Retirement Inn, La Conner, Washington, at the age of 101 years. Ross lived a long life for which his family is grateful.

Ross was born on December 6, 1913 in Duluth, MN to parents Richard Oliver and Josephine Hambly. He was the third of four siblings: sister, Vivian and two brothers, Wayne and Richard Rex (Bud).

He graduated from Central High School in Duluth in June 1932. On July 1, 1934 he married Eileen Claire O'Leary. Their son, John Leary Ross, was born in Duluth. In 1945 Ross and Eileen moved west. A daughter, Pamela Jean, was born in Fargo, ND and two daughters, Mary Anne and Nancy Eugenia, were born in Seattle, WA.

Ross followed his father into a career as a "railroad man". First employed as a secretary with the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad, Ross worked his way up in the Traffic and Sales Departments. As his career progressed he worked in Seattle as Manager of Area Sales for the Western US for the Soo Line Railroad. He retired from the Soo Line in February 1981 with 42 years of service to the railroads.

Ross made the most of his retirement. For over 15 years he enjoyed traveling, accompanied by his friend and companion Maren Petersen. Trips to Arizona for golf and Mariners Spring Training were high on the list of destinations. Back home in Seattle he was active with daily walking, golf and creative woodworking projects. Ross enjoyed a short nine holes of golf twice a week with his railroad friends until his late 80's.

During his years as a Seattle resident Ross lived in the Roosevelt and Magnolia neighborhoods. In 2000 Ross moved to The Hearthstone Retirement Community and enjoyed an active life near Green Lake. He moved to La Conner, WA in 2011 to be near his daughter, Nancy, and son in law, John Hinton.

During his 101 years Ross met and befriended many people who universally remember him with respect and genuine appreciation. His longevity and a good life, well lived, provide a wealth of fond memories for his family and friends.

Ross is survived by son, John Leary Ross Hambly (Pat) of Walnut Creek, CA; daughter Mary Hambly of Bloomington, IN; daughter Nancy Hinton (John) of La Conner, WA; son in law, James Bradford (Maria) of Buenos Aries, Argentina; eight grandchildren: Todd, Carrie, Stacy, Ron, Danny, Jane, Joe, Andrew, their spouses and partners; ten great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Eileen Claire O'Leary Hambly; daughter, Pamela Jean Bradford; daughter in law, Jean Jensen Hambly; friend and companion, Maren Petersen, and his parents and siblings.

Special thanks go to the staff and residents of The La Conner Retirement Inn for their friendship and support. The services of Hospice of the Northwest were invaluable in his last weeks.

Dad was one month to the day past his 101st birthday on January 6, 2015. Peace be with him. 

 

Goose Pond and Autumn in Indiana

It is a beautiful Autumn in Indiana and, by chance, I have had occasion to visit Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area twice in the last 10 days. Located an hour SW of Bloomington, the site is locally known as the Goose Pond and Bee Hunter Marsh. 

Since 2005 this 8,034 acre State Fish & Wildlife Area has grown to become one of the largest and most successful wetland restoration projects in the United States.  This expanse of wetlands includes over 30 miles of earthen dikes, 1,400 acres of prairie, and nearly 4,000 acres of shallow water.  
 

Today, Goose Pond is becoming a significant destination for Midwestern birders and is home to many migrating bird species. 

 White Pelicans in the late afternoon.

 And Great Blue Herons at dusk. 

With so many places to walk and wander, I'm sure I'll be back in a different season...perhaps in Spring when the Sand Hill Cranes migrate through!

Thanks for looking. Hope your Autumn is a good one.

Land of Lincoln - Springfield, Illinois

Labor Day weekend destination was Springfield, Illinois with plans to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum and a famous Frank Lloyd Wright residence.  I'll be sharing some of the many factoids I picked up along the way as well as the pictures of my trip. Turns out there is quite a bit to see in Springfield.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in the historic downtown section of Springfield near many other Lincoln cultural sites. The presidential library opened on October 14, 2004, and the museum opened on April 19, 2005. Until 1970, Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. was designated as the "Lincoln Museum".

 The Museum

The Library

The buildings which house the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum are are separated by a street and connected above the street level by an enclosed walkway. The entrance to each is dominated by a glass rotunda. The third structure that completes the complex is Union Station and the adjacent Union Square Park.

There is no photography allowed inside the Museum but the permanent exhibits are divided into two different stages of the President Lincoln's life: "Journey One: The Pre-Presidential Years" and "Journey Two: The Presidential Years". 

Apparently there has been a great debate among scholars over the Museum and its presentation of the life of Lincoln. In addition to some traditional exhibits there are also a variety of state of the art digital and holographic presentations that are very popular despite the disdain of academics. In August of 2012 the Museum ticketed visitor number "3 million".

My reaction: I liked it.  The Museum presents complex historical, political and social issues in a variety of innovative ways that get and keep one's attention.  And I was especially moved by the section that covers his presidency and the challenges of the Civil War. It holds up a mirror to a compelling time in our nation's history and, no doubt, President Lincoln was the man for the job in the 1860's. 

  

After learning so much at the Museum I decided to continue on to the other Lincoln historical sites. What I learned definitely carried over into visiting the other sites.  First was the Old State Capitol building.

As a practicing lawyer Lincoln tried cases before the Illinois Supreme Court in this building. He also used the law library. But most famously, it was in the Old State Capitol that, as an elected Representative, he gave the famous speech in which he stated "A house divided against itself cannot stand".

It was  built in the Greek Revival style between 1837-1840 and served as the State House from 1840 to 1876. It is the site of Lincoln's presidential candidacy announcement in 1858. And in 2007 the Old State Capitol was the site of (then Senator) Barack Obama's announcement of his candidacy for the presidency of the United States.

A few blocks away is the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, managed by the National Park Service. A four block neighborhood surrounding the Lincoln residence has been restored. It was in this home that Lincoln lived, worked, raised his family and eventually achieved the highest office in the land. It was here that he developed his ideas and beliefs about freedom and equality. He lived in Springfield from 1837 to 1861 when he and his family moved to Washington DC.

And finally, the Lincoln Tomb. 

President Lincoln's death on April 15, 1865 happened only 6 days after General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. The shock of the President's death settled over the country. After a funeral service in Washington DC, Lincoln's remains were placed on a special train for the 1,700 mile trip home to Springfield. The journey took 12 days as the train stopped at ten locations for memorial services. Upon arrival in Springfield, he was laid in state at the Old State Capitol building where he had practiced law and been an elected representative. He was then laid to rest in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The monument here was dedicated in 1874. Oak Ridge Cemetery is surpassed only by Arlington National Cemetery as the most visited in the nation.

The other piece of monumental public architecture I visited was the current Illinois State Capitol Building. 

Having outgrown the Old State Capitol building where Lincoln practiced, the current State Capitol Building saw it's first legislative session in 1877. The dome of the building is 405 feet tall.

And now for a definite change of pace: Residential architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Dana-Thomas House. No photography was allowed on the tour through the interior but I'll take you on a walk around the outside. Inside and out, it is seamless Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Dana-Thomas House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902 for Susan Lawrence Dana, an active philanthropist and socialite who had been widowed and left a considerable fortune. As a successful hostess and leader of Springfield's social scene, her home was designed for display and entertainment. An arched doorway admitted guests into a series of expanding spaces, the vestibule and reception hall.

This house was a showcase for Wright's Prairie Style. It is regarded as the best preserved and most complete of Frank Lloyd Wright’s early “Prairie” houses.

The home has 35 rooms in the 12,000 square feet of living space which includes 3 main levels.

 




 

Susan Lawrence Dana lived in the Dana-Thomas House for approximately 24 years, from 1904 until about 1928. The house was restored by the State of Illinois in 1990 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

And finally the last and most unexpected piece of architecture!

St. Francis of Assisi Church

Through the wonders of the world wide web, I had arranged to stay at the Chiara Retreat Center. Little did I realize that the grounds would include a convent, a monastery, a hospital and the Motherhouse of the American Province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.  Who would have thought I would find this wonderful example of Romanesque church architecture. It was quite something...both inside and out!

It was quiet, peaceful and just a 10 minute drive from downtown Springfield. With walking paths throughout the grounds, it was an ideal place to stay. 

Whether you are an architecture/history buff or not...Thanks for sharing this trip!