Then and Now

Approximatey 1954. On the left: Joe, Lillian and two of "us kids", and my father's sister taking a picture of the picture-taker.

September 5, 2008, their oldest daughter in the same place.

This was a glorious moment for me, as I thought about how my parents felt, when they first stood on this spot--a girl of merely 22 and her handsome young husband of 25. Yesterday I visited my science teacher and he asked me if my mother still had the same "laugh."

"Yes, she does! "

He asked about my father. "Is he well?"

"Yes," I said. "He is 83."

"What is he doing now?" asked Mr. Bracht.

"He was fixing the roof, the other day, and my brother drove by his house. He said,

'Dad! You are 83 years old! Please, don't get so close to the edge of that roof! Get over closer to the middle!"

I was so surprised at how many people handed me a copy of my book to be autographed, and how everyone wanted to know about my parents. I took a large party of people with me to visit the Norman Lowell studios. Norman reminded me that my Dad had taken him across to Kachemak Bay many times to sketch the Ekron Cannery and the house the Ekrons lived in. Then he gave me a signed copy of a book of those sketches he made on those many trips on my Dad's fishing boat, and I gave him a picture of the boat. The Ekrons were interesting people. Mr. Ekron was from Norway and spoke another language. The family paid us to fish for them, and then paid us to work in their cannery to process the fish, and then let us spend the night in their cabin, and fixed us meals. I don't think they made much money but they sure helped us out.

I hope everyone is enjoying the pictures.