Ice like this is rare, so I went for skate in honour of my dad who knew how to move a puck around, Parkinson’s is a terrible disease. My dad has never given up, good on you dad. For the past 4 years I have been the principle care giver in my family for my ageing parents. My dad specifically who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and also multiple systems atrophy. What do these things mean, well I am not going into specifics of the conditions, I will say that in flash my dad was unable to do all this things he once loved. Hockey was a big one, he payed until he was 75! Now in his 80’s life has taken a turn, and he is hard pressed to do any kind of walking on his own, without the risk of a fall. That is just one part of these diseases, and for a man who ran marathons, taught Social Studies, was an active skier, hiker, and all around active person…this is heart breaking. My dad has never really complained, instead he has fought tooth and nail and despite numerous prognosis he has really overcome some of those odds. Most importantly he is still here and has not given up on himself, or on his journey. When we talk about freedom, it really is a subjective term, and despite most of my dad’s freedoms being taken away, he continues to smile and appreciate all the good days he had. A lesson that I have taken to heart, and mind. The following is a short I made in honour of my dad, we used to pass the puck around in the bay I skated in the video, it represents both sorrow and joy, and appreciating what we have, even if this doesn’t feel enough.

The following short is part of my Autumnal series of videos, please go to my last few posts to see the previous videos, including ‘Wildlife of the East Kootenay’ which captured a pretty amazing close encounter….and one that I will never forget. And now I present ‘eagle who SOARS into FALL season’