Its been a long 5 years without Dad. Many changes including a wonderfull wife of 2 years and a super cool little dude "Nino" ,our beloved son has come along to show me, and us, the wonderfull, and fairly challenging role of Father and Parenthood first hand. I hope that I will be able to be a great Dad like Don was and I surely will strive to live up to the standards and examples hes set to have an adventurous and learned and cultured life and to simply sit back and enjoy the natural beauty of nature when it is present.

Somehow I got half way through this day before recognizing this as the day Dad left Earth for his eternal safari....here I sit in my office at school, a teacher, sharing Africa stories with my students today and I am thankful for the love of learning, love of Africa (Kenya in particular), love of science & geography, of the education profession that my Dad encouraged and modeled for me. He'd be so proud of his grandchildren with their inquisitive natures - even little Nino - their love of and work in the arts, nature, field research, dance - and of course that they are wonderful human beings! Today I miss his laugh, his twinkling eyes, his cooking wonderful items for us, his encouragement, and his sharp wit and good humor, his letters, and the many ways he taught us about the world. Love you dad.

Today would have been your 85th birthday dad. You have a grandson you never met. Africa continues to call to us - Nicole will spend a semester there and your grandson, Nino is a son of Africa. Thinking of you, as always, especially in the dewy mornings with doves serenading me as I sip my Kenyan tea.

July 9, 2015 My dad's birthday. I dreamed about him last night, on his way to some exotic locale and I was missing him. Just posted two pictures I came across of dad with his granddaughters. Smiling and enjoying life. Many times over the past two years I have had that moment of, "Oh I can't wait to tell dad about this, or ask dad what he thinks about this..." Love you dad.

Farewell Don old friend –

Since 1968 when I first flew you around Tsavo parks doing early surveys of squatters & charcoal-burners within the parks, as your early geographical research work –

Our families were young, with daughters Teresa & Hazel, being passed over the the fence of our neighbouring houses to play – so many safaris over the years – many based at our Nairobi house when you came over from the US and went off in 'the green machine' – an ancient and breakdown prone Toyota...memorable Xmas with you at Samburu in the 'Hilton' tent & we flew up with the Xmas only partially cooked by Stan & you made a 3 stone cooking fire...
Here is Angela with Mom Maryann & Don in 1969 at Bushwackers camp near Kibwezi – when we were all young - you can't see it, but under Don's shirt he bears the imprint of Angela's sandal! - on the track into Bushwackers a tsetse fly came into the vehicle landed on his back – Angela had enthusiastically taken up Maryann's habit of zapping anything buglike that appeared, so ZAP with her sandal...

Over the years the African magic brought you more & more frequently to Kenya, where you led a charmed life & eventually retired to the Mombasa coast, from where you will make a last 'safari' to your favourite Tsavo lodge –

safari salama bwana – quaheri ya kuonana...

R.I.P 

Happy memories go with you
love Keith , Angela & Hazel
******************************************

An Offering

I give for us my pain to know the truth
and all my tears to make us one
for I know that once from death
a flood of tears washed off the mask
and there was love
D.L.C.

....for life's not a paragraph
And death i think is no parenthesis


"since feeling is first" e.e. cummings

Just some random thoughts as I begin to put into words what my dad meant to me and all the gifts he gave us...

We always teased my dad that he should write a book about his time in Africa from the perspective of all the various car troubles, breakdowns, repair shops, and adventures related to his vehicle. It seems perhaps fitting that he should end his time on Earth while waiting for his car to be fixed. Many of our most exciting adventures transpired with some car trouble as a major character in the story...crossing the desert with a faulty radiator, driving through fire in the Chyulu Hills, narrowly escaping a charging elephant with a car that could stall at any moment...We love you daddy - thanks for all the adventures, the incredible gourmet meals, the taste for pickles and peanut butter sandwiches, our love of nature and Kenya, for your support of our education and professions, the letters and emails and phone calls even though you were far away, for your infectious laugh, and for your generous heart.