50 Years Ago Today

Click on photo to enlarge
This photograph was taken by my dad,
Ross Hunt, 13-seconds before
the Apollo 11 blast-off.
Glued to the TV, are myself
& sister Jennifer on the left,
and brother David on the right.

It's hard to believe that 50 years ago today astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin, and Michael Collins began their historic journey to the moon.

Blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 13:32 UTC on July 16th, 1969, and splashing down again in the north Pacific ocean at 16:50 UTC July 24th, they fulfilled President Kennedy's dream of safely landing a man on the moon and returning him home again to the earth.

At the time of this amazing voyage, I was only 11, my brother David was 7, and our sister Jennifer just 4 years of age; yet, I remember well our dad taking the photo above, to document his children's participation in the global event watched by millions of people around the world.

I also remember that I was allowed to stay up late four days later to watch the lunar landing and hear Neil Armstrong's stirring words from the surface of the moon about the truly, "Giant leap for mankind."

I'm glad my parents realized the significance of the Apollo 11 moon mission; and, that my dad had the foresight to snap the photograph that still evokes warm memories even now, 50 years later.

Rare June Tulips

As published in the Hamilton Mountain News

I have been a fan of spring tulips ever since I heard the story of the birth of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands in an Ottawa hospital during WWII, and Canada’s temporary grant of international territory status that allowed the newborn princess to retain the citizenship of her temporarily displaced Dutch mother.

The hundreds of thousands of tulips in Ottawa gardens and parks today are an ongoing gift from the Dutch royal family and the Dutch Bulb Growers Association, in recognition of the care and consideration given to Queen Juliana and her family during their stay in Canada; and, in recognition of the great sacrifice by Canadians during the liberation of The Netherlands.

Tulip season in Canada usually runs from the end of March until the middle of May, with peek bloom time in mid-April; however, unseasonably cool and rainy weather this spring allowed gardeners and sightseers alike to enjoy gorgeous displays of tulips for much longer than usual.

It’s unfortunate that the conditions required to produce this year’s extended tulip blooms are not conducive to the planting of vegetables and the blooming of fruit trees, so I hope this isn’t the beginning of a weather trend. That said, this spring’s rare June tulips have been a real treat, and the history of their introduction to the Canadian landscape in 1945 is well worth remembering.

Liquid Squirrel

Opening the pool this year proved more unpleasant than usual.

In order to make the memory a little less grizzly, I decided to set the story as a TV show listing. The "investigators" were daughters Laurel & Chelsea, son-in-law Bryan and myself. The squirrels were a black and a grey.

Doug's Story

GORDON, Douglas Murray 
(DJ Doug)

September 30, 1958 - March 2, 2019

With profound sadness I announce the sudden passing of my husband, Douglas Murray Gordon, age 60.

Doug was born in Hamilton on September 30, 1958 and spent his formative years in the rural Flatt Road area of Burlington. He attended Woodview and Maplehurst Elementary Schools & Aldershot High School in Burlington, and McMaster University in Hamilton.

Doug was the darling much-loved son of cherished mother Jean Alvina (nee Taylor) and his role-model father, the late Hugh Moore Gordon. He leaves behind his dear friend and beloved son Andrew and daughter-in-law Jenn (Dunphy) Gordon; and, his beloved first-born child, daughter Laura Gordon; loved and respected older brother David and sister-in-law Peggy (Yates) Gordon.

He is also mourned by mother-in-law Olive (Macdonald) Hunt; sister-in-law Jennifer Hunt; brother-in-law Joseph Fazakas; step-daughters Melody and Laurel Haigh, and Chelsea and son-in-law Bryan Salisbury. Doug was Papa to Noah and Ethan, and Grandad to Rachel, Aiden & Mattie-Belle.

Highly skilled, Doug was an enthusiastic and integral part of many business endeavours, including successful partnerships with friends Greg Wright (MC Tech), Jan Foss Pedersen (Fun Photos), and Joe Monahan (Pharmacy Joe Deliveries). His work passions also included his long career as DJ Doug (Royal DJ) and mentoring mature students in construction skills (The Centre). 
Kind and gentle, Doug was a true romantic and my dearest gift. Doug & I met in the fall of 2009. He had been divorced for 15 years and I'd been a widow for 19. We met when I attended a family wedding for which he was engaged as DJ. Eight whirlwind months later Doug planned a romantic proposal, complete with a lovely ring, and the engagement promised a wonderful new beginning.

Doug worried when he was seriously injured two weeks later that the relationship wouldn’t last; but, love endured and grew while we continued making plans for our wedding. Doug and I were married October 17th, 2010 amid falling autumn leaves and surrounded by family and friends. It was a mutual love that would last.

He was very proud of his family connection to Canadian hockey greats, including Syl and Gillian Apps and Dave and Ken Dryden; and, honoured to lay claim to a kinship with Canadian NASA astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield. He took time to stay connected and spend time with extended family, and played an integral part in the planning and implementation of Dryden family reunions and other Taylor and Gordon family events. He was well-known for his delicious deviled eggs.

Calm and considerate under pressure, Doug smiled through incredible physical pain, cooked like a master chef, generously offered his time and considerable talents to anyone in need, delighted in nature and wildlife, took wonderful photographs, and generally lived life with gusto.

Doug was inspired by the quotation with which he ended every email: "I have made it a rule of my life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy. You can’t build on it: It’s only good for wallowing in” – Katherine Mansfield
It was the foundation on which he built every day of his life.