Remembering Paul

My dad, Paul Emile, passed away in 2006 at the age of 89.  Today would have been his 97th birthday - not an impossible milestone in his family.  His mother lived to be 106, his oldest sister, Juliet is still with us at 103 and his youngest sister, Germaine, is now, umm..... 94, I think.

I learned my love of nature, the outdoors and conservation from my dad.  He always dreamed of having a place in the countryside, a family retreat, where all could come for fun, relaxation, and as a permanent touchstone where family could gather, where we could be together.  He called it - the family compound.  I think he may have been dreaming of something more Hyannis and Kennedy-esque, but he did talk a lot about Alaska and researched log cabins and such.  He never did get to travel the length of the Alaska Highway.

I have never forgotten those philosophies of my dad.  They are part of me too.  This place - Reedy Branch Road - is in part, a fulfillment of my father's dream with some slant toward my vision of a country place.  But the essence is the same - a place to gather, to relax, to revel in the peace and companionship and embrace of friends and family.

Happy birthday, dad.

So that's an invitation.  Come.  The door is always open.

1985 - Meme's 100th birthday!  All the cousins of the next generation called the aunts & uncles "The Magnificent 7".  Pictured with Meme are her 6 surviving children at the time.  Front left - Roger.  Front right - Raymond.  Back row, left to right - Lillian, Juliet, Germaine, and my dad Paul.  Clare had passed away many years before.