What do you do the morning after the one you love passes away? I rolled out of bed, opened the blinds, was gifted by layers of ice and snow, and grabbed the camera.
For those of you wondering "what happened?" let me share the following....
Rick had gone up to Covington, KY on Friday, 1/23, to attend a Photoshop workshop with a friend of ours. He grew ill after lunch, was taken to a local hospital, and by Monday evening he was gone. Because his condition deteriorated so quickly, the hospital performed an autopsy that showed the "worst case" of pancreatitis they had ever seen. The pancreatitis was caused by "sludge" in the gallbladder getting trapped in the duct leading into the pancreas, and the pancreatic enzymes backing up into the pancreas. It was a quick and devastating process.
I share this information with you in hopes that it may help prevent the death of someone you love. Rick had been having severe abdominal pain for about a month, and he had gone to see his doctor on Thursday. Even though his blood work from Thursday was within normal ranges, his doctor had set him up for an ultrasound to look for gallstones on the Monday he actually passed away. The episode that sent him to the hospital on that Friday was "attack" number five. According to the doctor who performed the autopsy, Rick was already exhibiting signs of pancreatitis when he began seeking medical attention for the stomach pain. The only thing that could have prevented his death is if he would have had his gallbladder out long before this past month. Please do not let someone you love die from a stomach ache.
Words cannot begin to express how much I will miss him, nor what a wonderful relationship we shared. Our love of photography and the outdoors is what brought us together. Rick lived every day to the fullest, and we were both thankful for each day we were graced with. I will do my best to continue his work and to honor his memory and my love for him through our photography and this website.
Just wanted to share a few photos of "the release" after hummingbird banding.
I've had the opportunity to observe several banding projects. There's no harm done to the birds, and the scientific data gained is amazing.
For more information on the U.S. Geological Survey's bird banding program, visit their Web site here.
