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| Mern Warwick © Chet Warwick, 1980s |
This week's Sepia Saturday theme is rest or sleep or whatever the clever Sepians see in the photo inspiration. I love this photo of my mother resting after a long day's hike on a backpack trip into the Grand Canyon. This photo is © Chet Warwick and used with permission. Having been on one of their trips into the Grand Canyon, I can attest to the need for a nap!
I chose these photos inspired by Alan's post on News from Nowhere: The Book is Dead, Long Live the Book.
Alan is launching into a book project to commemorate his parents while I
have the great honor of being able to help my mother's stories live on.
As you can probably surmise, Mern Warwick lead an extremely active life. In the 1980s and 1990s, there weren't too many people in their 50s and 60s backpacking the Grand Canyon. When cancer struck, limiting her mobility, my mother took solace in writing down our family adventures. And they were adventures! After breaking a mast and weathering a particularly violent thunderstorm in the middle of a large lake my husband commented, "I thought this vacation wasn't going to be life-threatening!"
My mother and I combed through hundreds of photos trying to find just the right ones to illustrate the various stories. We shared our memories and laughed as we worked. Sadly, she passed away before we were able to finish her book - there were only a few unfinished stories. But, as Alan has said, technology is a wonderful thing and it is now possible to create a bound book of her memories to share with the family.
It is very difficult for a photograph to convey the sense of scale of the Grand Canyon. The backpacking routes my parents followed were 40-50 miles but covered only a very small fraction of the canyon. Much of the distance seemed to be going either straight down or straight up! You can barely see the river snaking through the valley below. All the trips into the Grand Canyon included a swim! Sadly, my personal photographs of the Grand Canyon are on slides - a box not yet tackled. Below is another photograph taken by my father ca 1955.
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| Mern Warwick © Chet Warwick, 1950s |
This is just one of several posts on Sepia Saturday 93. So put your feet up, take a rest and enjoy a virtual hike through interpretations on a theme that are certain to be as varied as the strata of the Grand Canyon.
I'll bet the clouds were soporific as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity your mother never got to see the finished book, but as in so many things it’s not the arriving, but the journey, which is important, (which is kind of appropriate for your mother too).
ReplyDeleteIt is really great the way anyone can make a real book with their stories and photos now.
ReplyDeleteI am hearing the rattle of snakes in that photo while she's napping! Too many cowboy movies in my youth, I guess.
ReplyDeleteKristin,
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not too many cowboy movies! There is a picture of a pink rattler in the bunch. I just HATE rattlers so I didn't include it - they make me nervous and excessively aware of my ankles. :) I'll add it if there is enough interest though. :)))
While I have flown over and seen the Grand Canyon many times I have never wanted to hike it, not even when I was in my 30's, nor have I wanted to take one of those donkey rides down... It is just too deep and too hot. This is a great photo and I like your blog, the name intrigued me right off. Your mother had it right to write her adventures. You are fortunate to have a good start on things and yes today producing a book is not as difficult. Good luck continuing her saga.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement Pat! It is a labor of love and brings back many fond memories.
ReplyDeleteOne day I hope to hike down, and up, the Grand Canyon, but I think by the time I get there I'll be doing a good deal of that resting business along the way, provided there aren't too many of those rattlers around.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post about your mother. I love the photo of her resting after a full day of hiking. It is almost possible to see the pleasure she is getting from that rest on her face.
ReplyDeleteI spent many years asking my parents to write their stories but sadly they didn't get them written. When talking to my son about it he turned to me and asked if I had written mine ...I have since made a start.
Lovely post Liz. I, too, have been asked to write down my adventures, misadventures and like some would call them, "rosisms"--Rose.
ReplyDeleteHi Liz, this is a beautiful post. Unlike your mother my mom did not have a lot of happy adventures to share. But life is precious and I am working on those precious moments that mean the world to us who loved her. Great job. I have never gotten to see the GC. Mose of my travels were south to the Caribbean.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Your mother looks so restful in the top picture, the contentment that comes after physical exertion. I can't imagine backpacking in the Grand Canyon.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great sleeping shot.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the book.
A wonderful photo and post. The bandaged toes really make the picture!
ReplyDeleteMike, I wondered if anyone would notice that! I thought about doing a close in shot of her toes and the worn boot but wasn't entirely certain my mother would have approved. :)
ReplyDeletelucky for you to have been able to share many stories with you mom. mine was rather mum about her stories...
ReplyDeleteoh well!!
:)~
HUGZ
Having done a bit of hiking in younger years, I can say without a doubt that was a well earned rest and it surely felt wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of your Mum enjoying herself - perhaps one day I will make it to the Grand Canyon (from Scotland). I hope you find some great treasures in the box of slides :-) Jo
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