A Simple Gift Means A Lot...

My childhood buddy Jeff along with his siblings have been working on cleaning up their fathers house so they can put it on the real estate market, the father has gone into assisted living and their mother, who was truly a wonderful woman, passed away a few years back. Jeff's dad was a "collector of all" and probably had something of interest to all of us in his basement—some would call him a pack rat, some a hoarder, some a bit eccentric, but he didn't hurt anyone doing it; so what was the difference?

As a kid, I always remember Jeff's family had National Geographic Magazine delivered via mail and more than likely, they probably have quite the collection. I think all of us have grown up with National Geographic, it is a national treasure if not for the articles, surely the photography that took us to the most incredible places. National Geographic took us to the coldest places on the planet and to the most desolate deserts, it took us to the heavens above and to the darkness of the depths, it encouraged us to dream and believe in ourselves and that we could and see anything if we pursued it.

Getting back... well, the other day Jeff was in his fathers basement when he came across this edition of the National Geographic from 1994... Look at that cover!!!! Jeff was kind enough to give me this magazine, and I will surely treasure it because reading it proved how far we have come in our knowledge of our winged companions and the efforts taken to learn more about them, it also reminded me of how long I have loved them... My first memory of a macaw was Dr. Doolittle with Rex Harrison and from that point on—it was love at first site.

 

Thanks Jeff! I really appreciated this!