So recently when I received an email via the Contact Page of my blog from a Mark Collins (I didn’t know Mark and he wasn’t a known blog follower) I was apprehensive once again. Most emails I get through the Contact Page are print requests and I didn’t want to have to explain once again why I wouldn’t fill the request of yet another disappointed potential customer.<\/p>\n
But reading it set me back on my heels. I’ve included it below, with Mark’s permission.<\/p>\n
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“Good morning Ron. I recently discovered your blog and have been thoroughly enjoying viewing your past posts. One particular image stopped me in my tracks. Your September 2, 2014 post and photograph of the Red-tailed Hawk Take-off in a Sunflower Setting is stunning and moved me.<\/em><\/p>\n We lost our 20-year-old son Chris in March 2018 to suicide. He had battled anxiety and depression for approximately 3 years. Our family loves the outdoors, hiking and birds. Two weeks prior to Chris’s death, he was home on spring break and we were all out on a walk in a nearby wildlife refuge. We saw a red-tailed hawk fly overhead and Chris mentioned that he had seen a lot of hawks lately. The morning after his death as I took Chris’s dog out, a beautiful red-tailed hawk swooped down near us and glided past. It was remarkable. I went back in the house and told everyone about it. Every day after that for months, someone in our family was visited by a red-tailed hawk. We still see them often and it always warms our hearts.<\/em><\/p>\n We started a foundation after Chris’s death to fund mental health education programs in nearby schools. The logo we created for the foundation, which our daughter illustrated, of course includes a hawk. Sunflowers also became very symbolic for us. At Chris’s burial, many people left a sunflower at his grave. And again, in the days following, somehow we always saw a sunflower. So to see your beautiful photograph with both the hawk and sunflowers took my breath away. I would love to purchase a print of the photograph for my wife Beth and I, and one for each of Chris’s sisters, Jenna and Taylor. I’ve read your post regarding image sales and completely understand if you’d rather not sell a print. I’m not a known blog follower yet, but hopefully will be soon. I would be happy to send a check in advance so there’s no concern of a repeat of the Florida university situation. Let me know what you think. Either way, I am thoroughly enjoying your blog and beautiful photos. Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us.<\/em><\/p>\n Happy holidays and take care, Mark”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is the photo Mark was interested in.<\/p>\n To say that I was touched by his request is an understatement. Perhaps most of us have been devastated by the untimely death of a loved one but when suicide is involved the pain is usually infinitely worse. Years ago I lost my favorite uncle to suicide and it still hurts.<\/p>\n As a high school teacher for 33 years I saw some of the results of the anxiety and depression many teenagers experience which can affect the entire circle of family, friends and the educational community with emotional and professional investment in the young person involved. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to lose your own child until I almost lost my only child Shannon a few years ago to a traumatic brain injury.<\/p>\n But Mark’s request rocked me on yet another level – it’s similarities to my own loss of my cousin and very best friend Ken Dudley.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’ve told the story in more detail before<\/a><\/span><\/span> but here are the basics. Ken and I grew up together on the adjoining Montana farms of our families. As an adult Ken owned and operated both farms and I went back often to visit. We both loved the Great Horned Owls that have been living in the old farm granaries for decades and Ken supported and even nurtured my attempts to photograph them with the best lens I could afford at the time, which was far from adequate.<\/p>\n Eventually Ken began to suffer from the inevitable effects of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) inherent in his family so he had a kidney transplant that was successful but he soon died from an unrelated cancer that no one knew he had at the time of the transplant.<\/p>\n Months later I received a ‘gift’ in the mail from Ken’s estate that allowed me to purchase my first (very expensive) birding lens and become the serious bird photographer that I wanted to be. Ken knew how frustrated I was by my inadequate (for birds) photo equipment and I’m convinced that his intention was for me to buy that lens that I’d often talked about.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He died in midwinter and seven months later about 20 of his family and closest friends gathered on the farm to give him the sendoff he deserved. A family friend and pilot volunteered his services and plane to spread Ken’s ashes over the farm. Looking at this photo it’s hard for me to believe, even to this day, that all of Ken we have left is that cloud of ashes falling from the plane. We can see Ken’s sister Teri’s arm hanging out of the plane as she released them over the farm.<\/p>\n Incidentally and appropriately that ancient granary visible at lower right is the primary granary the owls have been inhabiting for many years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yup, there’s sunflowers involved in Ken’s story too. After Ken’s ashes were spread on this farmland all of us threw sunflowers over the ashes as a way of honoring him and symbolizing our loss.<\/p>\n Ken’s appropriately named dog Havoc was lost without him but his sister Diana has a huge soft spot for animals and took him in. Havoc lived his life out comfortably and loved by Diana and her family.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As we were throwing the sunflowers I had to wonder if Havoc actually understood what was happening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So both Ken’s loss and Mark’s loss of his son Chris involved birds (owls and hawks), a beloved dog and sunflowers. Chris was an all-state catcher in high school and that was my position too so for me that sealed the deal.<\/p>\n It goes without saying that I honored Mark’s print request. They were ordered two days ago and I suspect I’ll be less reluctant to honor many print requests in the future.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/red-tailed-hawk-2936-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-tailed-hawk-2936-ron-dudley\\"")
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