Hi Bruce,
It's good to see these photos because the parade over the Burrard Street Bridge wasn't shown on the TV coverage.
At the beginning of the bridge, a friend of mine has an apartment right beside the bridge, about 25 floors up, with an incredible view over the whole bridge. I lost touch with him years ago, and tried to find his email address today, but couldn't find it
I was thinking he would get some amazing photos with his digital camera ... he's on the dowtown side of the bridge. He has an unlisted number so I couldn't Canada411 it. So ... I'm specially glad to see your pictures!
Much of the coverage and ceremony were extremely moving. It was good to see Gavin sitting between Smokey's daughter Norma and son David ... good because Gavin had a heart attack not so long ago, so I'm glad he was there to send off his father-inlaw properly because he thought the world of Smokey. Was in awe of him. I met Norma briefly a few times many many years ago. I don't "know" the family as an insider ... only of them, really. I'm sure Smokey and Gavin shared many a good Scotch .. they both loved the creature
My heart really does go out to the family ... what a huge gap where Smokey was ... I hope they fill that gap quickly with celebrating his life with memories and stories and with knowing all the hows and whys of his presence in their lives.
I heard it said some place once that we stand on the sholdiers of giants ... well ... we do. Smokey ... and his Soldier peers, and all of our fallen soldiers, are the shoulders we stand on ... we need to maintain the freedoms and values that these wonderful men and women worked, fought, and died for, for all of us ... thats the debt and honouring we most must do for them ...
Our young ... need to UNDERSTAND their freedoms that they so enjoy, were saved by these people ... freedom only exists because someone risked and died to preserve those human dignities.
Enough ... except, I wish I could have met Smokey when I had the chance years ago. What an ignorant git was I then
:
Karmen