Saying goodbye

On Saturday, September 3, 2011, we chartered a boat at Ilwaco, WA, to take us to the waters at the base of the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse so that we could scatter Dad’s ashes. Dad had always said he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes scattered at a lighthouse. The weather was perfect (beautiful blue sky and no clouds), and after a 45 minute boat ride, we arrived at the perfect location. Dan Schenk, the skipper of our boat (the Nauti-Lady), dropped anchor and shut off the motor so we could have some quiet. Dad would have loved this spot (he never got to see the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse from the water) and it was the perfect spot to scatter his ashes. After Craig said a short prayer and Mindy read the poem she wrote for the funeral, we scattered the ashes – Mom first, followed by Cathy, Phil, Mark, Linda, Casey, Corey, Dylan, Jordan, Colby, Brynna, Craig, Tamara, Mindy, Melinda, and then Mom again. Linda also chose this spot to scatter some of her Golden Retriever Mason’s ashes so that Dad and Mason could be together. And Mindy tossed in a quarter for Dad to find – he always had a good eye for finding change when he and Mom went for walks. After scattering the ashes, we also scattered some red and white carnations on the water; the drifted out to sea, forming a beautiful arc. September 3rd was a significant day to scatter the ashes for two reasons: first, it was seven months ago that Dad died (almost even to the minute), and second, September 3, 2011, would have been Mom and Dad’s 57th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad loved visiting lighthouses, both before and during their retirement, and they traveled around the United States and the world photographing them.