[at-l] OT, Somewhat - or Not - "I am a thousands winds that blow"

[bennettk at wfu.edu (ken bennett)]

On 4/18/05 12:27 PM, "Jan Leitschuh" <janl2@mindspring.com> wrote:

> 
> I came home after a weekend in Virginia to find an old friend of mine
> had died, succumbed to the cancer that had plagued him. He'd been on
> my mind all weekend.


Jan, I am very sorry for the loss of your friend. On Saturday, we had the
memorial service for my friend and hiking partner, Richard Puchyr, who died
last week after a 10-month battle with brain cancer. He was 40 years old.

Richard loved hiking, and he loved the Appalachian Trail. At the service, I
read (with permission) from Mags' journal on pilgrimage (thanks, Mags), and
then I read the poem at end of Earl Shaffer's book, Walking With Spring:

The Long Cruise was finished.
Already it seemed like a vivid dream, through sunshine, shadow, and rain,
Already I knew that many times, I would want to be back again,
On the cloud-high hills where the whole world lies below and far away,
By the wind-worn cairn where admiring eyes first welcome newborn day,
To walk once more where the white clouds sail, far from the city clutter,
And drink a toast to the Long High Trail in clear, cold mountain water.

Not sure what else to say, except that he was a good hiking partner and I
will miss him terribly.

Ken