Happy Trips, Sad Trips

While I’ve already shared with you the fun of my latest trips—and some of the vacation photographs from Bill Bean’s own forsaken collection of memorabilia—it looks like there may be another trip following close on the heels of the previous ones.

This one, however, may not turn out to be one of those happy trips.

When I think of all the trips photo-documented in Bill Bean’s collection, I see many happy times represented. They show activities that Bill evidently gained much pleasure from—like, for instance, his many fishing and camping trips.

Take this photo, unlabeled and undated as was Bill’s custom. Thankfully, the scene included the sign naming the location of this one fishing spot:

Richmond Court

Campbell River BC

Wherever Richmond Court on the Campbell River was located in British Columbia, I can’t determine. For the term, "Richmond Court," a Google™ search yields only locations of jurisprudence—hardly a stellar spot for recreation. The Richmond Court that I’m speaking of, however, did yield, apparently, a catch that one unidentified sportsman could be proud of making.

Or how about this next photo, uncharacteristically labeled with a date and partial identification:

Nov 10 – 57

       The Opera House

Went to see the Glass Curtain

Unfortunately, the question still remains: which Opera House? Since Bill lived for many years in the Bay area, I had presumed it was the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. However, taking a look at pictures available online, unless the San Francisco structure underwent radical earthquake retrofitting, the Opera House where Bill saw the Glass Curtain had to have a different identity.

Granted, Bill and his wife, Ellen, did a lot of traveling. See, for example, a trip to an undesignated exotic location such as this one (note: complete with fishing catch, though I presume not his own!).

These, however, are all tokens of happy memories. We rarely go out of our way to capture photographic memories of less joyful moments.

And yet, because of such less joyful moments, I may be traveling across country in the next few days.

Though as genealogists, we thrive on researching all the details on our long-gone ancestors, sometimes, like all people, we are called upon to set our daily tasks aside in favor of the needs of the family still with us. Usually, these are crisis times, admittedly. Who among us who value family, however, wouldn’t be ready and willing to do so?

For the past six months, one of my close family members has struggled with a health issue that appears to be at an irreversible point. I alluded to the struggle last winter, and during my trip east back then, managed to schedule enough posts to fill in for the days of my absence.

With this trip catching me so suddenly, though, I may have to take a rain check on our daily visits when you stop by to read A Family Tapestry. Some things simply allow us no time to prepare.

Hopefully, I’ll still catch a minute each day to check in—but I have to admit the stress of knowing what is facing a loved one has already taken its toll on me. On the other hand, having your company along the research way has been such a boost that I hate to miss any opportunity to connect with you each day.

If you are a praying person, I certainly appreciate your prayers for our family. And if you show up on these pages one morning and my customary post is not there to greet you, well…you’ll know I’m okay.

Just terribly sad.

The kind of sad that no one wants to capture in a photograph.