Grampa
File0057, originally uploaded by CherylZ.
Today would have been my grandfather's 109th birthday. He's been gone 30 years, and I still miss him lots. He was a wonderful grandfather, and since I was one of the oldest grandchildren, I was very close to him, especially when I was little and we lived nearby.
I love this picture of him, with my cousin shortysugarplum and some unknown relative making bunny ears behind his head.
I could never quite believe my mother's stories about how strict he was when she was growing up, because to me he was the man who told me what that beautiful blue bird was (a great blue heron), and snuck sunflower seeds out of the birdfeeder to munch on, and told me that garter snakes were good because they eat bugs, and taught me the chickadee's song.
Happy birthday, Grampa!