Aunts and cousins
Here are two images from the barbecue at Dad's place yesterday, provided mostly by Aunt Carol in honour of a visit by Aunt Nancy from Nova Scotia.
First is a photo of Mom's three surviving sisters, (from left) Janet, Nancy and Carol. It characterizes them pretty well. After Mom died, Carol told me, "Whenever you need a mom you can call on me."
On Mom's side we are 19 cousins, counting one deceased. Five attended the barbecue: (from left) John (Carol's son), Nancy (Carol's daughter), me, Jen (Janet's daughter) and Jim (Nancy's son).
Growing up, I wasn't especially close to Carol's five children, but now they are becoming more like siblings to me, especially John, Nancy and their younger brother, Jim (he teaches university zoology in Illinois, and is not the Jim in this photo). Jim did his undergrad at University of Guelph, and was the first of Mom's relatives I came out to, about seven years ago. Jim said his mom would be a good person to talk to, so I came out to Carol and John several months later.
Yesterday poor John had a sad story to tell. All of Carol's family are animal lovers. John had a pet llama and a Shetland sheep. On the day after Mom's memorial, John gave djjo a bit of fleece from the llama, with a promise of more when shearing time comes. But the Shetland fleece was designated for John's eldest sister, Brenda, an accomplished knitter and weaver. The ram was very intelligent, and a close buddy, John says.
Last week John sheared the ram. The next day the little guy, finding himself smaller, decided to climb through an opening in his pen, got caught, and died. I asked whether John plans to replace him, and he said yes. People who raise sheep can't keep many rams, only the best breeding stock, so most go for lamb or mutton. I have a cousin who rescues rams.
