Photo of the Week 2023-06-19

 

Five years ago today, my numbers came up and I retired. Technically, I was employed until then end of June but used accumulated vacation time to ensure that I didn't work a day after turning 60. It was the end of an instalment in my book of life and the beginning of a fun new one. That next instalment is currently under development and with continued good fortune it will be full.

I'm thankful for the career I had through the succession of corporate iterations, OAKS Precast / Standard Industries / Lafarge Canada / LafargeHolcim. The arrival of this anniversary, had me thinking back, running through memories acquired over a few decades. Perhaps predictably, it led to my photo archive where I came across these from a vacation stay in Montreal ...

 

' Corporate Office '

 

 

I never visited that office in all the years I worked for the company, and by the time I made this photo in 2009, the legal corporate entity was no longer Canada Cement. Corporate offices had relocated elsewhere, many changes had taken place and more were on the horizon. Some things change for the better, some don't. Much depends on our own perspective...

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2018-04-02

After playing hockey since the age of 8, with only a couple of brief hiatus', I decided to make this season my last  ...  

...  I'm "hanging 'em up"

'hanging 'em up"

Outside of photographing nature, wildlife and landscapes, I also find myself compelled to document certain aspects of life. In those cases, usually, there is an emotional attachment to the place, the subject or the moment as was the case for the image of my mother's hands or the ones I've made with memorabilia from my grandfather.

Recently, my regular group of pick-up hockey players had their last ice time of the season. I met one of these guys 28 years ago shortly after moving to Guelph and we have played together ever since.He has become a very good friend and as expected, there are many others that I have come to know through hockey through the years.

The decision to 'hang 'em up' comes at the same time I prepare to retire from a 35 year working career, the last 30 of those years with one company. Plans for the future would have me away and missing a lot of the early morning ice times and I don't think it's a wise decision to play only once in a while if I'm not in "game (for me) shape" after the age of 60. So it's time ...

... an emotional time for sure and one that I am compelled to document with my photography.

DJE