Today my wife’s Aunt Clara will be laid to rest.  All of us follow, in our own time.  There is so much beauty within this life, in our world to be enjoyed, to give life meaning.  Yet, everything passes.  It is a sad prospect, but only because we are aware, able to measure time, and mark the consequences of movement, of life’s energy driven arc.

In requiem I leave this photo of a days end on the beach at Sunset Lake.  And a poem by Gerhard Manley Hopkins.

Aunt Clara and Uncle Kurt made this lake and the adjoining property their home.  Now, the tradition, the opportunity — is passed on to David, Sheri,  to Ben and Ashley.

Farewell Aunt Clara!

And fare forward dear family.

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THE LEADEN ECHO
by Gerhard Manley Hopkins

How to keep—is there ány any, is there none such, nowhere
    known some, bow or brooch or braid or brace, láce, latch
    or catch or key to keep
Back beauty, keep it, beauty, beauty, beauty, . . . from vanishing
    away?

  Ó is there no frowning of these wrinkles, rankèd wrinkles deep,
Dówn? no waving off of these most mournful messengers, still
    messengers, sad and stealing messengers of grey?
No there’s none, there’s none, O no there’s none,
Nor can you long be, what you now are, called fair,
Do what you may do, what, do what you may,
And wisdom is early to despair:
Be beginning; since, no, nothing can be done
To keep at bay
Age and age’s evils, hoar hair,
Ruck and wrinkle, drooping, dying, death’s worst, winding
    sheets, tombs and worms and tumbling to decay;
So be beginning, be beginning to despair.
O there’s none; no no no there’s none:
Be beginning to despair, to despair,
Despair, despair, despair, despair.