David McDougall

For some reason I have this botanical name in my head and a fuzzy memory of Dad repeating it over and over with a big grin on his face. I think he was planting seeds in the back garden.

Pals

Padded with some old blankets, there would be at least two of us in there at a time. Around and around the house we’d go, the most thrilling part would be bumping down all the stairs in the back garden. Again! Again!

Getting familiar with the dirt bike

Baby Ali

The year we got that red sledge. Next stop: the big hill in Hermitage park!

I think of you every time I light a fire at home now. That special way you twisted and scrunched up the newspaper into thin noodles. I do that too. I feel like it's the best way.

Dad watched the film Out of Africa annually. He especially liked the opening sequence, and the musical score by John Barry.

https://youtu.be/CKlA15b0Unc?t=1m27s

You are not long for this world,

it’s time to say farewell.

To leave these physical confines,

through which you have stayed with us for a spell.

But now you are free, free to leave this place, free from judgement, and free from fear.

Though you’re not gone for good,

since you visit from time to time.

Through the many memories we forged in such a short space of time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXArDfoxW0

What a ssshot!

In his element, ready to dominate.

Growing up we kids always gave dad a hard time about the old clothes he wore. He would also laugh it off or say “don’t you worry about me son!” It wasn’t until recently thinking back on us making jokes about his old running shoes that I realized that he did it because having 4 kids must’ve been bloody expensive and he always wanted to make sure we had the best “kit”.

That time Kenneth got a hammock from Uncle John

Dad helped me built my first wooden ship out of a few pieces of wood glued together and a good lick of white outdoor fence paint. We painted on details like windows and added a black smoke stack probably which was probably inspired by a ferry cruise I had taken before. Later on I remember taking a real boat ride and towing the boat we made behind with a piece of string (this is stuff little boys dream of!) In my excitement I somehow ended up leaving my boat behind. When I realized this dad and I ran back only to find another young boy with my boat upside down pretending it was a gun! I remember dad having a good chuckle at that.

On the many road trips Dad and I made back down to uni we sometimes took a route that passed by an abandoned house that was gruadually falling in on itself. We’d passed by it so many times, but one sunny October day we decided to stop and take some photos of it. I ended up making some prints of the better ones and also made this silly card for Dad on Father’s day.

As it states on the card, I really enjoyed that moment, Dad always had a passion for photography and even though he had a long drive to Toronto and back ahead of him, he didn't mind stopping for a half hour and making sure I got some good shots.

One of dad’s traits I really admire was his ability to initiate and maintain conversation with a diverse range of people. It didn’t matter if the person was the bin man, a construction worker, slick business man, random person on the street or friend of mine he had never met before, he had the charisma and social intelligence to engage and have them engage with him. This is a trait that I have always had great respect for and I think I will always be striving to be as good as him at it.

Woodpile smiles