Friday, October 30, 2015

Dora Patricia Clarke

My mother, the woman that gave me, and my brothers Nick, and David, life;  Dora Patricia Williams, Dora Patricia Erskine-Shaw, nee Dora Patricia Clarke  died tonight just after 12 pm October 30,
She had acquired pneumonia, during radiation treatments, and as per her wishes, as the agony increased she refused the treatments being given to her.  I was the last family member to see her alive, I had left the hospital at 10pm, lights out time; she was peaceful, but breathing rapidly and laboriously, which was probably putting great strain on her heart.

27 September 1938 Kidderminster, England -  30 October 2015 Port Moody, B.C.

Dora in 2010 at the Vancouver Airport


Dora trying mate, for the first time in 2011



She was orphaned, when young, with two other siblings Marie Bernadette Duggan, and Kevin Clarke; they will carry on life with the memory of Dora.

She married Andrew Erskine-Shaw, and had me, and then Nicholas "Nick".  Sadly Andrew was killed in a car accident, which left Dora with two young boys to take care of; later she re-married to Brian Williams, they had two children, Jenny Williams, who died at age three of a faulty heart, and David who lives in the Slocan Valley.

Last October she moved into an apartment, and she was complaining then of a problem with her hip, it took numerous visits to the doctors, and the hospital, and numerous miss-diagnosis before she was diagnosed with kidney cancer, which had migrated to her hip.  Her hip was rebuilt, and one kidney was removed, and further tests were done, culminating with the cancer being found in other parts of her body, and so a week of intensive radiation was prescribed, with more than a month of chemotherapy. Sadly the stress of all the radiation, and chemo lowered her resistance, and she caught pneumonia, which was not picked up by the medical staff in a timely manner, until we had to call an ambulance, when she was taken to Eagle Ridge Hospital, where the diagnosis of pneumonia was given, she rallied for a while, but lost her will to live a few days prior to her demise, just so much drugs, and poking, and prodding, and pain to deal with.

So hopefully she is at peace, and with her daughter Jenny, and her first husband, and true love Andrew.

Rest in Peace MOM





Panoramio slideshow

Monkey me

Monkey me

Some of the things that keep me out of trouble

I am involved in numerous environmental groups throughout the Tri-Cities area, I manage the Hoy Scott Watershed Societies,(HSWS) salmon hatchery, and keep the volunteers up to date with a Blog
I am also involved with the Maple Creek Streamkeepers,(MCS).

I have an interest in the history of British Columbia, especially the preservation of the Riverview Hospital site.
Which includes the rebuilding of Finnies Garden with a dedicated group of volunteers.
I love the history and ecology of Minnekhada Park, and have done extensive research on its previous owners.
The elusive, though extensive history of the Pitt River which includes Pitt Lake and the Upper Pitt River is slowly being gathered together, for a future book. Much of this area now includes the Pinecone-Burke Provincial Park, which another group that I am involved in the Burke Mountain Naturalists,( BMN ) worked hard to create for future generations to enjoy.
I like to hike around the area taking pictures, here is a small portion of them in Panoramio and also Flickr

Patricia Gaspar, is a dear, artist friend who has a Blog with a small portion of her work.
. Some of the history of the Coquitlam area, I share in my Coquitlamites Blog.

And I really like the music of Eva Marie Cassidy

Still laughing

Still laughing

Crystal Falls

South Slope / Sterling Loop trails


View South Slope-Sterling Loop trails in a larger map

Knots and Splices

Create some Knots and then, make your own Laneyards

Some free books from Internet Archive

Knots, ties and splices; a handbook for seafarers, travellers, and all who use cordage; with historical, heraldic, and practical notes (1884)

The use of ropes and tackle (1922)

A huge guide for sailors of old. The kedge-anchor, or, Young sailors' assistant :

appertaining to the practical evolutions of modern seamanship, rigging, knotting, splicing, blocks, purchases, running-rigging, and other miscellaneous matters, applicable to ships-of-war and others ; illustrated with seventy engravings ; also tables of rigging, spars, sails, blocks, canvas ... &c relative to every class of vessels (1883)

Macrame design, with instructions .. (1912)

Rope and twine information (1917)

American wire rope catalogue and hand book (c1913)

Full instructions in the art of crepe paper rope basket weaving (1922)

Modern flax, hemp and jute spinning and twisting ; a practical handbook for the use of flax, hemp, and jute spinners, thread, twine, and rope makers (1907)