Doug, may your spirit always be free to roam

Our good friend, Doug (dougwaylett, www.flickr.com/photos/dougcwaylett/) passed away yesterday, following a massive heart attack. He died shortly after giving a talk on Slime Molds in the Herbarium at the University of Calgary, and then doing something that he loved to do - looking at some lichens there, which held such an interest and fascination for him. He had taught himself a tremendous amount and had, indeed, become quite an expert. He shared this expertise, along with so many wonderful photos, on Flickr, and his daughter has said that she will make sure that his photostream remains on Flickr. I am so thankful for all the many bird and botany walks and hikes the last few years, also snake monitoring - I always knew Doug would find something new or especially beautiful to show us! Sometimes, the forest would echo with a loud "Hey, Anne!" and I knew that Doug, usually down on the ground and out of sight, had found something. We are going to miss this so much, but his passion will join with our own passion and live on in each of us. Doug, may your spirit guide our footsteps and our eyes, so that we can continue to find all those priceless treasures that bring so much joy, whether they be in forest, on mountain top, or the bog we so much enjoyed. Flo, our thoughts are with you and the family - take good care of yourself.