Greg,
I wanted to let you know that I appreciated getting to know you in the year we worked together. I think we hit it off well, having similar personalities and interests.
I ended up moving to Edmonton to get my degree, while you took a job somewhere somewhere in northern Saskatchewan – I think it was La Ronge – and we didn’t stay in touch.
I did eventually return your Van Morrison LPs to you.
I didn’t hear that you’d taken your own life until Mark moved to Edmonton and updated me on some of the old crew members.
I don’t know if I could have made any difference, but I wish you’d have called me up to talk about your demons. I guess we never got to know each other well enough to have that level of trust.
Van Morrison’s “A Period Of Transition” is still one of my all-time favourite albums. It still sounds as fresh as it did in 1979. Thanks for your influence.
Your friend,
Phil
Forest Inventory Crew at Little Bear Lake, winter 1979-80 (click to enlarge)