My Tuesday morning thoughts on Jeff.....

I am so shocked by this loss. I didn't sleep a wink last night and feel physically ill from this loss. It doesn't seem posible to have lost this man who was so full of life. I drove through Yosemite for the very first time this past weekend. There was a terrible fire and we couldn't get down into the park, but instead camped on the west side and drove through on Sunday morning, apparently when he fell. I was thinking of him throughout the entire weekend, and had I thought about it ahead of time, I would surely have called Jeff up (I had no cell service in the park all weekend) to say hey, perhaps try to find a way to see him.

I haven't seen Jeff since last September, at our wedding. That makes me terribly sad! Jeff was a good buddy from way back- I honestly can't remember when I met him, I feel as though I just knew him forever. When I lived on the farm in davis, Jeff was a regular sight for me. Every time I saw that baby blue old subaru driving down road 95, a big grin would come across my face. I would drop what I was doing in the field and meet Jeff down the driveway. We kept 3 beehives between us at the farm, and he was out there regularly checking on them. He also built an owl box for me, and scaled a eucalyptus tree effortlessly to hang up. Within months I had a nesting pair of barn owls that I would end my day waiting for- every evening when they emerged my day felt done. Jeff spent hours helping me on the farm, and we spent an equal number of hours sharing meals, beers, checking out raptors (he tried patiently to teach me, but I was terrible at seeing them the way he did. He could identify a hawk from so far away.... incredible!). He and I spent an entire day a few summers ago harvesting honey from my hives- we got about 9 gallons and made a royal mess. it took me days to clean up!

One of my favorite memories is when a bee hive took over one of his owl boxes at Good Humus. I couldn't go help him, but Dena went in my place. It sounded like quite the adventure- Jeff climbing high up in this tree with his bee gear, nailing shut the opening, taking down the box and lowering it by rope to dena on the ground. When they returned to the farm, Dena seemed a little shook up. But jeff! he was SO excited. He thought it had been such an adventure. And we still had to get all those bees into a new box! We spent the rest of the evening trying to figure something out. and afterwards, drank some beers and did some star gazing. That owl box, still with wax on the inside, is still at Full Circle and I think I will ask to have it.
All night as I thought of my memories of Jeff, I wavered between tears and smiles. His energy and enthusiasm and light spirit was so infectious. I love him so much. we haven't been in great touch recently, for which I am so sad. When my sister passed away about 10 months ago, I got a very sweet email from Jeff. I re-read it last night a few times and was reminded of just how wonderful he was.

I plan to hang an owl box in my yard here, with the hopes of getting some barn owls to move in. I have been wanting one for a while and this feels like a good time to do so. With Jeff in mind.