Dearest Buzz, first thank you for including us today. Your family is amazing, so articulate and caring. In my shop I have mementos and photos of things, places and people who mean a lot to me. I did not know Alex but his picture is now magnet ly attached to my heating system. I started to count how many pictures I have of you and Pat and realized I have almost as many as my own family! You guys are my heroes. Now a story about my brother who was a free spirit like Alex. He went to Australia while attending collage. ( students abroad for a term ) When he hit foreign soil he disappeared, hiked to the outback, found a small village of natives, and lived with them for 4 months. He missed all his classes and his return flight home. He got an F for the term. However he kept a daily journal and upon his return he turned it in to his teacher. He (teacher) called my mom and showed her the journal and changed his grade to an A. It just made me think, Alex might have done the same thing. Alex was connected to the earth as was my brother. I think they are both scheming about what mountain to climb, what trails to run, what is the best hiking food and how to cook it, and most important of all how to be a good person, how to respect nature and be a part of it. Thank you for being a part of my life.

PS, other pictures- cousins, uncle, brother and right-a-way in starting a sailing race.