Our neighbor Mel

Our friendly and wonderful neighbors left this earth several years ago, but how can you forget or for that matter, begin to measure kindness. Mel was riding a motorcycle trying to navigate a curve and he fell, ironic that the nurse who happened to be near became his wife. Life has such amazing twists... Mel served as a Canadian Naval Officer, then leaving the Military he purchased a some equipment and before long discovered he could machine most anything. When not working in his shop Mel loved the outdoors, often going into the known regions of British Columbia where a person could come bsck with a few nuggets. And these nuggets simply sat in his machine shop, glowing in a little jar. Mel once mentioned that camping in the mountains he heard a tap at the door, opened the door of his little truck camper to find a grizzly looking down on him, and in a few seconds he managed to reach for his shotgun and put down this creature before he became a meal for the bear. Such incredible stories from such an incredible man. But most wonderful were the simple things, like the time Mel offered to drive our little girls to school, in weather of 30 below, that drive was certainly appreciated. Other times I would go into the shop where Mel had his equipment and bring over some car or truck parts and Mel would usually be able to recreate some of the parts or simply machine them until they were good again. The shop would be filled with smoke and country music blarring on the radio. Those wonderful winter evenings of talking about everything under the sun will always be treasured memories.... Its not always the big things that people do...but the little moments of kindness that stay in our minds... I just know Mel, that you are in heaven in a special machine shop and that your dear wife is close by...