I have led a pretty fortunate life when it comes to dealing with serious illnesses or the deaths of close family and friends. And every once in a while, I experience something that makes me realize how really fortunate I am.

Al Paul is a 40-something young man from the Almonte area (10 minutes down the road from Carleton Place) and was one of four Paul kids that went grew up in the shadows of Mount Pakenham, skiing whenever he could, and working at the hill to help fund his passion.  He followed his dream to the Whistler area in BC, working, skiing, and building a family – welcoming a new son into his life just last year. But things took a challenging turn when he was diagnosed with brain cancer last year, and went through an initial round of surgery and chemotherapy treatment. His friends and family back home in the Almonte area were understandably shocked by the news, but they rallied to support Al and his family, and held a huge fundraiser for him at Mount Pakenham this past weekend (February 19th, 2011). Air miles were donated to bring Al back home, and the event took place with him as the guest of honour. Surrounded by family and friends, he spoke about his challenges and expressed his thanks for the support – both moral and financial.

As he prepares for a seven month battle with chemotherapy treatments starting next week, it is certainly a sobering thought to see first-hand what many people are challenged to deal with. Good luck Al!

Al with event organizers Moira Wilkie and Sarah Roberston

Pakenham Frost Fest

The annual Pakenham Frost Festival was this past weekend. Couldn’t have asked for a better late-January weekend for the outdoor activities – just below freezing and sunny. So my camera was busy, and, as with most festivals, cute kids dominate the photos. Those are the ones that make the newspaper, usually with a front page shot and an inside full page spread.

The first event was the crowning of Miss Pakenham, a contest for 14-18 year olds, offering one of them a chance to represent the town for a year. She get lots of exposure and public speaking experience as part of the town’s many special events. The goal at something like this is to get the delighted look when the winner is announced, and I think I came pretty close to capturing it.

On the indoor rink on Friday night, Little Miss and Mr. Pakenham were chosen from costumed skaters at a free skating event. This little guy was pushing a walker so he could get around the ice.

Saturday afternoon The local volunteer Fire Department had the outdoor rink in excellent condition, and the “kiddyjack” activities drew a good crowd of competitive kids. The challenge here is to get some sense of the action, as well as facial expressions that tell a story. This one shows the home stretch of the log rolling race (that’s my shadow at the bottom of the shot, about to get rolled over!)