Sunday, April 27, 2008

Florida 98














My grandfather (the surgeon) had a sister who was a nurse. She married a steel tycoon who she nursed back to health after a bout with some contagion or other. She lived in Florida and would drive up to visit every couple of years. She was my great aunt but was known as Aunt Anne to everybody. She was an imperious matron with a heart of some valuable mineral. They were lean years and she brought chocolate and oranges for my mother and her five brothers and sisters at Christmas during the depression. Now, near as I can tell she did this for over thirty years. Here's the deal...she drove up some time around 1958, from Florida to Vancouver, British Columbia. She must have been at least eighty. The weather was cold and it was starting to snow when she was due to start back. One of my uncles, her nephew, worked for Air Canada and suggested she fly home, which she did. She left the car, never came back again, and my uncles who couldn't register the car beat around with it for a while and just left it. I rediscovered it pretty much as they left it in a friends yard when they subdivided their big city lot. It was towed away and that was that.

My great Aunt lived for at least another ten years and her millions were drained dy unscrupulous nursing home operators. My grandmother had to fly down and pay the funeral bill. She (my great aunt) used to buy a big new Olds 98 every couple of years so that it would make the five thousand mile trip without breaking down. She died broke. __________________
Ron Morrison

17 comments:

sandy said...

Another winner! The shine and light on this is perfect and the story that goes with it fascinating.

sandy

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Sandy, I think I have found my calling, yarn spinning watercolourist...

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

I came in from Sandy's site. I'm so glad I did. Your art is wonderful.

~Babs said...

Your work has such drama! Great light effects,,,and I love that Blogger has the click & enlarge feature. SO much more to see.

I am aspiring to be like your Aunt Anne,, the hard part has been obtaining the millions.

Clive said...

Fantastic Ron, picture and especially the story. I should say you should be a writer...but you obviously are. The old girl probably isn't the only passanger who was put off flying forever by Air Canada...

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Lin, your photos are amazing!

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Babs, she must have led quite the life...

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Clive, these are fun to do...

Jeffrey J. Boron said...

I particularly love the light & colour in this one Ron. The story of course is quite amazing!

Jeffrey

Billie Crain said...

interesting 'yarn', Ron. what a sad end to a good woman's life, tho. that lonely abandoned car in the field suits the story's end to a 'T'.

Joan said...

This one looks like it's ready for us to hop in, turn the key, and head out on an adventure!!!

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Jeffrey, I am amazed that she drove all that way and back by herself.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Billie, I wish I had paid more attention to the stories when I was a kid.

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Joan, it does!

About said...

My great aunt was rich too...but she left the house to the woman who looked after her (and put up with her)...and the money was left to, like...cats...or something. Dang! We were thiiiiiiiiiis close!
Lovin' the stories to go with the pics! Way fun!

Ron Morrison said...

Thanks Tracy, she must have gone through a phenomenal amount of money, the crooks got it and my grandmother didn't have extra money.

~Babs said...

Still looking for more of your Idaho Abstracts.
Or any kind.
#:-B