Exhibit LVV

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Til

       Welcome to the last scheduled exhibit of this web site, devoted for the last quarter-century to documenting a glimpse of late 20th century-early 21st century life in America and beyond.

       As my dear wife - Mathilde Germaine Demisay Huckins - has been the inspiration for so much of my photography, as well as so many other aspects of my life, this exhibit will focus on her. Moreover, she was the most photogenic person I ever knew. Her magnificent smile first attracted me as a lad of 17 and held my attention ever since.

       This exhibit, however, will only focus on Til from the time of our first real date - a camping/hiking trip into the High Peak region of the Adirondack Mountains over the Halloween weekend of 1971 - to our life at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury (RW-C), a continuing care retirement community on the Northern Neck of Virginia.

       From the thousands of images I have taken or collected of my wife over the years, I have narrowed the current exhibit down to 101 glimpses of or about her which best reflect her beauty, character and nature. In some cases, these images easily capture Til's robust sense of adventure, particularly flying airplanes (she held a multi-engine rating as a private pilot) and riding horses from her early childhood, and more generally in traveling the world at large. Til's love of animals, especially horses and cats, is also readily apparent, but not necessarily her fascination with bugs and other creepy crawlers of the underworld. Her passion for the natural world, particularly flowers, leaves, shells and sand dunes also shines through. Not particularly apparent but just as important was her compassion for older people, her interest in understanding the nature of things in general, her obsession with note-taking, and her skill in expressing herself in clear, plain language, whether it be English or French. And, if nothing else, these images should illustrate Til's greatest motivation in life - encouraging a strong, lasting sense of family.

       Not all of the images in the exhibit were captured by me, although I have fashioned all for presentation (and printing) in my own way. As chance would have it, the most successful image (# 99) of the exhibit was captured by our grandniece, Christine "Buzzy" Hansen, of her son Calvin leading Til (or is it the other way around?) down a path at RW-C. Time, then, for me to turn the tools and tricks of this always rewarding activity over to younger and more capable participants.

       It has been my great privilege, honor and joy to share so much of my life with this remarkable woman, and now for me to share here some of my greatest memories of her with you. If anything of her love of life and generous nature manages to touch your own, then I will have succeeded with this exhibit.