Henry Hudson; Leaves of Autumn

What a rush it is to sit in the 36-paned window in the TV room and look out over the backyard watching the leaves blow from the trees, dancing in the air, twirling, skittering and barely finding a resting place on the ground before being swept up again by the wind. I can also easily watch the birds at the bird feeder. It is lovely and the sun has just come out to bring light to what has been a dank day up until now.

From Sunday to Wedneday night, I was deeply wrapped in my grief. I was depressed, and recognized the signs. I knew it was temporary so I went with the sadness. I woke up Thursday morning with an entirely different attitude. I went shopping and met my friends for our usual first-Thursday-of-the-month dinner.

Part of the order I had brought up to Albany for framing was ready Thursday. The 16x24 portrait of "Henry Hudson" is absolutely gorgeous. Long story short about this is back in the last 1980s, Ron was the model for Henry Hudson, a portrait being drawn by the artist Constance DelVecchio Maltese who had been commissioned to draw portraits of great explorers through the ages. Henry Hudson was one of the 12 explorers she drew. (To see all the explorers, go to this web site: http://cmaltese.homestead.com/AgeofDiscovery.html) Because Ron looks so much like the historic pictures of Hudson, he was her model. This year is the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson discovering what is now New York City and sailing up the Hudson River to Albany. In observance of this celebration, Hudson's portrait as painted by Constance was revived and put on postcards and posters. Constance also had a few 16x24 inch canvas portraits made up to be hung in prominent restaurants in towns along the Hudson River, and she gave one of them to me. It is below, all framed and ready for hanging. It looks so much like Ron it's uncanny, though the expression on "Henry's" face is more somber than Ron's.


What a thoughtful present to give me. This picture will be a family treasure that I will make sure returns to Greenville to go to a family member when I die.