My architect friend Abraham Rogatnick who died some 7 years ago used to tell me,”I am not long for this world and I am glad of it.” I understood then and more so now.

Consider that my Microsoft Word program  questions the use of the work Ektachrome. More than half of the cars that I could at once recognize with but a glance are gone. When I look at the celebrities in my NY Times or even the Vancouver Sun I have no idea who they are.

While I cannot brag that I used to walk miles to my school when I was a little boy, whatever else I might want to brag about  (since it will be pre-digital revolution) will be of no importance.

As that not-too-polite English young man in a photography class I gave some years ago said to me, “Can you show us photographs of people in magazines that still exist?”

So when two intrepid photographers (and you have to be intrepid to be one these days), Robert Kwong and Ralph Rinke called me up to ask me if I could be visited, I jumped at the offer. They were here yesterday and for three hours my Vancouver isolation in things photographic dissipated. Over Spanish Alhambra Beer we talked of things that nobody these days would understand. Such as HC-110, Dektol, Technical Pan and, on and on.

Bless these two from saving me for at least three hours.