I found out that I lost a good friend and great guy a few days ago, doing what he loved to do most, backpacking through a corner of Alaska.
It's a gut punch, the kind that leaves you wandering in a daze, wiping away the tear that surfaces unexpectedly, not sure of what your next move or words should be. He was a wonderful man, caring and considerate, a storyteller supreme, and the world is lesser without him.
This is not making me feel social. I know you guys care, and if I'm not here for a couple days, I accept and thank you in advance for your loving and gracious sympathies.