In Memorium

"Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure." ~Anonymous

Les as a small boy with his dad about 1953 I think.Here is link to my all time favorite blog post written by Les which tells of his childhood on the Paddington Arm of the canal into London.

Les and Valerie on their wedding day.

Les holding his new granddaughter Kiera 2006. He adored babies and children and they seemed to feel the same about Les.

Les in stocks at Hatton, 2007.

Les with a handful of lovely grandbabies (Teo, Kiernan and Kiera), October 2007.

Les in York, 2008.

Granddad with Jordan and Jack, Warwickshire, 2008.

Les' helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon, USA. October 2010.

Two friends who have no clue what lies in store for them, Cloudhouse, Pullman, Washington, USA. October 2010.

Les advertising a free chair to a good home to make room for two new chairs for us both, May 2011, Great Linford on the Grand Union Canal.

Les and I at daughter-in-law Bev's home in Watford. A family party held in honor of our upcoming wedding, May 2011.

Cruising May 2011 before returning to the USA to get married. My favorite boater.

Our American family on our wedding day, June 2011. (Left to tight: Grandson Michael, me, grandson Matthew, daughter Shiery -AKA Sparky, Les, Son-in-law Ben, daughter Jesse with baby Connor.

Our wedding day. Les is peeking at my new tattoo, June 2011.

The happiest couple in the world. Newlyweds hiking up at Kamiak Butte where we were married a month previously. July 2011, Pullman, WA. USA.

Les attempting to make my broom fly! Cloudhouse, Pullman, WA. USA. August 2011.

Les with a small mouth bass caught on a Snake River fishing trip with friends, Washington, USA. July 2011

Grandpa Les playing in the water with grandsons Matthew and Michael who is out of the photo shooting at Les with a water cannon while my daughter Jesse and baby Connor look on. July 2011.

Les taking a spin on our friend Karen's Segway. the hat was mandatory gear for the ride. July 2011, Pullman, WA. USA.

Les with our dear friend Sandy Field, August 2011, Pullman, WA. USA.

Les enjoying a moment on our honeymoon drive West from Pullman  to Seattle on our way to fly home to England, September 2011.

I loved taking pictures of Les first thing in the morning. Les not quite awake yet...

...until presents appeared! Birthday boy, March 19th, 2012 with his new Kindle.

Les taking the mick with me for taking his picture first thing! Mwah!

Best Beloveds on the packhorse bridge at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey canal, March 2012.

I reckon this look means "Cheeky woman!" March 2012

My baby doing his next favorite thing to cruising: chopping wood.  The Shroppie canal April 2012.

Les posing for me at Dunham Massey estate on the Bridgewater canal, summer 2012.

Les smelling a freshly baked Kahlua Chocolate Cake, Cavely, the Shropshire Union Canal, May 2012.

Les doing his bluebird of happiness impression, flying down the lane. Llangollen, spring 2012.

Me and Les in Portland, Oregon for our daughter Sparky's wedding, November 2012.

Les cuddling me while I fix dinner for our family. Daughter Jesse is working on wedding favors for her sister's wedding. Portland, Oregon, 2012.

Daughter Jesse sharing pictures of her boys with Les. Portland, Oregon, November 2012.

Mother and father of the brides preparing for a whirlwind day before the wedding, November 7th, 2012.

Les looking so handsome and proud of our daughter Sparky and our daughter in law Kelli. Les walked Spark down the aisle and handed her over to Kelli on November 7th, 2012, Portland, Oregon.

Les and I playing in the snow, Blisworth, 2013. This is the essence of our marriage and who we were with each other. We had so much fun together. I had his wedding band engraved with the words "You are  my joy".

Son Kevin and Dad cleaning up after a family spaghetti dinner aboard NB Valerie, March 2013.

Les opening his birthday gifts, March 19th, 2013.

Les' distinctive stride. I could always recognize Les by his walk long before I could see his features. Weybridge, The Thames, May 2013.

This series of three photos were taken on the Lee and Stort near Waltham Abbey, June 2013. What you cannot see is what Les saw when turning to look outside: the water was low so the boat was sitting quite low in the water and the towpath was about half way up the window. Outside a couple stopped to talk with someone and the woman was standing with her back to Les. She was wearing a pleated skirt which was waving precariously in the breeze, nearly sharing her Victoria's Secrets with us! Les' facial expressions spoke volumes.

My hero! Les in grandson Kiernan's Captain America mask, 2013.

Les holding up the Jubilee beacon on the top of Crack Hill overlooking Crick, Leicestershire, September 2014.

Les working the locks on the Hatton flight, September 2015.

Les still collecting firewood for us, October 2015 above the Lapworth flight.

I love this  picture of Les and two of our grandchildren Kiernan and Kiera, taken at Campbell Park, October 2015.

July 2016. The love in Les' eyes as he looks at me is so deep and sweet. I see it in every picture I have taken of him when he is looking only at me, even if he is in a photo with others, like the one I took just above. I know he he is telling me with that look, "I Love you Jaq and I always will."

Les, our grandson Jack, daughter in law Bev and me, Cow Roast, August 2016.

August 2016, Cow Roast. From Left to right: Granddaughter Lena May, Les, Grandson Kiernan, granddaughter Kiera, daughter in law Joanne.

Granddad having a moment with our two grandsons Teo and Battu. Cow Roast, August 2016.

August 2016, Les and I on our last day of cruising ever. We know death is waiting for him in the near future but in this present moment, this one glorious, sunny summer day, we focus solely on each other. Every second we have left to spend together is more precious than gold. My deepest gratitude to our daughter in law Ozlem for capturing this moment.