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Mammoth Springs

Monday, December 14, 2020

Farewell, Denis


It was pretty much like manna from heaven, the twenty dollars I found in the envelope, an Andrew Jackson so crisp it looked like it had just jumped off the press. Not that I am destitute at present but who couldn't use a few extra bucks?

But the thing is, the man who sent it didn't really owe it to me and the fact is that he died of cancer a little over two years ago, in October of 2018. And truth be told, it has been sitting unopened on my desk since 2013.

His name was Denis Wheary. Denis was the foremost scholar and cataloguer of the works of my late friend, the wonderful artist Rick Griffin. He brought all of us "Griffinophiles" together and sorted everything out.

Denis also read my blog on occasion and liked my photography. He asked me to send him a print of this Sedona shot I took or a similar one anyway and I did. He sent me a big bag of Griffin related stuff soon after and I guess I never looked at it very closely until just the other day when I discovered that he had included extra money for postage and the starched bill fell right out of the package. Almost looked fake.

It really wasn't necessary but I appreciate it Denis, and doubly so now that you are gone. Thank you! We all miss you and you will never be replaced in our little corner of the world. And thanks for the dough.

May the four winds blow you safely home, my friend.

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