Drake, My Best Friend
What can I say..?? My best friend is gone and I don't know why... There will never be an answer to that question...
Well, it is hard to do a photo tribute to Drake (Clarke Arthur Chamberlain) encompassing our years together as running buddies when all my pictures are stored in a unit in New Hampshire and I am living in Manila... However, I have been keeping a digital record since 2003 so I do have a few images to share with everyone...
For over 40 years Drake and I had fun together... We built quite a friendship... We had so many adventures... We lived life... Hard to believe that all I have are the memories...
In our teens, experimenting, exploring, living life on the edge... Working hard as Ironwokers, playing hard on the river... Ever the survivors...
Into our twenties where we became more than friends, we became family when I married his sister... My sons middle name is Clarke... He was a friend, an uncle to honor...
In our thirties, I traveled throughout the States to visit with him... Even tho' we were no longer family, he was still my "brother-in-law"...
Our forties, he was in the South... Taking care of animals... We saw each other occasionally...
Our fifties, we adventured anew... Yearly visits together to hang... He became a part of my grandchildren's lives... Always the friend, always the family... We would be able to just have fun... We could always do that together... I will miss him...
So here are a few shots of Drake that I have pulled from the archives... Hope you enjoy remembering the good times that you spent with him as I do when I look these....
They are in chronological order starting from 2003...
The slopes of Mt. Washington.... 
The woods of the White Mountains
The Flume
Hanging out on the Kangamangus
Uncle Clarke, Liz and Marley at Serenity
The Boys: Adam, Steve, Joon and Drake
Teaching Marley the art of the "Cream Cram"
A great candid pose
Adam and his Uncle Clarke
Drake and Docs
Drake introducing Docs to Adam and Marley
Uncle Clarke and Marley going for a ride
Great shot of Drake and Marley
Drake cooking while he and I were camping on the St. Johns.
Heading down the St. Johns.
With Hackey at one of the fish camps.
Another shot of Drake and Hackey.
Doing the tractor thing..
Buddies...
Helping sand the bottom of IRREGARDLESS
Celebrating the Blessing of IRREGARDLESS
Helping with the renaming of IRREGARDLESS.
Adam and Drake at the Blessing.
More blessing...
Relaxing from so much blessing...
I do have Drake to thank for my wonderful cigar habit...
Drake, Lars and Janice
Adam, Steve and Drake
Britt, Drake and Steve
A cold trip down the St. Johns on IRREGARDLESS
Drake and Steve
Drake with Jacksonville behind him
Drake and I in downtown Jacksonville
Enjoying the St. Johns and hoping for sunshine.
Drake and Britt in the sunshine..
Drake on the bow of IRREGARDLESS.
Cooking out in Green Cove Springs.
Prepared for anything..!!
Heading on our trip to Miami... A great week..
Fishing in the Atlantic off the stern...
Night fishing worked...
A character study... Gotta love the cigar...
Masters of the wood splitter....
A Florida adventure...
A couple of serious dudes...
A man and his dog...
On the swing in front of the firepit at Serenity: Drake, Britt and Steve...
Here he is, down front at my son's wedding... As always, more than a friend, part of the family...
Drake with Jon and Ben and Tim, in Vegas..
Hmmm, a serious pose....
The last visit I had with Drake....My best firend is gone...
I am going to miss him...
5 comments:
dad, this is beautiful. what a wonderful way to look back and remember the good times. our rendez-vous in florida will always be my fondest memories of uncle clarke!
Nice
Steve,
What a great way to remember Clark. Brit forwarded this to Pat and I. I just finished looking and now I am crying.
I am in the process of working with Doc. My cousin Bill is probable going to take him. He will live on several hundred acres in Satsuma Fl. This is about 50 miles south of here. I will be riding with Bill and of course get to see Doc often.
Clark told all about you so I felt like I new you when I met you. You were both so fortunate to have a wonderful caring friendship with many travels and adventures.
Your son Adam Clark even looks like him.
My best to you Steve. Stay safe and I hope so much to have your company under better circumstances.
love, barbie
Steve,
What a great way to remember Clark. Brit forwarded this to Pat and I. I just finished looking and now I am crying.
I am in the process of working with Doc. My cousin Bill is probable going to take him. He will live on several hundred acres in Satsuma Fl. This is about 50 miles south of here. I will be riding with Bill and of course get to see Doc often.
Clark told all about you so I felt like I new you when I met you. You were both so fortunate to have a wonderful caring friendship with many travels and adventures.
Your son Adam Clark even looks like him.
My best to you Steve. Stay safe and I hope so much to have your company under better circumstances.
love, barbie
Steve, I know you don't know me. But I worked with Clarke at Lion Country Safari in '95. He hired me as a safari keeper on the reservation. He was like a father to me. I kept in touch with him for a while but continued to search for him these past 5 years without success. I am very upset because I had wanted to talk with him again and did not get the chance. When I discovered his name in an obituary with so little information one month after his death, I continued to search consistently to make sure it was him. Today is the day I discovered this blog. So it's a very sad day for me but I thank you very very much for giving me the opportunity to see him again in these pictures one last time. I want you to know if Clarke knew I had been looking for him for so long he would have definitely made sure we met up. I am so saddened to not have had that opportunity. I would like to email or communicate a little about this if possible. I was in his video he made for his dad from Lion Country Safari. Sincerely, Lisa Bondellio
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