Places that have influenced my life

This is the backyard I grew up in. It has changed greatly over the years. When I was young there were 14 pear trees for climbing, in the upper level. they were very old and slowly died out. We put in the pool when I was in my early teens. The pool was shaped the way it is so that the flagstone wall that my father and brothers built wasn't damaged. In the summer, we'd sit on that wall and eat watermelon on hot summer evenings and have seed spitting contests. The property is surronded by 20 foot tall cedar hedges that give the property so much privacy. It is and always has been an oasis for us.

The lake is nearby and I spent alot of time near the water growing up. Being near the water is still important for me.

This is Abertay. It was my grandparents home when I was a child. My grandfather has his darkroom here and my grandmother....well... she just filled us with love. There were many happy times in this house and in the garden. It has been out of the family for a long time, but it still looks very much the same as it did when I grew up.