Dear Rick...

I want to thank Spaw for getting this started. In the days since you left us, I've been doing a lot of processing and unable to write anything. Writing a letter to you gave me a chance to actually say some of what I wanted to say.

Now I know part of you must have been a mite embarassed with all the gushing about you that was going on in the days and weeks leading up to last Saturday night but a tiny corner of you was probably grinning a bit, right? How many people have the chance to attend their own wakes and hear all the tributes before they go? You knew how much people loved you as you were slipping away, didn't you? If only we were all so lucky.

For my own part, I'm really glad you agreed to finish the CD. As you said to me, I caught you on a good day, because otherwise you may not have agreed to muster up the energy you needed to see it through. But there it is, a CD that you were totally involved in completing - not some hastily thrown-together thing done after you were gone with all of us second-guessing what you would have wanted or not wanted. Thanks for putting in the effort, my friend.

Finally, there are a lot of us down here talking about how we want the radio show to continue in the same vein and how we are going to be working together as a community and with Heather to make sure that happens. We'll keep you posted!

Thanks for the music, the friendship and the encouragement! I'll be dedicating Curly Boy's album to your memory.

Cheers and love,

Paul