Ken Shirley. 1931-2013

Well, it's been a very tough month. I like to promote fun on my blog, but I've been out of it for a month now.  My 81 year old dad passed away on March 27th, after being in the hospital for two weeks from a motorcycle accident.  Yes, my dad still rode a Goldwing motorcycle!  He had converted it to a "trike" just a few months back.  He absolutely loved Death Valley.  He usually went about once a month.   Just as I do, he also loved a great full moon night.  So the happy part of the story is coming now.....He passed away in Death Valley on his motorcycle and on a full moon night! 

As my brother stated so eloquently, "If anyone of us had a conversation with him 1, 2 or even 10 years ago and said that when you die, you will be very healthy, on your motorcycle, leaving Scotty's Castle.  You will crash and end up in the hospital for 2 weeks with your 4 kids at your side holding your hand, laughing, crying, loving and hugging each other.  You even get to take your last breath on a full Death Valley moon, would you do it? He would say no "iffies" about it....sign me up!"

So it's with that thought that we kids said our goodbye's and told him we loved him.  He lived an amazing life. He climbed Half Dome 3 times - starting on his 70th birthday!  Went skydiving twice. Once for 50th and once for 80th birthdays.  Rode 100 miles on his bicycle in Death Valley, 10,000 mile trip on his motorcycle one summer.  Solo motorcycle trip to Florida Keys in his 70's! Bungy jumped at 81.  So many years of being a race car & stunt car driver!  

There were several people at his memorial that I spoke to, that were going out the next week to try and do something exciting, like he had done.  I hope these pictures of our very cool dad, inspires you to do something fun this month!!  Life is to short not too!!!   
Now go do something!!

YES!!! These pictures are of my dad!! What a wonderful fun, cool dad Ken Shirley was!!! xo