Quote:

---

I have sent an e-mail to my customers informing them that I will be retiring this year. I have received e-mails back saying that I will be missed, that I was a fixture at their events and that I have been one of the family. I no longer have the stamina to photograph a dog agility trial from first thing in the morning until the last run of the day. Since I can no longer do the job properly, it is time for me to step aside and hope that someone else can do the job properly. I gave my customers 3 months to place their orders and then after that, there will be no more photos for sale. I am moving on to other patures. I staked out a mining claim and will be mining for Gold and taking nature photos. Dog Agility has been good to me and my family. It has provided income for my family for 10 years and I will miss it. I will stop by from time to time, but from May 15 until October or November, I will be at my Placer Mine.

---

David,

So I am a little confused by your announcement. I understand the part about covering agility being very demanding. What I don't quite get is how mining gold is a less demanding lifestyle that could be called retirement. I know a few people up here in the Sierras that spend some time mining gold and they tell me it is some of the hardest work they've ever done. Is it really less strenuous than covering agility?

When I retired at 57 (got you by one year) my idea was to spend my time doing fun and adventurous things and photographing things that I enjoy. The idea of putting in alot of hard work like that involved in mining never entered my mind.

Am I missing something here?