CJ was my girlfriend from January 1991 to the spring of 1995. We lived together for most of that time. I have many happy memories of our time together and it breaks my heart to learn of her passing. So many of my good memories from that time are of the childlike wonder, enthusiasm and joy with which she responded to the beauty of the natural world. It was contagious. Hiking, camping, stargazing, observing wildlife, whatever; if we were outdoors she was happy. One Christmas, I think 1992, we went to Key West. On Christmas Eve we had dinner on a restaurant’s outdoor patio – in my memory we were under live oaks. As the patrons cleared out and it became dark, the staff started celebrating the holiday with hot buttered rum. They shared with us. The next morning, Christmas, we had to meet the snorkeling boat we’d signed up with for an early departure. The buttered rum from the night before added to my feeling of queasiness as the boat bounced on the water on the way to the reef. When we got to the reef, I felt like I needed to settle my stomach for a few minutes before jumping in. Not CJ. As soon as the guide gave the go-ahead, she dove in without hesitation and within seconds was waving and shouting back at me how beautiful it was, before turning down to look again. The water was glistening in the sun, as was CJ. I shed my seasickness and joined her and she was right. It was beautiful. On the same trip we visited Bahia Honda State Park and its beautiful beach. I stowed my camera under a palm tree when we swam, and then forgot about it until we got back to Key West. We drove back to retrieve the camera, but it was gone. So there are no pictures from that trip that I can add to this memorial. I’m glad, though, to be able to add some other pictures from our time together, and represent that period in CJ’s life, when we were mostly happy. In all of our time together, I cannot remember a single instance of CJ being anything but kind to other people. She was just a sweet soul, with a tender heart. Once after waking, CJ told me about a dream she had just had, about floating in a boat and being surrounded by exotic flowers as if she were in paradise. It’s an image I incorporated into a song. She inspired me in many ways, including in my songwriting. During the last year of our time together, the band I was in became a full time touring band. I think it was harder on CJ then she let on. In typical CJ fashion, she was always supportive of me and the band, never complaining about my long absences and diverted focus, and I was slow to perceive or address the fact that she was slipping away from me. Her leaving was a big loss to me. This hurts more. After she left, I was able to move on and find happiness, and thought/hoped that she had been able to do the same. We have been in touch very little as the years have passed, and in my memory she is always the sweet and loving 25 to 30-year old that brought me much happiness.