Fun: I am back home, this time for good.

[Ken Jackson]

I happened to log in as I was doing some reading on a couple of my analog cameras and was trying to find out a little more information and ran across the last post I made in here, the day before my birthday. Which was just a couple of days before my sky caved in around me. To make a long story short, I was diagnosed with glaucoma and skin cancer along with colon cancer and needless to say I had more things on my mind than photography. I was operated on for both the cancers, and am on lifetime drops for the glaucoma and my wife and family decided that I should be back home in Tahiti where they can keep an eye on me and give me a chance to know my grandkids. So here I am, the analogs are all in my container which I am headed off to the Island of Tahiti to get out of customs and ship on out to Raiatea. I was quite lucky, the skin cancer they got easily and they say there is no more at present, but I will be having follow-ups for the next few years to be sure. The removed over a meter of my colon, but I am all reattached and normal and now that I am home have been seen by my private doctor and have been issued a new health card that provides me with free meds, care, hospitalization, check-ups and everything for as long as I live. In the USA, I had pretty good medical, but had to pay for my meds and I am retired military (USA). Anyway, I am back together, beginning to regain weight and eating everything that is put in front of me. My last operation was the middle of May, and I came home the 5th of July. I only brought my Nikons with me and all the rest are in the container that was packed by my wife and my sisters grandson. I was too far out of it to do anything when all of this came down. The trip home I wouldn't have wished upon my worst enemy... I am glad that I will never have to do that again... Anyway, I am really glad to be back in here and thought that I might just post a photo of the valley where I am getting ready to build a new home with the aid of my bros in laws and my son and grandsons... I am going to be about 20 meters higher than the house you see here which is that of my youngest bro in law.. It's good to be home!

The Valley Tepuna (Ta'apuna) in Apo'oiti, Raiatea

[Mike Shimwell]

Ken

Welcome back. I'm glad that you have come through this time and hope that you will enjoy your grandchildren and that your family will be a blessing to you.

Share some photos and join in here occasionally

Mike

[Ken Jackson]

I had been away since March, and as my computer with everything on it is still in transit, I didn't realize how many bookmarks I had not put on this notebook I bought to get me by until my personal effects arrived. I was reading up on a couple of Zeiss Ikon's that I bought last year and was going to use before my serious down time, and I ran across a post on google that I had made in OPF way back months ago. I remembered this forum vividly when I read the post and the answering post. This forum is one of the better forums I belong to, I find that people are more friendly and caring here than in a lot of the others.

Anyhooney, It's great to be back and I will be doing a lot of posting in the various places here, living in Polynesia, gives me a great chance to do what I like to do and to post and learn....

I will probably try to post a photo daily and don't worry critique as much as you want. I want to learn and I take no offense over critiques.

Thanks and, Haere Maru, Haere Papu

Ken Jackson
CPO USN Ret.

[Rachel Foster]

Welcome back!

[Asher Kelman]

Ken,

Welcome back! What a journey and trial you went though. Glad you went through everything safely. It's a good time with grand children and family. Many excuses to be together and lots of cookouts and opportunities to know one's own folks better. your Nikons will come into good use.

I have never been to Tahiti except in Gaugin's' pictures and that magic paradise myth was rather shattered when I found out more about the fellow. Still I do like the artwork! I'm going to look The Valley Tepuna (Ta'apuna) in Apo'oiti and be more of an educated fellow, now that it has a representative here. I wish you and your family great health and happiness in your new home. Here, you'll always have an extended family, anyway!

Asher

[ErikJonas]

Hi Ken....I'm new to the forum,i dont think i could of gone through what you did.I hope to hear regular updates from you.My names Erik and I shoot with a Pentax.....Photography is great therapy to recover with =)

[Ken Jackson]

Like I said earlier, I think this is one of the more personal forums on the net. I have always felt welcome here and upon finding you again today the posts following mine prove the point. Asher, I appreciate your posts and I will try to explain a little (lot) about Tahiti (we call all of French Polynesia, Tahiti). The island I live on is Raiatea, it's ancient name is Hava'iki Nui or the Sacred Island. We have the marai that is the most sacred place in the Polynesian Triangle, Taputapuatea. The Hawaiians and the Maori's of New Zealand are from here. At present, I am putting together a plan to take the kids <grin> to the top of Mt. Temehani and I plan on spending about 4 or 5 days up there and the kids can all go home and come up to get me when I call em to do so... I figure that 4 to 5 days should give me good weather and light along with the squalls that come crashing down and I should be able to do some serious photographin' or try to do some..... We'll see, but fer sure I am goin...... The family shakes their head in dismay, but I know that I can do it and will not suffer any, besides it will probably be my last shot to do something along these lines... Everyone tells me what are you going to do when you get tired on the way up, I tell em "Thats easy, stop, rest, and smell the flowers and when I catch my breath I will head on up.... Let the younguns run around on the top for awhile, I will get there, just not as fast