Ham radio encounters...and farewells.

I was going through some old file boxes recently (in my never ending effort to de-clutter my life) and ran across some of my first paper logs I kept as a novice.  They're about 35 years old and although the paper has turned a nice antique yellow and the ink has faded a bit, the memories have not.  I got to thinking about these hams I had contacted,  What happened to them?  Are they still active in ham radio? Are they even still alive?

Coincidentally, a fellow blogger on here, Shin, JA1NUT in Tochigi, Japan,  was thinking the same thing.  With his permission, I'm re-posting his thoughts here:

A Nuttycellist's Monologue: Encounter and farewell:

I think Shin captured the sentiment well.  As hams, we communicate with and make friends with many people.  Some of these friendships can last a lifetime.  Each encounter whether it's one time or multiple times, is unique.  And sadly, sometimes, when we learn that someone has become a silent key, we say farewell.   QRP, CW, morse code, antennas and such...it's all fun.  But the greatest appeal for me in amateur radio is the art of communicating and fellowship.  That's really what has kept me interested in this hobby all these years,   72/73 de N2ICZ.