Dad's Last Waltz

My father didn't know that many chords, but like a great chef who can concoct a wide variety of dishes from a few simple ingredients, he got a lot of bang for his buck out of the guitar. The night before Thanksgiving in 2005, my family sat in the lobby of The Harborview Hotel on Martha's Vineyard. My twin brother Mike and my nephew Stephen, both accomplished musicians, entertained the whole family and the hotel staff with their guitar playing and singing. So did my dad. He couldn't play or sing nearly as well as my brother or my nephew, but he had a style and a way all his own. I took this picture of him that night, not knowing that it would be the last Thanksgiving we would spend with him.