sam_neill ovenbird I knew him first as Dr. Alan Grant, as we all did. And boy could the world use a calm, competent presence like that these days. I hear Lex, terrified, shaking, say, “He left us! He left us!” And Dr. Grant saying firmly, “But that's NOT what I'm going to do.” We all need that person. The one who will never leave us behind no matter what chaotic mess is unfolding. I loved him in Jurassic Park, but might have loved him equally in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which was the sort of quirky, hilarious adventure tale that always squeezes my heart. But my favourite things were the videos and photos he posted of his sheep farm and vineyard in New Zealand. He clearly loved animals and would often post short clips of himself having conversations with sheep and parrots and ducks. He lived a relatively quiet life, using his celebrity status to advocate for the land and the animals he loved, while never being ostentatious or pretentious. There are a whole lot of people with money and influence who could learn a thing or two from a person like that. Sam, I hope your sweet duck Magda was there to meet you today. And I hope the land runs on forever. 260713 ... raze this one hurts. i sometimes think of him breaking down when asked what he learned from his parents while being interviewed for "the assembly" a few years back. you could feel the love he had for them and how difficult it was for him to be without them. it must be so strange to move through the world when the people who made and helped to shape you are no longer in it. if there's more to this than what we seem_to_see, i hope he's with them now. 260713 what's it to you? who go blather from