PIVOTING FROM BLUE

CHAPTER IMAGES - Work In Progress - Please read the book to understand the meaning of these images.

1 - The Fucking Scooter Made It

A house with a screen porch, a wheelchair, a small yellow bench, a bicycle, and various items on the porch. Clear blue sky.

2 - Building The Perfect Storm - No Photographs

3 - The Art of Dying

Night scene with spectators observing the northern lights and stars in the sky, with silhouettes of trees and a person in the lower right corner.

4 - Let “The Year” Begin!

5 - Subconscious Preparation

Hand holding a small evergreen tree outside against a cloudy sky.

6 - Luck Be The Lady Blue

A white boat with the name 'Boatyard Blue' on the side, floating on calm blue water near a shoreline with some trees, under a clear blue sky.
A white yacht named 'Boatyard Blue' floating on calm blue water with a clear sky in the background.

When life got difficult, I tried to find anything to keep busy. Like fix the dog with a bandaid.

Most of the time, I just felt like playing the recorder, like the kid to the right.

Whoever created that meme nailed it.

Hand-drawn sketch of a house with labeled parts, including a door, window, and a wheel, with handwritten notes.

7 - Male Menopause Is Real & Insane

A monkey holding a phone to its ear, with text overlay that reads 'Me calling God to ask what chapter of Revelation we are in.'
Various potted plants and young trees in an outdoor garden with a large tree and a house roof in the background.
A backyard garden with young plants in black pots, a small greenhouse, and tall trees with lush greenery in the background.
Black dog with a bandage on its side standing on a wooden floor near a piece of cheese and furniture with patterned fabric
Inflatable red figure with a smiling face and outstretched arm, outdoors with trees and blue sky in the background.

8 - The Dying Parent Thing

A dirt path running through grassy dunes near the coast, with a cliff overlooking the ocean in the distance under a pastel-colored sky.

9 - God & The Art of Walking

A person standing on a wet surface with puddles, seen from the back, wearing a hooded jacket and jeans, with their reflection visible in the water, and cloudy sky in the background.

10 - April Showers

A cheese platter with grapes, crackers, and meats, accompanied by a glass of red wine on a rustic wooden table.

Jennifer picked this photograph of us from our senior year. This was taken in New Hampshire. One of the three loves of my life and thank God for all three. They are amazing people.

11 - Thank You, Lordy!

Inflatable red character with a smiling face, arms, and wide-open eyes, raising one arm outdoors near trees and palm trees.

12 - Panic & The Courts of Heaven

A yellow handwritten note that says "I WANT YOU TO PANIC!" on a wooden surface.

13 - The Blooms of May - No Photographs

14 - Hello Hospice!

A man and a woman standing outside an entrance door, waving and smiling, with other people visible inside the building.

15 - June 26, 2025

A person lying on the floor with their feet in fishnet stockings propped up on top of a vintage boombox stereo, in front of a plain light-colored background.

These photos are of the sunset I saw being put together by God as my vision slowly came back while sitting on the porch. My vision and hearing had gone panoramic. It came back dot by dot of extreme color. It was beautiful. Those same colors would also appear in Annie’s sunrise.

A bathroom floor with a missing toilet and a yellow filter cartridge inside the toilet pipe.

16 - The Grand Exit - No Photographs

17 - Bob Ross Was God’s Cousin

Sunset over a marina with boats docked, calm water, and a cloudy sky.
Sunset over a marina with boats and sailboats, framed by dark green leaves in the foreground.

18 - Take Me Home, Please

A bowl of macaroni and cheese garnished with a sprig of rosemary, placed on a white rectangular tray with a small portion of book or placemat underneath.
A man standing outdoors beside a small electric bike on a sidewalk, with greenery and trees in the background on a sunny day.

19 - Death

A set of stairs leading up a grassy hillside, with small lights along the sides, surrounded by trees and vegetation during twilight.
Heart shape drawn in the sand on a beach, surrounded by small shells, seaweed, and footprints.

October/November in Wisconsin offered a rare opportunity to see the northern lights while standing next to Lake Michigan. It was humbling to see such power and beauty. It’s also the time that I found 35 years of my life in a box. Trisha had a big garden and loved to sing. Some people would tell her to stop, because she was too loud and would wake up Nick. He was upstairs with a radio on next to his ear.

A person carrying a bag walks down a sidewalk leading to a footbridge surrounded by greenery and construction debris.

20 - Rum Punch, Anyone?

A yellow beach umbrella over a colorful striped beach chair on a sandy beach, with the ocean waves and cloudy sky in the background.
A black dog walking along the shoreline at the beach as waves wash onto the sand with cloudy sky overhead.

21 - Painting With A Keyboard - No Photographs

22 - The Logistics Of Dying

A collection of various wall clocks displayed on a wall, showcasing different styles, shapes, and wood finishes.
Group of people watching the northern lights at night.

23 - Autumn

Autumn was a deep period of reflection and acceptance of what had happened, and I believe I made peace with it. I had to because the final storm was approaching and I had to know I had the strength to leave the past behind, and face the future head on.

To see Michael Mauney’s photographs, which are legendary, please visit his website: https://michaelmauney.com

A scenic mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks, green forests, and bright yellow fall foliage in the foreground under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Aside from a picture of Michael with the scooter that morning, I took a photo of what looked like a coffin, then a ladder going into empty water, and then my plane that would me carry back to something, maybe nothing.

There was something magical about that sunrise the day after the Rum Punch. It was healing, and then I found the heart in the wet sand that lasted all night.

24 - Flight of the Bumblebee

Sheet music with musical notes and symbols on a brick wall, illuminated by warm lighting.

25 - The Golden Light

A sunset view from a wooden deck overlooking the ocean, with white Adirondack chairs and greenery in the foreground, and clouds partly covering the sky.

26 - His Final Gift

Shadow of a person riding a horse on sandy terrain.

This is what singing in WI most nights for Trisha and Nick was like. Trisha’s song books were printed in large print so it would be easier for her to follow along. It was a magical time in a magical home.

Far right is the Christmas tree Nancy and I planted for Nick and Trisha outside their den window when they said they wanted to stay for the holidays. Trisha helped with the lights and it was beautiful at night.

It took weeks for Nick to build up the confidence to use his electric wheelchair, but he kept practicing inside. Then, on December 22, he went for his last walk with Trisha because she wanted to, and so did he. He would pass away on January 14. But he took that walk.

An elderly woman walking on a paved road next to an elderly man in a motorized wheelchair, under a large tree with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

27 - Operation: Free Mom

An elderly woman and a middle-aged man dancing together in a living room, holding hands overhead, smiling, with furniture and houseplants in the background.

It was time for Trisha to start living again, and being happy. The chair to the right is where he sat, and where she said goodbye. That’s all she needed, to see it and touch it. The mark where his head would rest wasn’t there before he died.

Since the electric wheelchair was scary for Nick, Trisha and I thought that, if she got good at it, Nick might give it a try. So we did. This was before his final walk with her but definitely a reason for Operation: Free Mom.

28 - Six Days Go Fast

Every day she works out, plays brain games, takes cooking classes, dances, sings, has meals with her friends, putts on the putting green, serves meals to everyone at The Siera, and has happy hour every Friday. She lives in the present moment and is happy.

Sunset over the ocean with clouds partially blocking the sun.

The drawing to the right is the position I held for both storms. Michael was between the broken seat and the helm. He would have looked like a circle if I drew him from the top view and that would be dumb looking. My art is bad enough.

The other drawing is of the upside down V that we entered for the first storm.

After Nick was placed in hospice care in June, Bowen got the flu at camp. When I arrived he was asleep on the front lawn of the infirmary with two other boys. We had to camp out in a hotel in Asheville for three days until he was well enough to drive home. Add that to the stress level of June.

The photo to the immediate right is of the oil canisters that smashed their way into the port side air duct, through its vent. They had launched from the starboard shelf in the second photo to the other side of the boat. We were amazed none of them hit the window, but fell six inches short. We were lucky as hell. The deck shoes that gripped the ladder when I almost went overboard.

Where’s Trisha Now? She’s crushing it!

To the left is Annie’s sunrise. To the right is the lizard that jumped on my shoulder as I was entering Nick’s “celebration of life”, an indicator of how that day was going to unfold. Harper got it off before I put on my blazer.

A cluttered room with a white tufted armchair, a small white table, and a white countertop. There are various items scattered around including bags, magazines, and boxes. The window shows ocean water outside, with brand flags hanging inside the room.
An old, worn-out sink with chipped paint in a rustic wooden room. In the background, a small wooden table holds a white bowl with a blue decorative pattern, containing a yellow pitcher and a cloth. A cream-colored towel hangs from a wooden beam.
Black and white photo of a large mural on a building wall, featuring a stylized face with three eyes, surrounded by dark shapes and a ladder-like pattern, with snow falling and a person walking on the street in front.
A person walks along the shoreline at sunset, with a cloudy sky overhead and ocean waves gently crashing on the sand.
A leather couch with a reddish-brown color and a rolled armrest, set against a wooden-paneled wall. There is a metal lamp or stand partially visible on the right side of the image.
A person with blonde hair, wearing glasses, in a white shirt, standing outside on a sunny day with trees in the background. A small green lizard is perched on their shoulder.
Two men smiling at the camera on a beach with ocean and sky in the background.

Nick drew these for Nancy and me when he was in the hospitals. Nick and I obviously share the same artistic abilities - bad but accurate.

A young boy in a classroom playing a recorder with an expression of concentration, with other students seated behind him.
A backyard garden with potted plants, a red inflatable figure, and construction materials with a house in the background under a blue sky with clouds.

Trisha and Terri. Terri is her primary caregiver. They have a lot of fun together. Trisha never forgot Terri during those awful months in Florida and remembered her the second she saw her again during Operation: Free Mom.

A white motor yacht docked at a wooden pier with turquoise water, next to another yacht, during sunset or early evening.
Close-up of a boat docked at a wooden pier, with green water reflecting the boat and a wooden railing in the foreground.

The photo to the right was taken hours before my psychological death occurred. Looking back, I believe my mind was saying goodbye one last time and preparing itself for whatever storm was coming next, or nothing at all.

Maybe that’s why we stayed at that beach longer than we ever have. Some part of my mind didn’t want to leave.

A cardboard box filled with papers, photographs, a U.S. passport, and other documents, on a striped carpet.

Christmas morning they would have stockings and gifts for each other. Trisha loved her new alligator socks and the mug with her and Terri, and a picture of them singing in their home in Wisconsin. The last photo is haunting; waiting on the fire department to pick Nick up.

A couple dancing closely in a living room, with the man embracing the woman from behind, holding her hand, and both smiling. They are wearing casual clothes and sneakers.

This is one of the two photos Nick kept on his shelf, and that were in his box. Trisha and Skip. He knew I would always protect her, no matter the cost.

Sunset over a beach with white sand, seaweed scattered on the shore, and residential buildings with palm trees in the background.
A smiling man with glasses and white hair taking a selfie with an elderly woman with white hair outdoors on a sunny day, with trees and a blue sky in the background.

After Nick died, these flowers showed up for Trisha. The only flowers in those first few days. They were from Annie, Harper and Bowen. Trisha didn’t know what they were for, but she made several new arrangements out of them.

That says it all.

Michael and Skip, six months after the event that changed their lives forever. Michael is a great man, friend, husband, and father. I’m proud to know him and I’m glad we went through this together.

Hindsight, I wish I had taken my glasses off to see the eyes now. They’re different, and people tell me that all the time. And somehow, following the psychological death, my eye color changed from brown to green. That’s supposed to be impossible without trauma. And no, I don’t wear contacts.

A person holding sunglasses in front of a scenic view of a pathway leading down to a beach and the ocean, with green trees and blue sky with white clouds.
Two women standing outdoors in front of a small silver Christmas tree, with large green trees in the background. One woman has gray hair and is wearing a light gray zip-up jacket and dark pants, and the other has blond hair and is wearing sunglasses, a light turquoise T-shirt, and jeans. They are smiling and hugging each other.
Three people standing in a living room, with Christmas decorations and gifts nearby. An elderly woman with a walker, a middle-aged man in a pink shirt, and a person with their face obscured sitting on a couch reading a book.
A pair of white athletic shoes with blue accents on a black roller skate base, viewed from above, with a clear plastic face shield and some tubing, on a brick pavement.
View from a balcony of an airport, with a parked white small truck, green bushes, a person with a brown backpack, and an airplane on the tarmac. The airplane has red, white, and blue stripes on its tail.
An elderly woman with gray hair smiling, wearing a light blue jacket, white shirt, and white sneakers, standing in a garden holding a black basket filled with green beans and purple beans, with a sunlight backdrop and a wire fence to her right.
A mug with a printed photo of an elderly woman and a woman with glasses sharing a kiss, with the text: 'andrea bocelli one call that’s all Gardening Workouts'.

It was very helpful to have Harper and Bowen with me when I first saw Blue again. I was open with them about what happened to us, to me. I had to be because I had no other way to apologize for any times in the past that I wasn’t the best father I could be.

An elderly woman with short grey hair smiling and holding a watercolor painting of two figures, standing in a room with beige walls, dark wood furniture, and pendant lights.
Inside a greenhouse with tomato plants growing on vertical supports, LED grow lights hanging from the roof, potted plants, gardening supplies, and a brick pathway.