Oh my, what a shock!  I haven't been checking the board as much either so didn't expect this.  I'm very sorry to hear the news.  My thoughts are with his family and friends.  We'll miss you Mr.Bluetunes.

Wow, this is sad news.

My sympathies are with Ross’ family as while as with all his friends.

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www.bluerodeo.com

Hi everyone. Charmaigne is right; I did not meet Ross personally but I used to read his posts quite regularly and was very impressed by the poetry of the way he wrote. He didn't seem to be aware of his own ability to write heartfelt thoughts in a very moving way. The poem was written using a lot of Ross's own words (and some of my own). I sent him the lyrics after I was finished and asked his permission to use them in a recording down the road and he said "Sure" and really seemed to like the song. Part of the reason I have been out of touch on the message board here is the fact that I have been busy working on music.I am just finishing a recording now that is a tribute to Bill Mason called Alone in a Red Canoe. After that, I will be working on a CD called Songs of Mourning, which, oddly enough, will contain Ross's song. Though at the time, the song was never intended to express grief over Ross's passing, it did have grief over a painful love as its central theme. If people are interested in having this song, I can do a rough recording of it over the next few days to give to those who wish to hear it.

My sympathies to Ross's family and close friends. He was a unique individual with a powerful heart.

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"Do or do not; there is no try." -Yoda

Oh my god.  I can't believe this has happened.  I just posted in the other thread "please say a prayer" the other day.  I don't know if I was in denial or what... but like someone else wrote... I thought for sure he would get better.  I'm so saddened by this news.  I can't believe he's really gone.  I feel so terrible.  I used to chat with Ross on MSN once in a while... and he was on my Facebook as well.  He used to send me so many little greetings.  He was a great person... really caring and sensitive.  I am so sorry for his children/family and friends. 

I went through my hotmail inbox looking over some messages he sent me where he talked about his illness.  I didn't realize how serious it really was.  This is one of the last messages I received from him on September 6th: 

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Greetings to you..my friends: ..

I was gonna post this news on Facebook?...but on Facebook?...ya never can tell who"s gonna read yer stuff!

So!...hear it is...straight-up and honest..

After spening most of yesterday at Toronto General...it has been determined that

I have a tumour on my adrenal gland that has long been secreting unusually large amounts of hormones into my abdominal cavity, causing it to swell to an enormous size!...and leaving my very fatigued!

For 18 months now, they just wrote it off as CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME!..and told me to get plenty of rest....( a lot they know!.. )..

The tumour has caused the bursting of numerous blood vessels, leaving me with a pinkish rash, just about everywhere..and would ya believe?...it was a drmatologist who finally sent me to an endocrinologist? If  not for her?...I may have died!!

I am scheduled for an abdominal CT SCAN in order for the sugical team to determine thae exact size and location of the tumour!! Once that is done?...the surgical team will do their "slice and dice" routine on my tumour!

I cannot believe just how tired this whole ordeal has left me!..when I got home from the hospital, I went right to bed..and slept for another 14 hours!..

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"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good...
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood."

Thank you for that post, Allison.

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Love and understanding are the best answers I've heard yet.


"I love winter, I love snow. I can't get enough of the stuff. For me there's sort of a serenity to it. I like the silence of winter, the way it's just hushed." -GK

Very sad news indeed, my heart goes out to his family and those closest to him.

R.I.P Mr. Bluetunes

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Yesterday is yesterday. (This Town)

It's only heaven descending. (Black Ribbon)

Just remember, if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

Linda (driftwoodhorse) thanks for sharing the lyrics with us.  That was very kind of you.

And Allison... not many of us knew how ill Ross really was.  As eniko76 said, let's live life to the fullest.  You never know what's waiting for you the next day.

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The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.

I was just going through my Facebook messages and noticed that Ross sent me a message about Waylon Jennie on December 8th... Right before he was hospitalized. It was rather funny... A testament to how he kept his sense of humour right up until the end. That's another thing... He was always so attentive like that. He always noticed when I'd add new pics, whether it was of my pets or my nephew. He was always genuinely interested in his friends' lives like that.

"WOW! what a cute little sucker!
I"ve been thinking about getting a Jack-Russell for about 6 months now...
Isn"t hynde-sight an awesome thing? Shoulda got one years ago, instead of getting married..(WHOOPS!..sorry bout that)
HUGS! Ross..."

I've been deeply affected by this news.  I'm still in shock.  What a tragic loss, at such a young age. 

When I saw him in early December, I hardly recognized him.  But I had no idea how seriously ill he was; and I, too, had been thinking, I'll get an email or facebook post from him soon; we'll see him on the DB again any day now, back to his old self!

My heart goes out to his family, especially to his sons. 

Ross, we know you now have peace and an end to your suffering where you are.  We will miss you dearly.

Goodbye Ross, aka MrBlueTunes.  Rest in Peace, our friend.

My God.... I dont post on a regular basis here anymore. Actually, I came on here this morning to check up on band news & if there might be a possibility of some  U.S. tourdates in the spring.... & then I saw this....

I am at a complete loss of words. I feel so inadequate to say anything. I never corresponded personally with Ross. I never got to know him as a person. In fact I acted quite indifferent at times to him on the board. Life throws us some big jolts at times, mostly when they are completely unexpected. The late singer/songwriter Warren Zevon said, shortly before his death from Cancer, "ENJOY EVERY SANDWICH". Perhaps that is a bit too litehearted and inappropriately glib at this moment, but Zevon's humerous attempt to remind us all of what truly matters in living life, in the last days of his own is simplistically clear.  My heart aches for his sons, his extended family & friends. May they be given comfort, strength and peace.

I am deeply affected & so very sorry 

 

Dearest Ross.... If you can read this from where you are...I will miss you.  I also I hope that heavenly place has provided you with a PC or laptop that won't continue to crash and give you headaches!    Those of you who know Ross will know what I mean.

Thanks BED for letting me know.  I've not been checking the board or even registered on as a member since it moved over to the new format, but Ross and I continued to keep in touch.  His notes were always supportive, postive and almost "fatherly".

I had the pleasure of meeting Ross at a concert one evening and one other evening as well.

You were a great man Ross.  May your afterlife bring you as much enjoyment as you have provided others in the living.

I will check in again to see if there is any further updates.

Lisa

Is there any information yet regarding funeral arrangements/visitations?

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~ ...and all the demons are saints, and the saints I'll never trust...~ Blue Rodeo - "Graveyard"

~...Had a dream where everybody looked like someone else, and the farthest I could get from was the closest to myself...~ Men Without Hats - "Sideways"

Christian, Carol and I are going to be made aware of the funeral arrangements once they are finalized. They won't be posted publicly on the board, but we'll be more than happy to give you the details once we have them.

Thanks Allison for copying Ross' email. I'm glad to know that he shared this with his closest friends. I remember wanting to meet everyone from the board at Stratford and was disappointed he wasn't there. Now I know why.

W&T

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Just a little of that Human Touch - Bruce Springsteen