The love of my life, Lee Hiller, now my wife Lee Hiller-London was moving from Portland, Oregon to the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas where I had been settled for twelve years. She moved here a year ago this month. She had lived virtually all over the world from the Asia Pacific to New Zealand and just about everywhere else, following the “technology dollars” which was her work.
The only thing she hadn’t experienced was the sweet magnolias of the south, not to mention the myriad of wildlife in the Hot Springs National Forest which is our yard; front back and sides, where we share a neighborhood with thousands if not tens of thousands of foxes, wolves, small bears, chipmunks, squirrels, possum, raccoons, and so many exotic birds one might think they are in the Amazon Rain Forest. It is the only National Park that is actually inside of a city. Water boils up that is 2000 years old before it reaches the surface. The city has found a way to tap it and it is completely free of any toxins.
Lee was born and raised in Portland, Or, and as anyone knows who has visited, is quite a unique and beautiful city. But Lee had not been able to take advantage of all nature had to offer there as she was caring for a sick spouse who needed full time assistance, and in spite of the mountains, trails, wildlife, etc, she was unable to partake. She had to be at home at all times. The hospital was her other home.
It became evident her husband’s only chance was to get him back to his home country of Canada as he was perishing rapidly. He lived over a year longer (than he would have lived here) where he would have gotten minimal medical care. The U.S. medical system after ten years had virtually given up.
To keep her mind occupied during this ten year ordeal, in which she also sold on Ebay, and even became a powerseller, was to learn tai chi and practice it daily. When I visited she showed me a part with a walking trail at the fork of two beautiful rivers and her sincere health regimen was on. She was already eating nothing but healthy foods, and though a cancer survivor, she had a chance for a new beginning.
Love was definitely in the air, and it was consummated by my sister former model/now entrepreneur Kathy Ireland when she popped the question to Lee (for me) on Twitter, “Lee Angel. Would you be my darling SIL (Sister In Law). I had talked to Kathy beforehand so she knew I was going to ask, she simply didn’t think I was moving fast enough. Lee and I married on June 18, 2010 in a tiny hut in the mountains, which Lee calls our “wedding chapel” on Hot Springs Mountain. I had been a cartoonist and marketer for the cartoons and licensed gifts for 12 years. Lee had revealed that Ebay sales were way down and she could no longer find the justification to do her hunting at thrift shops, and selling them on Internet auction sites.
I loved that she shared her dreams with me, and work goals. She didn’t need my permission, just someone to run it by. Next thing I knew she was doing it. She had her own line of shoes, clothing, household goods, and much more. Lee Hiller Designs, within a year (or less) was a dream come true. She had now moved to the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and hiked daily 3-4 hours taking beautiful pictures which she posts to her blog and onto her products. It is a most unusual venture, and I’m very proud. She has won The People’s Choice Award for wildflower photography in Arkansas and received a congratulatory letter from the governor’s office. Her Hot Springs merchandise has been covered by our local Hot Springs Sentinel Record. Every day orders come in from almost every country on the planet, not to mention America. I love watching her build her brand from scratch.
Promises are made by many people, and then often you never hear another thing about it, the promises, or anything else. You just learn their characterfast. And there are people of action. Lee is a person of action. More importantly than that, she is a person of generosity. If she learns something, and I don’t know it, she is more than not available to teach me how it is done. We do that for each other. I think it is one of the many elements that keeps us in love and respecting each other. We do not make a promise unless we know we can keep it. And we do. We try to find each others needs. We can’t fulfill them all but we do our best to help. Our love continues to be a major passion in our lives. We are also best friends.
If you love nature and wildlife photography and the most gorgeous floral photography, visit Lee’s blog.