I am a fourth generation transplant, my great-grandparents having settled here from Sweden. However, I am a "Heinz 57" variety; Swedish, Irish, Scottish, English, Dutch, and Cherokee. I am investigating this area, my grandparents came from Oklahoma, and my grandma was born in "Indian Territory". The Perry family is mentioned in the Cherokee listing of applications to the rolls and there is one family listed. There are also applications with the surnames of some of the other of my great-grandparents names there. Maybe someday I will be able to track it all down. I have a teaching credential in art which I received in 1989 at Humboldt University in Arcata, California. This after many years of thinking...I will get back to that one of these days......then, after doing my student teaching, found myself wondering what I was doing there.......my master teacher told me that I should have been a counselor, since the students kept coming to me with their problems......(now they tell me!)...I would have liked that.

But, I then returned home and substituted a bit, and then got a job in advertising for the Valley Post Newspaper in Anderson, California.........shades of illusions....back to my old stomping grounds where I grew up......and really disliked....LOL...I worked there for two years and taught students privately in my spare time...and loved that. I found that I am just the type of teacher who wants to teach those who are ready and willing.....and in a space that is totally open to their own creativity and timing.

In 1993 I moved back to Mt. Shasta, and have been here since then. I was fortunate to catch the famous "Billow Clouds" on the mountain on October 1996 and then in 1997 started selling photocards in the local shops, just enough to keep buying film and developing it. But that made me go back to my old films and get them developed..(yes I am one of those). I found that I had some pretty cool pictures....and then there was no stopping me....carried my camera everywhere. Stood out in the cold one day on a hill, with wet head and caught pneumonia taking pictures of the mountain. .......I guess we photographers are die-hards...anything for a great photo. I taught my son the rudiments and he got the fever too. We live in the greatest area to take super-spectacular pictures and I know many people who are doing that here too.....so people get quite the treat when they come to our little town. I suspect they are also wishing to see the mountain "put-on-a-show" just for them.

Now  I am involved in so many businesses and creative endeavors that we can hardly keep up with them......but are having great fun doing it .

A few of my other endeavors.....I am just a jack-of-all trades in the art fields.....paintings, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, photography, etc etc.....and have fun doing it all, just wish I was twins so I could do more of it.I have also illustrated the covers of two published books by Michael MacPherson. Another great love of mine is poetry and am working on illustrations for some children's books. One book I want to create and publish one of these days will be called "Songs, Seasons and Scenes of Mt. Shasta", filled with photos of the mountain, and the flowers around the mountain and also poetry and songs from myself and others.......................................in my spare time

.....Kay Ekwall