A Unique Personality
Craig and I met back in May, 2012 while bicycling along the C&O Canal near Harpers Ferry. I was heading "downriver" (Potomac) and he passed me heading upriver towards Pennsylvania. When he passed me - we exchanged greetings and I noticed the two white five gallon paint buckets attached to his bike behind his seat - with the attached sign "Hassler For President" - Well, that intrigued me- so I turned around- caught up with Craig and for the next ten miles we talked as we biked together upriver to my
river cottage in Sharpsburg MD. He insisted on baking several loaves of artisanal bread in my oven- He carried all his baking equipment and sourdough starter in one of those five gallon buckets - That began a friendship that lasted until December, 2017 when he vanished- at least from me. I tried but never could locate him after that.
Over those five plus years we got together a dozen times, in MD, DC, VA, and PA - including time at his home at "W?H" - We enjoyed many FB Messenger Conversations - which fortunately I still can read - He trusted me enough to ask me to maintain his large collection of journals in my home for several years- Unfortunately soon after he retrieved them - they were stolen and tossed away while he was living in a backyard shed in some unwilling persons yard...
Yes, Craig has some "issues" but he also had many unique and positive attributes - and while unconventional - much of his personal philosophy was rational if not particularly traditional
He was- and remains- a friend I dearly miss
