From Claire Ferguson

Hi D’arc and Mercer clan,

Christy told me people were sending on stories so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to remind you of one of my favourites.

I don’t know if you remember this, but one of my all time funniest childhood memories is from one time we went swinging on the rope that used to hang from the ceiling of your barn. I’m sure it had been there for years and we got braver in our swings as we got older. One day we were out there, you must’ve been 12 or 14 and you decided to do a flying leap from somewhere. I guess it was more than that poor old rope could take. You were about mid swing when it broke from somewhere near the top. All I can remember is you careening through the air with a ton of momentum, utter confusion on your face, and a limp broken rope in your hands. The bottom half of you hit a little wall and you flipped completely over - ass over tea kettle as they say. As you flipped your legs managed to hit a board on the way down, which then flung into the air and came down on your head (you can’t make this stuff up). I can remember perfectly the look of total shock on your face as you tried to process what had just happened, while Christy, Sonny and I all wet ourselves laughing. I’m quite certain you were a very good sport about it, in true Mercer form and just like every other outrageous story from our childhoods. It was the best.

I love you D’arc. You are and always were the bravest person I know. As always, I’ll see you at riverfest!