FROM RUSS HARDY, JR., M.D. (rwhardy@mcn.org and http://www.russhardy.com/ )

My career in neurosurgery began at Dartmouth Medical School where I had the good fortune to be taught by Drs Henry Heyl and Bob Fisher; after Dartmouth I got my medical degree at that other Ivy league school in Boston, did a couple of years as a surgical house officer at the Boston City Hospital, a couple more at the NIH, and then headed west, to Cleveland, for a neurosurgical residency.

I had a rewarding career in academic neurosurgery, which was split between the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland, where I was a Professor of Neurosurgery.  Most of my time was spent operating, with a little left over for teaching and medical writing. An interest in international neurosurgical education allowed me to travel and introduced me to professional colleagues all over the world. I can tell you though, there’s nothing as stressful as trying to do surgery in a third world operating room without the equipment and professional support available in the United States.

My career as a fly fisherman started when I was a visiting professor at the University of Vermont Medical School. My host, Henry Schmidek (later on the Dartmouth faculty), took me out on the Lamoille River to introduce me to the art of “angling ” I didn’t catch any fish that day, but after a taking few lessons from Lee and Joan Wulff, began to get the hang of it. My wife, Judy, and I usually fish for trout in the Catskills, but also for Atlantic salmon in Canada, bonefish in the Caribbean, and striped bass on the Vineyard. I’ve come back twice to the Mary Hitchcock as a visiting professor, and coincidentally managed to get in some quality fishing time on the White River.

My career as an artist started about five years ago. I believe the key to a successful retirement is to start a second career doing something we like-people in our position are often fortunate in having the time, health, money and skills to do this. I knew I had a little artistic talent, but also followed the example of a professional colleague, Bob Izant, in taking up a second career as a watercolor artist. Bob was one of the founders of pediatric surgery in this country, but late in his surgical career he became an accomplished painter-I figured that if he could do it, I could too. (Click here to go to Russ' website: http://www.russhardy.com/ )

I set age 65 as the time to leave neurosurgery- I’d seen some unfortunate situations when surgeons tried to hang on longer than was wise, so several years ago I set a specific date for retirement. I walked away and haven’t looked back. While Cleveland was very good to me in many ways (Judy and I raised two daughters there), we decided it was also time to leave Ohio. Two years ago we moved to a place called The Sea Ranch, on the remote (but beautiful) Sonoma coast. We regret leaving our many friends in Cleveland, but jet travel allows us to get back from time to time to see them and our new grandchildren.  The Sea Ranch an interesting community, inhabited by successful people who often have begun second careers, and many have become our new friends. Reinventing yourself re-energizes you in many ways.

So far the my new career as an artist is going well-I’m having a one man exhibit of fly fishing paintings next month, and have been accepted in a number of juried shows, both in California and Ohio. I even one a prize in one. I’ll never turn a profit as an artist, but with any luck I’ll break even this year. We’re very happy to be here on the West Coast, except for the fact that the local steelhead fishing isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. On the other hand, they make better wine in California than Ohio.