Two Cats

An old song (Our House by Graham Nash) describing the perfect home speaks of "two cats in the yard."  This picture epitomizes a perfect afternoon for me.

Sandy and our granddaughter Makayla were sitting on a swing and the two cats joined in the comfortable moment.  The sun is streaming through the trees, and there is a love that you can't miss.  The greenery surrounded all with life.

It was only a few days before the two cats were attacked by a dog and killed.

Moments are brief, life is fragile.

Cable Car

Quintessential San Francisco; a cable car.  In the evening, the colors are bright, and movement is blurry, but I like this picture despite its faults.  It isn’t a picture that would please a professional.  It pleases me.  I can feel the cool wind and hear the wheels in their tracks; I can feel the movement.

Uncountable pictures are taken daily of cable cars and the streets of San Francisco, but this one tells me I was there.

It’s a memory.  A good memory of a good trip.

The Operation

I spent about 4 months in El Salvador with the US Army.  I was actually working with a doctor from El Salvador who wanted to become a urologist, and one day I asked a person from the operating room to take my picture while we were repairing a penis that had been shot with a high powered rifle.

This is not just what I do.  It’s who I am.

Possum Kingdom

The murky water near the docks of Possum Kingdom Lake was shallow in June of 2004 when my son and grandson went wading.   My grandson probably did not comprehend any risk, but I was worried about shattered glass, sharp rocks and flesh eating bacteria.

But “father knows best”, and youth is a time for exploring and experiencing new things.  I don’t know what my grandson was seeing at this moment, but his father was right behind him – far enough away to give my grandson the sense of independence and freedom, but close enough to protect him, rescue him and comfort him should the need arise.

Children grow, and they go further and further from the protection of their parents.  It happens very gradually; one step at a time.

One day, the child is grown, and when they look behind them, their parents are no longer there. 

Charlie Brown

My wife placed Charlie Brown yard statues in our tiny front yard, and my young grandson happened to have a hat somewhat like Charlie Brown. 

What can I say?  It’s cute!

Snoopy's expression just tops the cake.

Ashley

Like any proud father, I took pictures of my daughter.  She is now a quarter of a century old, but the picture was taken when she was 2 years old.  We were in the back yard near the cement fence under a growth of tree that cast a cool shade.  The air was crisp that morning, but not cold.  Ashley was exploring.

I know why I like this picture more than many others I have taken.  I think it is very special. 

What do you suppose attracted her attention?

The Deer

On a fine autumn day, I was walking with my wife around some Indian mounds left by the Cahokia Indians in southern Illinois when we spotted deer running about between the mounds.  As we rounded one of the mounds, we came across a herd of 2 bucks and about a dozen does, and they moved fairly quickly to get away from us.

One of the does just sat where she was without getting up or moving.  We didn’t leave the path, but I had the impression that this doe was different, possibly sick.  We reported what we saw to the park ranger, but we never found out whether this was a brave doe, a stupid doe, or a sick doe.

We fear for the worst, and we hope for the best.