Deep Shadows under a bright New Mexican sun at the Chapel in Albuquerque. Deep memories also. My sister and her husband got married there forty six years ago.
And here they are now (or at least back in October when they came for a visit,) Still going strong!! Way to go Ellen and Irv.
We had a big Veterans Day Parade in Tulsa today. First one I have been to in a while what with being retired and Covid and all that mess. It lasted a long time. In Tulsa we love our Vets and we show up for them. We had several color guards for instance.
The motorcycle cops did some fancy riding and looking all intimidating and such.
I guessed that these are reservists or something.
My employer sponsored the race and a bunch the employees marched.
There were dogs.
These planes did multiple flyovers.
There were vets in trailers.
And vets on trucks.
We had guys in kilts.
And high school JROTC cadets looking sharp.
Lots of vintage cars.
One guy brought his personal tank.
A couple celebrity storm trackers showed up. They got more decals than NASCAR racers.
And high school marching bands with baton twirlers showing their stuff.
And Firemen!!
It was quite a show. For the vets.
My brother was in the Navy a long time, now retired.
My Dad was in the US Army during the occupation of Japan after World War II. He’s no longer with us but I think of him every single day. He was proud of his service. Dad’s grandfather served in the Army during the Spanish American War and Dad has a brother, my uncle, who was an officer in Navy. I have a cousin who served in the Army in Korea way back when.
My brother-in-law Irvin is an Army vet. He and my sister and their kids lived all over the place during his service. That is the thing about having a family and being in the military. They serve as well. Irv has a grandson and a son-in-law currently serving.
To all our vets, we salute you and appreciate your service.
I have been flying lately up to and back from Idaho Falls, Idaho where my Dad lives.
I’ve been going through the Denver Airport, which is huge and has limitless opportunity for people watching.
It also has the best airport pub in the country, The New Belgium Hub. It was pretty empty last time I was there.
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The Idaho Falls Airport is kind of small by comparison.
My dad called my sister and said that he was ready to change his living arrangements. We all went up in early July and looked around and found him a place. My sister and her husband took over from there and got him moved and his house ready to sell. So he has moved from his house of over thirty three years with the beautiful shady back yard to a very nice place in the same town where people are checking on him and life is quite a bit easier.
And he is doing very well. And still has a shady place to sit.
Thanks to my sister Ellen and world’s greatest brother-in-law, Irv. (Shown here with their grandson Mr. Beans)
Christmas happened this year. Hear you go a rare shot of me in my snuggie.
The kid with his Nana. The kid is getting taller and taller. Is there something we can spray him with to slow him down a little bit.
Heather and Nana, quite a team.
I got a candid shot of Heather. She said she hated it but then she made it her profile pic on facebook. Should I hit her up about royalties?
I captured Nana also.
Before the Christmas meal. We decided to have it more informally this year in the kitchen. Lots less work that way.
My sister Ellen posted this on facebook today. She’s the cute one in the middle. I’m the good looking guy on the right and brother Bob is on the left. I’m guessing mid 1960’s in Price, Utah. We always had a great Christmas. Often we would load up afterward and head up to southern Idaho to see our relatives there. That was fun, or we would head down to Phoenix and see people down there. That was fun also. Bob and Ellen, with her husband Irvin, spent Christmas in Idaho with my dad this year.
She also posted this picture of her three girls. I’m guessing in the 1980’s. Dana is on the left. She and her husband Adam are in Australia visiting his family with their little girl who was born this year. Adam is an Australian citizen you see and their little girl has dual citizenship which I think is totally cool. Jillian in the middle is also visiting my dad, her Grandfather for Christmas in Idaho. Her husband Brian is in the Army serving his country overseas this season. Mary on the right spent Christmas in Colorado Springs with her son this year.
This isn’t a Christmas picture but it is Ellen and her Husband Irvin with Logan back at the turn of the century.
This is also not a Christmas pic but it shows my dad in between Logan and brother Bob.
And this is brother Bob and me with our mother a long time ago in Coyote, New Mexico. She is never far from our thoughts.
Hey you know, when we celebrate Christmas we celebrate it with the critters also. This is abby our sweet but not very smart mutt.
And Rascal, he is sweet and smart. You can see that he has been reading the paper.
And our sweet but perpetually cold mutt Ginger. My niece Dana pictured above lives in the Phoenix area and I think Ginger would like us to move there also.
And Nana’s dog Fiona. She always enjoys visiting us, but is ready to go home when that times comes also.
That was our Christmas this year or at least part of it. I’m big into Christmas not running into a huge stop on Christmas Day so I’m going to go ahead and everybody a Merry Christmas.