Thanksgiving away

I spent a career in the Air Force, and somehow managed to never be away for a birthday, anniversary, or major holiday, except for Darby’s birthday when she was, I think, 3, and I was gone for several months. This is my first Thanksgiving away from my home and family.

It’s a hard place to be for me – my family has always been very important. I was never one of those pilots who couldn’t wait to get on the road to get away. I love my family and cherish the time with them! But this year we are spread out. Shannon and David are in California visiting his family. Darby is in Fayetteville with Dana, and I’m here.  I am fortunate, though, to have met some wonderful people here who open their doors to people like me, so I’ve enjoyed two Thanksgiving dinners, one last night and one tonight. If I must be here it is nice to spend some time with my new friends. 

So Happy Thanksgiving to all - I hope you were able to spend it with those you love, and that you were able to be thankful for something. I am thankful for the opportunity to be here, to do challenging work with a good team, to learn a whole new world of information, and to earn a nice paycheck doing it! I am thankful for my beautiful wife and lovely daughters for supporting me and each other while I'm away. I am thankful for my parents and brothers and friends and all the people who help make up my life, and for good health - I am thankful for every breath I take!

After dinner I was returning on my scooter to the hotel – 65 degrees, 88% humidity, everything dripping wet, almost foggy but just not quite. I went by the soccer field and there was a low fog deck right over the turf, and three fellows out practicing. This just looked too cool so I stopped and grabbed a few shots just to see what I could get – here are a few!

In August Dana and I went to Europe, and things have been so busy I’ve done an awful job of sharing some of the amazing images we captured. Here are a few from Edinburgh, Scotland. More in the coming weeks! Cheers, Mark