Scattered Thoughts . . .

The wedding weekend is now behind us but we're still trying to catch up on sleep!  I managed to sort through the photos I shot over the weekend. I didn't shoot all that many photos compared to how much I usually shoot. Actually, relatively speaking, I shot very few photos. There are a few reasons for this... I was exhausted, Sheila was exhausted and feeling quite miserable, my spinal injuries were screaming, there was a photographer present anyway, and I was there to enjoy Liza's wedding not shoot photos all weekend. At one point shortly after the wedding ceremony, I insisted that I was done shooting photos so I could spend all my time with Sheila at the wedding rather than being distracted by photography. Sheila is still recovering from her radiation treatment so that already had her worn out and hurting a bit. That certainly played into how she felt over the weekend. Her immune system is seriously compromised so she's been fighting off every cold and infection flo

Yesterday was an event we have made one of our annual Christmas traditions over the past seven years... Wreaths Across America. The Civil Air Patrol cadets of the Green Mountain Composite Squadron in South Burlington, Vermont lay wreaths at the graves of each of our fallen Veterans before participating in a dignified wreath-laying ceremony under old glory at the center of this garden of stone. Today, however, this garden of stone was decorated for Christmas. For me, this is an event filled with fond memories, visions, shadows and ghosts. Yesterday's event was no exception.  As I was shooting photos... kneeling in the snow... sitting in the snow... standing in snow up to my knees... soaking all my clothing in freezing water... I kept seeing shadows and visions of my own past as Team Chief of a special team of the Air Force Honor Guard.  I had participated in countless ceremonies and funerals in countless cemeteries just like this one all across the country. I've stood in