Beach Walk

The walk to Siesta Key Beach begins here. In the early morning, as the rising Florida sun begins clearing the cloudy sky, the sea grass and wild flowers are minor distractions along the path to the "Best Beach in the USA". The beauty of this scene is made visible in print form by processing the …

Big Ten

Normally, this time of year, when I hear the term "Big 10", I think of March Madness college basketball, and the Big 10 Conference. But this is my grandson's 10th birthday. He's the sixth grandchild to reach "double figures" -- another basketball term. He's not a basketball fan, and that's okay, either am I except …

Favorite Gift

Every Christmas there is one toy that excites everyone.  The Hover Ball takes the prize this year, provided by my daughter-in-law to the four youngest grandkids. A clear plastic sphere about the size of a tennis ball, filled with lights and a teeny-tiny weightless battery, and two sets of helicopter-type wings takes off from your …

Time Flies

We celebrated the 16th birthday of our #4 grandchild this weekend.  Sweet 16.  She is the youngest in this photo, second from the left.  Cute as a button then, a beautiful intelligent and caring young lady now. Time flies! Thought for the Day:  They say I'm old-fashioned and live in the past, but sometimes I …

Back to School

Nebraska schools open in mid-August now, even the colleges are starting before Labor Day anymore.  In Europe, however, September 1st is the "standard" opening day of school. September 1st is almost like a national holiday.  Kids dress up, families dress up for formal pictures and escort their kids to school.  Flowers are presented to the …

Half Dome from Glacier Point

Glacier Point, elevation 7,214', overlooks the Yosemite Valley providing a 180 degree panoramic view of the Valley floor over 3000' below. In this one-shot image, the Nevada Falls flowing into Vernal Falls below are on the far right, Half Dome dominates the center, and Yosemite Falls and El Capitan are out of the frame at …

Omaha’s Medical Center

Fifty years ago Charlie Graham Buick had a successful car dealership on the northwest corner of 42nd and Leavenworth Street in what is now mid-town Omaha.  The dealership outgrew this location, but kept the site for its body and paint shop.  Doctor's Hospital, NU Med School and Clarkson Hospital were two blocks north. As time …

Millard House

We bought our first house in 1972, just a few months after I returned from Southeast Asia and discharged (honorably) from the U.S. Army.  Looking back, we must have had a lot of faith in the future as my steady job of only two months was in a new division of a relatively small and …

Birthday Girl

She knows the drill: blow out the candles, lick the frosting off the cake, bounce off the walls with a sugar high, then open fancy-wrapped packages of socks from grandma. Repeat if necessary. This little party was two weeks early, as we will be out of town for her real birthday in early February. Thought for …

Elkhorn Days’ Parade

A small-town parade brings a lot of people together and instills civic pride.  Elkhorn, Nebraska celebrated its 60th Elkhorn Days this past weekend.  Rain or shine, this event occurs on the first weekend in June.  The scouts were none too happy, but carried on. The lone man with a monkey on his shoulder was a …