F6 – Independence Day 2013

The Fourth of July is always a special day.  It brings back memories of my childhood, in western Nebraska.  It was always hot.  It never seemed to rain.  And fireworks were legal.  My friends and I would happily try out every manner of explosive.  We tried out everything from simple firecrackers, to fountains, to pop-bottle rockets.  Sometimes we enjoyed the bang.  Sometimes, being the boys that we were, we just had to try out the explosive power.  Sometimes it was sticks piled together, or perhaps toy soldiers.

F5 – The Graduation Of Our Daughter – Elizabeth

Our daughter, Elizabeth, crossed a major threshold in her life.  Today, 15 June, 2013, University of California Santa Cruz conferred upon her the Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.  Within a few months, she will have completed all requirements for a second Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.  We were proud to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment with her.  We tried to capture in a few pictures, some of our celebration with her.

Our daughter graduated from college on 15 June 2013. This is a day she has worked so very hard to reach.  And we are so very proud of her.

F3 – Farewell Endeavor

< em>WARNING:  IF YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF THE MANNED SPACE PROGRAM, YOU SHOULD NOT READ THIS POST

Marian convinced me to get up at the unheard of hour of 07:30 to go see the flyby of the Shuttle Endeavor.  Not only that, she persuaded our daughter, Elizabeth, to come over for the night from Santa Cruz, and go out with us.  I was privileged to see history.  I was sad because the decommissioning of Endeavor marks the end of the US Manned Space Program.

Endeavor Groupies Pat, Marian, and Elizabeth