September 30, 2006:
The fountain is up and running, shown above about to be christened.
September 10, 2006:
Bob and Debbie have been spending some time in the village of Mendocino, California. Debbie has just been up for the weekends, but Bob has been up during the week as well. This is the house they're staying in:
The house is on the western edge of the village, on Ukiah Street. Below is a view looking down Ukiah street toward the center of the village:
On one afternoon, Bob caught a young local staring in at him through the living room window:
August 12, 2006:
Both Charlie and Mary Lee have been demonstrating their creativity as of late. Charlie has been building a fountain in the backyard. The picture below shows him setting the forms for the concrete that will make up the fountain complex.
Mary Lee has been studying the art of photography. Below is one of her first photos. For those interested, there will be a signed, strictly limited edition of this print available for a reasonable price.
July 4, 2006:
The Fourth of July in Alameda, California.
Linn and Maggie were in Alameda for the Fourth of July. Here they are in their best patriotic finery:
Alameda has one of the longest Fourth of July parades in the country, with the participants being average people and small businesses rather than fancy floats. Below is a sampling of some of the participants, from the traditional to the not-so traditional.
The U.S.S. Hornet museum:
Assorted activists:
A Chinese dragon:
And last but not least, no Fourth of July parade can be complete without the Margarita Man:
July 2, 2006:
Charlie did some early bar-b-cueing on Sunday, July 2, in Pleasanton. No gas grill, only old-fashioned charcoal:
This is what he cooked:
Mary Lee was happy:
Maggie and Linn were in town, too. Chico is now Maggie's friend:
Sunday, June 25, 2006:
Debbie's parents, Bobby and Beverly Irwin, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in Sterling, Illinois. When you get to 50, you get two cakes:
Their four daughters, and the rest of their family, gathered for a picnic. Below, from left to right, are Debbie, Renae, Beverly, Bobby, Jeanne, and Sue:
There were a lot of amateur photographers in attendance:
June 8, 2006:
Some not-so-good news shown by the picture above. Debbie had to have surgery for a broken wrist, specifically, a Smith's fracture on her left wrist. She actually broke both wrists, but the right wrist did not require surgery. She is recovering and will go to work tomorrow.