Our trip to the White House

Melissa and I, along with Melissa's son Sam and his wife Renee' were able to take a trip to the White House this past Sunday. I have an acquaintance who works in the White House and she said that she would be glad to take us on a tour of the West Wing. We were able to see the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Roosevelt Room and the Rose Garden where these pictures were taken. While we were in the Rose Garden we were graced by the first doggies, Barney and Miss Beazley. We were only able to take pictures outside the building except for when we went into the White House briefing room. It was a great experience that everyone enjoyed.

Sam and Renee' with Barney Outside of the front of the West Wing.

Our visit to Charleston

Melissa and I got to visit Charleston, South Carolina this past weekend. We took a boat tour out to Fort Sumpter and walked around looking at what remains of the place that saw the beginning of the Civil War. We also got to visit the Magnolia Plantation. This is a former rice plantation that is famous for the rare and beautiful flowers and trees in the expansive gardens. While at Magnolia, we also got to see some wildlife to include alligators.



This is the closest that I have ever been to a great blue heron.

Wordless Wednesday

Our Blooming Trees

This is the view from the front of our house a week ago. I am not sure what kind of trees they are, but I think they are swamp hollies. I also included a picture of the pansies next to the front door. If the squirrels don't get them, they should be pretty all summer.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

The 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival is going on in the Nation's Capitol this week. My father and mother and Melissa's mother were in town for Melissa's son's wedding this past Saturday, so we all decided to go see the famous cherry trees around the Potomac tidal basin. My friend Bob joined us as well.



My dad is impersonating a tree hugger.

We drove to DC and found the festival with the help of Melissa's TomTom. This was a Christmas gift that has come in handy. We had to walk a little to find the shuttle bus over to the Jefferson Memorial which is next to the tidal basin.
Melissa's mom Becky is displaying her beautiful cherry bloosom hat.









Melissa had packed a lovely picnic,









which I shared with a pair of mallards on the river.

Hanging up my spurs

The time has come to get down off of the horse and hang up the spurs. After much prayer and consulting with my wife, we have decided that it is time to head out of the Army. I have put in my paperwork to retire on the 30th of November. With my accrued leave I will actually be out by the beginning of October. It has been an adventure, but now it is time to embark on the next chapter of my life. I have been working on my resume and will be attending job fairs and the like over the next few months. I am looking forward to seeing what life is like out of uniform. Pray for us as we prepare to make this transition.

Wordless Wednesday