Well

I've finally done it... for over 33 years teaching has been my career. Now I am retired. At first it was a bit scary, realizing that the world of public education might actually be able to go on without me but now I am sure that venerable institution will survive and grow whether I am there or not. That is as it should be. More importantly, I am sure I will survive and grow now as well!

So I am anxiously looking forward to my new life as a "senior citizen" comfortable in the knowledge that I have made a meaningful contribution to society and eager to explore the final chapters of what is yet to be. I have lots of interests to keep me busy. I also am looking forward to developing and exploring new interests that have eluded me because of time constraints I have faced up to now. The road ahead is wide open and the forecast is very bright. I still have much of my health and loads of energy. The biggest limitation I continue to face is time but hey, what else is new?

The picture in the background was photographed from the wheelhouse of the Cotter, a fireboat that visited the

Port of Cleveland from Buffalo, New York during the Tall Ships Challenge Harborfest 2003. The rainbow is the product of the water cannons and a sunny Sunday afternoon. There were 17 ships in all and I had the privilege of working as volunteer docent on four of them including the "Fair Jeanne," the "HMS Bounty," the "Nina," and the "Cotter" while they were here July 9 -13, 2003.

The celebration began Wednesday afternoon with a parade into the harbor under full sail, cannons booming and water cannons gushing hundreds of gallons of water per minute. It was quite a site against the background of Burke Lakefront Airport, the revitalized Cleveland skyline, and the contemporary powerboats and sailboats usually in the harbor. I took hundreds of pictures with my Nikon F4 and my Minolta DiMage 5 cameras but I only have space for a couple of my favorites here. More pictures are available on the pages listed below.

Of course photography is not my only passion but it is a big one! Photography and computing allow me to share my other interests... motorcycling and cycling, gardening, music, boating and sailing, field archery, horseback riding, auto racing, county fairs, spring and summer wild and domestic flowers, nature and wildlife conservation, fishing, and most anything else that has to do with being outdoors in the spring summer, and fall. I also enjoy remodeling and redecorating but that I save for winter when I rather prefer hibernating inside anyway! Nothing seems to beat a cozy fire in the fireplace, a stack of CD's or DVD's, a home cooked meal, and perhaps a friendly companion to share them all with on a brisk winter's eve!


	The Rock and Rib Festival
	The Cleveland Grand Prix
	The Cleveland Harborfest Tall Ships Challenge
	The Valley City Homestead

Well, It had to Happen Sooner or Later...