Day eighty nine of Project 365 found me returning home very late in the day and the light was nearly gone. My day had was filled with three doctors appointments and five hours of travel time. Plus, my Father's home was burglarized in broad daylight. We received the call from him just as my wife and I were making the long trip back form her doctors appointment. If you are curious, we are having a baby. My Father was having a stress test to check his heart that morning. My cell phone rang and it was my Dad. You have to understand that he doesn't like talking on any phone, so I knew there was a good reason for him to be calling. On the other end of the line my Dad proceeds to say "I've got some bad news". My heart immediately went into my throat, and I remember staring right through a customer who sat there eating his sandwich at Subway. As composed as I could; I asked him what was wrong. He said, "Somebody has broken into my house and stolen my firearms"! "What", I said in a loud voice? When he was having his stress test, someone busted in his door and stole his guns. He hadn't even called the police yet; and I scolded him as best as any Son could his own Father. My wife and I were about two hours away from him and unable to do anything. We had to just drive and wonder why such a thing could happen to such a gentle soul.

     As soon as we got to his house, we surveyed the damage and tried to reassure him that all will be alright. Many of his neighbors were there to lend moral support and to offer any assistance they could. It was apparent that there was worry in their eyes as they wondered if their homes were next. My Dad is solid as a rock and people who know him would testify that his word is his bond. Reflected in his eyes and the droop in his shoulders; I could tell that he was wounded not for having lost material possessions and dangerous ones at that. It was more of a wound to his soul, a vulnerability that he was unfamiliar with. He is a man who fixes problems by measuring, cutting, nailing and maintaining. He approaches his life and its minutia with a carpenters mentality. Before him now was a problem that was unique and couldn't be dealt with by the use of tools alone. His trust was betrayed when a stranger(s) entered his home unwelcome and took from him. They don't realize it, but they have stolen part of a man's soul. Perhaps now he will be more reluctant to help strangers who have nowhere else to turn. They will ask and he may remember the day his trust was violated and his faith in man was diminished. Can anyone blame him for being skeptical, or pessimistic about the motives of others? I cannot, but I hope that this rare breed of a man will regain that can-do look in his eye again. That look that says what his lips never need to speak, "I can do it".

     Also, we had to deal with my youngest daughter getting her stitches out from her bad accident. My wife offered to take on that responsibility, so I could stay with my Dad. My daughter was worried that it would hurt, and I did my best to reassure her that it would be alright. After they had been gone awhile, my phone rang and it was my wife. She informed me that the stitches were not ready to come out yet. Plus, the doctor thought my daughters wound was infected. We had instructions to increase her antibiotics, and to come back in two days for another look. The doctor told my wife that we may have to go back to the treating hospital if they were not ready to come out in a couple of days. It has been hard enough to get her to take her medicine already and now she is required to take a double dose. You just have to grin and bare it knowing that there are better days ahead. Last, my oldest daughter had to go to the dentist and it was the easiest of all our days requirements. It was good to have all the doctors appointments finished and now it was time to go home.

     At last, we pulled into our long driveway and coasted down it's gentle slope to a rest in from of our home. Time was of the essence as I didn't have a daily image yet and had no idea of what to photograph. A quick look up into the sky convinced me to hurry into my house to grab my 20D with my wide angle lens on it. I walked out into my side yard, laid down in the grass and took four photographs of the sky. Is the image grand and thought provoking? Maybe not, but it felt good to lay in the greening grass and stare up into the evening sky. The jet trails made me wonder where they were headed and how long since they had been by. The trails went West and I followed the fading white plumes till they disappeared beyond the line of trees. They were heading to Hawaii I silently convinced myself as I arose to my feet. One last look and a deep breath before I headed inside to be near the closest thing to paradise I could find at 7:30 at night. My family. The show must go on. Oh by the way, the baby's name is going to be Hanna.

Happy Shooting.