When I was young, Memorial Day was spent with family and friends, usually by the beach enjoying the start of the summer season. To members of the armed forces and their families, past and present, it means something completely different. Wanting to serve my country and see the world, I left home at 23 to join the United States Air Force. Though I served for six years, the experience has left an indelible mark on me. To this day, every time I see a person in uniform, I see a brother/sister in arms, and feel an instant bond like nothing else I know. I also find myself searching their uniform for rank and prepare myself to salute or return a salute even though I haven’t worn a uniform in over 15 years!

So on a cloudy, slightly cool Memorial Day, I visited the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA. I didn’t arrive until late afternoon, I wanted to be there after the crowds had gone and just spend time thinking about those that I had served with, especially those that are still deployed in Iraq, and those at home supporting them. It is in your honor, Pete and Randy (both colonels in the USAF) and all the brave men and women who serve alongside you that I dedicate these images. God Bless and Godspeed. We are so proud of you.

The Riverside National Cemetery facing March Air Reserve Base.

This was the only cross I saw amongst thousands of flags. It belonged to a WWII vet. May he rest in peace.

The cemetery houses a beautiful memorial for Medal of Honor recipients. On one of the walls is written, “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”

The National POW/MIA Memorial is located near the entrance of the cemetery. It is both beautiful and disturbing at the same time. Coincidentally, this morning I received an email from a girlfriend in Michigan who remarked that her 84-year-old mother had told her yesterday that if she could hop on a plane and fly anywhere in the world, she would go to New Britain Island (north of New Guinea) to find her husband who was MIA from WWII. She has not forgotten.

This three duck salute is a special tribute to a man who loved his family, his country, and his ducks. We love you and we miss you.

Every once in a while, the stars in the heavens line up just right and amazing things come my way. That must have been what happened when I was selected as one of five finalists to attend Photography Biz Boot Camp. The camp is possible through the uber generous and immensely talented Liana Lehman. Liana is one of only a small handful of photographers that run a program to teach other photographers that being a success has more to do with how you manage your business than the quality of your images (though that’s important too!). The workshop I attended was held in Atlanta in Liana’s home studio. My classmates included a seventeen-year-old sensation Jamie Delanie, the lovely and very pregnant Beth Daane, the fun and funky and soon to be wed Karen Mikols, the fit and fabulous Michelle White, and lastly, the stunning and graceful Ellen Mc Raney. I was there too, of course, but I have no images of myself (but you already know what I look like anyway!) and as luck would have it, I have no images of our brilliant and gorgeous hostess Liana. These images were taken on the last day; up until then we were busy crunching numbers and sharing strategies for effective pricing. My two and a half day stay in Atlanta was intense, there was a ton to do, but I came home feeling exhilarated and anxious to revamp my business to take my business to the next level. One thing that we did was write our own obituaries. I know it sounds weird but I highly recommend doing it. It forced me to think about how I wanted to be remembered and crystalized in my mind all the things that were truly important to me in life. Of course everyone cried as they read their own but it was awesome just the same. We also committed to reading one book a month, the name of our book club is “We Don’t Do Chemistry,” in Jamie’s honor since she was hoping to get the group to read her chemistry book before her high school graduation next month!

Jamie, Beth, Karen, Michelle, and Ellen, my fellow Boot Camp Survivors:)

I borrowed this image from Karen. I’m the blurry one in the purple.

I am so behind…so much has been happening these last couple of weeks so I best get cracking on the latest and greatest:)

Been to Long Beach lately? I have and boy was I in for a surprise! I recently attended a reception at the Long Beach Museum of Latin America, an awesome event sponsored by Brides.com. The museum patio is a gorgeous venue and is definitely worth checking out as a possibility for a wedding/reception. It was spacious, the lighting was terrific, the garden is sleek and beautiful. The last time I was in Long Beach was when I got lost on the way to the airport last Chrismas, but that doesn’t really count because I stayed mostly on the freeway. I need a GPS to save me from myself, but I really don’t like to be told what to do…..help!

The last time I was technically in Long Beach was in 1985. You do the math! This most recent venture was for a bridal vendors event. I met lots of people, drank and ate more than I should have, but best of all, had time to tour the marina before the event started. In case you haven’t heard, I have an affinity for the ocean and will seek to be near it at any given opportunity. I am convinced I was a mermaid in another life (probably a sea urchin) but I really, really LOVE the smell of the salty air and the sound of crashing waves. And, much to my surprise, Long Beach is really quite nice. They have done a bit of work these last twenty years…I think I will go back and visit on a slow Sunday. So here are some pics, I hope you enjoy them.

These gams belong to the lovely Rowena Curtis.

These boats are waiting for someone to take them out for a ride….I will see what I can do to set them free! Either that or beg the owner for a sail around the marina. They are sooh beautiful!

The Long Beach Museum of Latin America. Very nice!

Me, Tammie, MaryAnn, Sandra, and Marissa . Just a couple of the gorgeous and talented women who also happen to be awesome photographers! I’m the short, regular looking one on the left…I really have to find some ugly friends!

Every year for the past twenty years or so, Redlands has hosted the a series of bike races collectively known as the Redlands Bike Classic. Although I have been here for almost 5 years and live less than two miles (that’s right, two miles away) I have never attended the event! Most of the time, I found myself out of town or busy doing something else with the intention of going downtown but never quite getting there. That is until this year. Yeah! Thanks to my wonderful friend Jan, who is a member of the Redlands Rotary Club, I was invited to photograph the Rotary Bike Ride which took place in conjunction with the bike races. The club sponsored three rides, the Simple (6-12 miles) the Scenenic (33 miles) and the Savage (a whopping 60 mile). Besides our reputation for being a scenic little community, Redlands is also quite hilly. I was fortunate enough to be chauffeured from rest stop to rest stop (thank you Linda!) but found myself wanting to participate in the ride sometime in the future…..I have no bike, no fancy bike shoes, no cute little shirts or shorts, but I will find a way to make it happen just the same. For now, I will enjoy the race vicariously through the amazing men/women/ and children who allowed me to share in their experience through my lense. Here are some of my images, I have a ton more if you’re interested. There is also a cool little slideshow to view.

ROTARY BIKE RIDE SLIDESHOW 

These wonderful people are part of the committee that made it all happen. Thank you Rotarians–you rock!

The other day I was asked to photograph the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Honoree Reception for the Inland Empire. The event was attended by some 30 outstanding women (and men) as a prelude the the awards ceremony which will take place on the 23 of this month. This type of assignment is always a lot fun for me, mostly because it gives me an opportunity to talk to some pretty amazing people. The lighting at these events is typically poor which is always a challenge. When I was asked to photograph the board members, I took the opportunity to take them outside where I knew the lighting was my friend. We also had an opportunity to do some impromptu head shots for promotional material….bonus! Thank you NAWBO ladies (and guys), I had a lot of fun connecting with you! See you at the Awards Ceremony. NOTE: My apologies for not including your names by your photos–I remember some but would hate to leave someone out)