Happy Father's Day

Father's Day. A big day. Not everyone has a father to celebrate. Maybe your Father has passed away, perhaps he's never been around while you were growing up, or sadly, some would have been better off if their father had decided not to hang around. I am very lucky. My Father did hang around and he is still with me.






He lives in North Carolina and I live in Florida so I won't be seeing him today. Even though I won't be seeing him, he's here with me. He always is. My Dad is a retired Military Policeman with the US Army. He wasn't always with us when we were growing up. Sometimes he would be TDY or stationed in another country where we as a family couldn't follow. Sometimes he was "out in the field". I remember too that he worked "CQ". As a kid I didn't know what CQ stood for, I just knew that he was working at night. He would report for duty at 6pm and check out of duty at 6am. We lived at a small Army Depot in NY for a while. Seneca Army Depot. Most of you have probably never heard of this place. It's closed down now. They closed it in 1995. With the supposed end of the cold war so too came the end of Seneca Army Depot. There is a lot of red tape to cut through before it's final designation will be decided.
When my Dad was on CQ often times he would come home on his "lunch hour". We lived on the base in Military Housing. We hardly ever heard my Dad come home for lunch (at midnight or 1am) but every now and then he would come upstairs to say hello to us (me, my sister and my little brother) and to show us something truly amazing. Once he brought home an orphaned baby fox. Another time, he opened his big green military jacket and clutching to the inside was a baby screech owl that had gotten caught on a fence. My Dad was always bringing home surprises for us. We didn't get to keep the foundlings but he always wanted to share it with us. His smile and excitement over the beauty of nature has stayed with me. Seneca was full of secrets and beauty. Seneca is also home to the only known herd of White Deer. No, they are not Albino. Their noses and eyes are brown. The deer were always in our backyard. It was a common sight on the depot. Beautiful.

My Dad taught me a lot about life. He always seemed eager to learn about things. When we lived in foreign countries, we traveled. We traveled a lot. There was always a trip to somewhere. He was always able to see the hidden beauty in things. I like to think that I inherited that from him. When I travel I look for the hidden beauty. The things that are right in front of us and no one notices.





My Dad is also a jokester. He likes to play practical jokes on people. Not the mean sort but the silly sort. He cracks me up. My Dad likes to laugh. My dad likes to talk, he can share all sorts of interesting things with anyone willing to take the time and listen. He always has a story to tell. He has always tried to enjoy what life has to offer.These are some of my memories from when I was young... my Dad used to sing with old Country songs. Mostly I loved hearing him sing with Johnny Cash. He used to take me on motorcycle rides. Once he brought home the rattle of a snake that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We used to take RC Dune Buggies out to race. He taught me how to shoot a gun when I was young. I learned how painful it is when a bow string snaps the inside of your arm after being released improperly. He used to stop anytime he saw a sign for puppies. Rarely did we get to bring one home, but we stopped to play with them any way. I know how to spit shine boots. My Dad has always enjoyed good food. Wherever we lived, he introduced us to the "native fare". My Dad has never met a stranger.

When I think of Nature and it's beauty, I think of my Dad. When I think of being an American and a Patriot, I think of my Dad. When I hear Johnny Cash, I think of my Dad. When I look at my Chournie, I think of my Dad. When I think of strength, my own and his, I think of my Dad. When I think of my Daddy, I think of Love.
Happy Father's Day Daddy.
All my love,
Diana