Trying to overcome retirement

14 Sept 2026

32 years in uniform, countless deployments, more than a few missed events at home, a few (OK, a lot of) relatively long and uncomfortable rides on red fabric aluminum framed seats and a ton of great memories that I sometimes misplace in my mind….and I truly miss those days. So many great friends, some no longer with us, but all securely etched in my mind. It seems the more time passes the more restless I become. My movements aren’t quite as effortless as they once were. My endurance has suffered the same fate as my flexibility, but I somehow still feel like there is work left undone and challenges to meet and defeat.

It took a while, but the answer (I think) was already a pastime I’ve enjoyed since the 3rd grade and was just waiting in the wings for me to recognize it…photography! I am trying hard to record the travels and experiences Pat and I are fortunate enough to experience in a style or fashion that is more than a nice photo of a pretty scene. I am focused on producing quality photos such that they are fitting to frame and hang in my home, our your home or office. One of the photos I captured, 2 stallions racing toward Pat and I in southwestern Wyoming (I called it Running Free) now hangs in our daughter-in-law’s doctor’s office.

There is so much more to me bringing my old hobby back to life than meets the eye…new and vastly improved equipment (my Nikon Z8 is great and a project in and of itself!), photo editing on the computer ( geez, in the old days I remember just having to be careful controlling how prints were processed), composition, lighting, shooting in the rain, and on and on. I love it!

Rather than rambling on endlessly, I will wrap this up with a few closing thoughts. I know my work has a ways to go , so please if you want to comment, make some constructive critism please send an email and unload on me. There many ways to improve and hearing criticism and suggestions is a good one. I plan to regularly add photos to my gallery, so please check from time to time. And, I plan to add to this blog frequently if the proper words come to mind.

Thanks for stopping by…Have a good one!

Bud