Our Army Basic Training Graduate

The summer just keeps on chugging along. WELL, I had to get the lawn cut today between the rain. There was no getting around it ... it absolutely had to be done.

Our lawnboy son, Kyle has returned to Northern Illinois University for his senior year in Engineering. Yes, it does seem kinda early to be heading back to school ... however, Kyle is one of many dorm floor sheriffs (so to speak) ... so every year he heads back a few weeks before the regular students arrive. They review past problems and continue to train them on how to stop a riot with paper and pencil. As a Dad, I guess I am glad he learned how to stop small wars by the more conventional Irish ways as well. But, his CA job is paying his way through school so I guess it's important to be a diplomat with all. I am just saying ... if a biting incident occurs ... he has already learned not to pull away ... rather feed the biter more and more and more. Well, you get it!

So anway, today, it was I who had to climb aboard our 26HP tractor to cut the lawn. Some of you are thinking ... "Real men push the mower!" Well, you'd have to see my yard and experience the mosquitos this year. When you start cutting ... you better keep moving.

We have had a ton of rain all summer and that is adding to the problem. Corn around here was 7 feet high by the fourth of July. That's a little psycho! Part of our yard remains under an inch or two of water and the ground is extremely soft.I called my son about cutting today because he cuts all summer and I guess I was looking for advice and he says ... "Just cut through the water Dad, ... the tractor will just blow through it." It never really bothers me to watch him drive through it ... because I know if he gets stuck he can rock that 800 lb. horse out of the mud. I think he didn't get that my main concern wasn't if the tractor could take it ... it was how long would it be stuck there until he got home to dig it out. So I didn't get the whole yard cut today. Just the dryer portions. Getting the lawn cut is important ... because a few of us will take a quick trip to Fort Sill in Oklahoma to see our daughter Tara graduate from Army Basic Combat Training. She will head to Fort Sam Houston within hours of her graduation to begin her 68 Whiskey or 68W Field Medic Training.

Tara was able to get off the military base for a few hours today and she sent us this photo of her in her beret. She left us on Memorial Day and has survived the heat and obstacles laid before her. As you might suspect, her whole family in Woodstock, IL is proud of her and we all look forward to seeing her again.

Some of the things I heard in phone calls and read in letters from Tara this summer will never be forgotten. I guess it seemed strange to hear about her experiences in a gas chamber, throwing grenades, the rifle range, drills and PT at 0400. Tara said in her last letter that they didn't know what to do with themselves when they had a whole hour to kill prior to a meal. She said she could now sleep anywhere and in any position. She described the longest hundred yards of her life while crawling under and over barb wire and logs while being under fire at night. Repelling towers, hand to hand combat, and sneaky games galore. I just couldn't believe this was my daughter. It just sounded wierd ... like ... "Dad, everyone knows ya don't shut off the engine when ya park the tank." It'll never be totally understood that this is my little girl.

Congratulations Tara. We love you and will see you soon!

Love, Mom & Dad and the rest of us!