Welcome Winter!

Well this is our first big snowfall and it is only December 5th! I caught Taylor and Turner outside as Taylor was snow blowing the driveway. Turner was happy to be out in the snow and especially happy to find something to smell. It doesn't take much to make the dog happy! Not sure how Taylor is feeling about doing the snow blowing.

Aerial View of Kabul

As you can see from these three photos, the air quality isn't too good in Kabul.

Thanksgiving Tournament in Kalamazoo

Yesterday Taylor and his varsity hockey team won their game 5-1. Taylor added to the go ahead goal for his team when the score was tied 1-1. A little while later the team came up with 3 goals right in a row to finish the game with a win. Today his team is in the championship and they are hopeful for the title. The first home game for the season will be next Friday. Lots of excitement planned--the team has a new horn that will sound when the team scores a goal and there is talk of a fog machine that will be used when the players take the ice. Not to mention the usual posters of the kids hanging from the glass. Looks like a good season is ahead--they are undefeated with 5 wins so far....

Thanksgiving in Kabul

On Thanksgiving, our department had a progressive dinner at three U.S. Embassy apartments. Our director, Kirk Meyer, offered his apartment as a dessert stop, and two other people offered their apartments as the main course and appetizer stops. Us military folks spent the evening gazing at the apartment's TV's, high ceilings, kitchens, separate bedrooms, balconies, etc. At the end of the evening none of us wanted to go back to our living quarters!! With me in the photo is Mitch Neal (left) who works at the Treasury Dept. in DC and Petty Officer Jared Donnelly who is in the Coast Guard. The solo photo is LT David Loya...also in the Coast Guard. We have some great people working in our department.

Embassy

Here's a photo of the U.S. Embassy which is a very safe five-minute walk from our base. I spend a lot of time eating at the Embassy dining hall and during the summer, went there about five times a week to visit the swimming pool to cool off. Hard to admit I went to a swimming pool while in a war zone but I'll take it!

ISAF Turkeys

While walking on the base a few days before Thanksgiving, I saw these two turkeys in the back of a pickup. Right after I shot this, one of the turkeys started flapping its wings and dust and feathers flew everywhere.

Freedom Banner

There are two of these hanging up on the base. There are signatures and handwritten notes of thanks from people all over the world.