Back from Iraq

Is four months a long time? That's how long member of the 6th Airlift Squadron were deployed in Iraq, separated from family and friends back home. But today, they returned and met those family and friends on the tarmac at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Thank you for your service!

It's a black thing.

It's a black thing. You wouldn't understand...or would you? At the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey, reenactors did their best to help visitors understand something about three centuries of black soldiers in America, from colonial times to modern day ROTC at a living history program on the last day of Black History month.

B-West

Here's a brief photo tribute to running back, kick returner, receiver, blocker Brian Westbrook, who was let go by the Philadelphia Eagles today.

Couldn't leave out 10/19/03, East Rutherford, NJ where Westbrook saved the Eagles' season stepping over the last Giants defender Marcellus Rivers en route to his 84-yd punt return with under two minutes remaining which gave the Eagles the lead and win.

It's been a while since my last post. I'm reluctant to take Brian Dawkins off the front, but I guess all this snow is worth a mention. My car can't go in this much snow, so I got on the light rail RiverLine and rode into Trenton and went to the top of a parking garage for some high viewpoint images, the kind where I find a nice picture and then wait for a person to walk into it.

Back in Bordentown, the snow was light and fluffy, just right for tasting, while grandfather does the work.

And even having to shovel doesn't mean you can't keep your tongue out to collect snowflakes while you work.

Dawk's Return

Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles let 13-year Eagle veteran and inspirational leader of the team Brian Dawkins go because according to their formula, they don't pay for players who aren't in the prime of their playing careers. That's fine, but they should have recognized the exception. Dawkin's intensity and heart are rare and don't show up on spreadsheets . He was welcomed back warmly by the fans as his new team, the Denver Broncos came to Philadelphia.

A standard photo op turned precious

Annika Adrian-Hage, 6, of Pennington gives a spontaneous hug good-by to State of New Jersey Treasurer David Rousseau after a brief visit to present to Gov Jon Corzine, through the treasurer, a "basket of hope" containing pictures and stories representing over 160,000 children and adults with developmental disablities who would be affected state budget cuts. Her father Robert Hage is at left, holding twin sister Maya. Their registered nurse is Abi Fadairo and at right is Tom Baffuto, executive director of ARC of NJ. These two girls were interested in everything around the office except the proceedings, but when the official photo op was ending and the dad asked one of the girls, who was already near the exit, to wave goodbye, my spidey sense started tingling. Annika moved toward the treasurer and I moved in. This is why, after twenty-five years, I believe there are no bad assignments, only bad photographers.

Eagles - Redskins

What the Eagles-Redskins game means to me. By Michael Mancuso. It means I get to cash in on my brownie bet with Debbie. I've known my best friend since we were 5. He's in a mixed marriage. He's an Eagles fan and she's a Redskins fan. Why won't she just convert?

LeSean McCoy stays low to cross the goal line and score a game-tying two-point conversion. I knew exactly which play they were going to run, so I got myself into position for this shot. Of course, I alway know exactly which play they are going to run. It's just that most of the time, my psychic commands don't seem to penetrate their helmets or something.

Asante Samuel looks for running room after one of his two interceptions. Fallen Redskins QB Jason Campbell is on the ground going "Oh *#@^!"

This is the pass that lead to the aforementioned interception. The young QB was under a lot of pressure. I like the challenge of the almost impossible contrast between the players in the shade and the sunny background.

It's hard to avoid saying something about him using his head.