The last time that I was in New Orleans was in 1997, for Mardi Gras, so this was quite a different trip. The days were sunny and a perfect 72 degrees. As you can imagine, we all walked a lot and photographed all of the little vignettes of the French Quarter, cemeteries, the trolley car and more.

Thanks to everyone who gave me great tips on where to eat and what to see while there. I even tried fried alligator! Thank you, Chris, for the extra photos of me….

The professional highlights of the trip were:
* Cheering as my good friends, Patrick Luke and Deb Woodard, received their Craftsman degrees. Many of you know Pat, as he is my super awesome Second Photographer/Assistant/Lighting Guru for some weddings.
* Cheering as friend, Dana Shaffer (of Fort Plain), received her Masters degree.
* Cheering as my biggest fan, Chris Kogut, received a Silver Grand Imaging Award for her International Print Competition successes.
* Attending classes about marketing my Certified Professional Photographer designation, and an intimate class by Allison Rodgers about running successful charity events.
* Mentoring several newly minted Professional Photographers.
* Finally figuring out how to make Twitter work for business/networking.
* Photographing the streets with other talented Photographers.
* Getting out of the trade show without buying ONE thing, yet made new connections for Greener Photography.

Congratulations to Chris, Pat, Deb & Dana on their hard work and recent awards! It was an honor to be there as your cheering section. Sitting in the awards ceremonies made me so proud to be a PPA member. Below right, we are using the Flashlight App on the iPhone to light Chris so I could take a picture! Fun!

Personal highlights of the trip:
* seeing a bicycle tricked out with Mardi Gras beads!
* strolling through an old cemetery near sunset
* walking every day
* having a latte and beignets at Cafe du Monde
* getting my Tarot cards read in Jackson Square
* making so many new friends
* walking around the streets with a beer!
* meeting a Photographer at the French Market who did a movie documentary about train hopping and their culture (Cure for the Crash). The soundtrack uses all hobo bands. I purchased the soundtrack and the movie and received a free photograph as a bonus! The soundtrack, “Listerine on Sundays” is amazingly good. Luckily, it is all music that I am really into right now.

Fun Fact: One of my past Portrait Clients, turned Professional Photographer…. Kiera Slye came to the convention with us to learn how to start and grow her business. She is sharp as a tack and will be very successful. We’ve met several times over the years, because I’ve known her Grandfather since I was 19 or 20. As I’ve been thankful for my early mentor, I’m happy to now be able to mentor someone else….

Cure for the Crash Trailer

The images will be on display until January 30th, so head on down to the Owl House for a drink or meal to get a little better sense of what the skateboarding culture has to offer. Proceeds from the show will go to building the Rochester Skate Park.

* Fun Fact: The image of Vin skateboarding the Denver Skatepark only shows about a third of that skatepark and the Denver skatepark will be HALF of the size of the Rochester Skatepark…

Today was the first real day of winter in Upstate NY, so I finally grabbed my snowboard and headed to Bristol Mountain for some morning shredding…
Last year, I was able to ride a lot in December, so this was a much anticipated day for me. Also, I finally got to try out my new snowboard bindings that I scored for free!

This was the beautiful sky from my first run:

The image was from my brand new iPhone 4s, which I purchased this past Fall. Many more images and posts to come, I’m sure. I’m learning how to blog from the iPhone, using WordPress, so be patient with the quality or formatting. Hopefully the ability will help me keep the ‘ol blog more up to date!

Trisha, you were right! Having an iPhone is awesome! Maybe if I’d had an iPhone instead of a Blackberry, I would have never rebelled against cell phones last year.

Monday January 9th there is a FREE photo show and Roc City Skate Park fundraiser at our neighborhood restaurant The Owl House. JANUARY 9th!

Help support the Roc City Skate Park Project, Local Businesses and Local Artists. Boris Sapozhnikov, Heather McKay, Michael Carnrike, Josh Saunders, Lea Rizzo, Erich Lehman, James Haschmann, Casey Haley, Alan Presutti, Alex Gagne

Haley & Lianna had a nice, simple and emotional wedding on the beach of Camp Bournedale, near Plymouth Mass…

I had heard a lot about Haley & Lianna, so getting to meet a bunch of Grace’s friends was a treat. Couple that with the fact that same-sex marriage in NY was finally legalized, I had to go. One to show my support, and two to capture a few images for these awesome chicks. They did have a good wedding photographer already, but I’m hoping that my photojournalism added something to the coverage.

My focus for the day was just to simply observe. Without any formals to take, organizing to do, time line to worry about… my homework was to simply capture the love. Love between Haley & Lianna and love of their family and friends. Capturing the love was easy. Haley & Lianna were oooozing with love. And so were their families!

With minimal gear and taking only the few images I wanted to take, it was nice to step back and just do my thing. That, and shoot a little film!

Hopefully the images below show the love like we felt while there.

Oh, my gosh… I nearly forgot to tell you…. the back of their program was a “how we met” MAD LIB! So awesome!

Railroad iron is a magician’s rod, in its power to evoke the sleeping energies of land and water. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

Over Labor Day weekend, I grabbed my old 1950′s Ansco Titan Rangefinder (medium format film camera) and my new Nikon D300 digital camera (leaving my beloved Fuji S5) and hit the road… or the tracks. I haven’t taken the train since a trip around Europe in 1996 and wanted an eco-friendlier way to get to Boston. Besides, the drive to Boston from Rochester is probably the worst drive on the planet. Don’t you agree?

Hurricane Irene caused some ruckus as the area around Albany was highly damaged. The day I was to set out was the first day the trains were running again. Between the cargo trains and Amtrak, everything was slow going and delayed getting out of Rochester… all the way through to Albany. So, the train isn’t really an efficient way to travel. But there is something to be said for the feel of the train wobbling along and for the interesting characters you see (I saw the best mullet ever).

While waiting the 3 hours in Rochester for the train to arrive, I played around with my Nikon D300, capturing the rusty old train platform with a view of Kodak’s offices in the background. Both bygone eras….

As I walked up and down the platform, getting the only exercise for the day, I met this really friendly gentleman. Henry was taking the train to visit is daughter and her family in Massachusetts and he gave me the low-down on what to expect from the train ride. What a nice man. We ended up keeping each other company all the way to Albany and the time just flew by. He had a lot of opinions on weddings, wedding photography, wedding albums and most importantly, that I needed to have some kids. Seriously though, Henry will end up being featured on my blog all by himself one day… stay tuned…

Even with the delays, I managed to arrive at the same time as my baby sister, Grace. Gracie flew into Boston from Austin and we were able to house sit for some good friends of mine. Thankfully, I’d been there many times before, otherwise I don’t know how I would have found their house in the dark. They live in this nice house in Cambridge that feels like it is tucked back inside an English garden. Serene for big city living.

The train was a great way to travel, aside from the delay and the extremely bad food choices in the cafe car. I love that there are power outlets and tables… I was able to get some work done on the trip. Also, it was really interesting to have a front row view to the destruction caused by the hurricane. Along the Erie Canal and Hudson river, we were able to see a lot of damaged buildings and debris filling the waterways.  I also liked being able to walk around a bit on the journey. On my way home from Boston, with gorgeous early morning light, I saw some kayakers heading through a marsh and a lot of the trees had changing leaves already. Beautiful.

What is your favorite way to travel?

10 years ago, I was working at a job that I knew would be ending eventually. With people I did not like. I felt like I was wasting my degree in Photography on a dead end retail job. At the time, I was a regional trainer for retail photo labs and was supposed to drive to Buffalo to visit one employee I really disliked.

The attacks were a wake up call for me, as they were for a lot of people. What am I doing with my life? Is this the best use of my time on earth? Who is most important to me? Do I make a difference in people’s lives?

Another thought running through my mind all day was that on July 4, 2001, I was on top of the World Trade Center with my family. My Dad had biked with the Houston Police Department Bike Relay Team as part of their 20th Anniversary celebration. They rode bicycles from Houston to LA to NYC to raise money for the Leukemia Society. To think that I had just been there. Standing in that spot. On July 4th of all days…

Seeing my Dad doing something so amazing, coupled with the giant wake up call that was the terrorist attacks, really started gears turning inside my head. This laid the groundwork for the motivation to stop holding myself back. It laid the groundwork for my realization that I can have a better life.

Skip forward to today. I can’t believe that I am near my 10 year anniversary of photographing people’s weddings. More honestly, I can’t believe that I still love my job. I woke up this morning feeling blessed that not only do I love my job and the people I get to work with, but they seem to really appreciate me as well. I feel honored that I get to create heirlooms for new families being created and that I get to make new friends in the process. To be a full time Photographer is a blessing and a dream.

I am no hero like brave Fire Fighters and Police Officers, however hopefully my time spent on this earth will bring some small joy to other’s lives in one way or another. To wake up each day and choose to be a better person. To be happy.

My thoughts today are with all of the people who didn’t have the positive reaction that I ended up having. To all the families who lost a loved one and have such an event define their lives… I can’t even comprehend the toll this has taken on so many people all over the world….

I had a chance to stop by on the first day of the expo with a friend, camera in hand. My hair stylist and favorite wedding make up artist, Andrea DiProjetto, invited me along. It felt weird being in the Hyatt and not for a wedding…

It was a fun night full of color and design and art… and quite a few friends in attendance!

Tess and Jason were touring the East coast and I was more than happy to play host. They started their Rochester gigs at my favorite bar for music, Abilene, for a very intimate show. Afterward, I invited a few friends over for a post-show hangout and it turned into one of the best nights I’ve had in about a year. Music, candles, wine and friends… all night long.

The next evening, Tess and Jason played a house party and it was awesome to see multiple shelves on the wall holding wedding photos from several generations! A great reminder of what I do…. provide heirlooms. The evening was mellow and Tess told a lot of funny stories. At some point, everyone talked her into singing in German….

Tess and Jason, it was a pleasure seeing you and hearing your beautiful music. Please come back through Upstate NY anytime. You always have a place to crash.

http://jasonharrod.com/

http://www.wileyrock.de/

To donate, visit this link.

With the destination being Niagara Falls, Canada this year, I had to be there to show my support! Mom flew into Rochester and then we headed over to the Falls to await the big arrival. We were able to do a little night sight seeing and ride the ferris wheel (which looked like it was being attacked by dinosaurs!). The next morning, in the rain, the 30 police officers rode in to finish the 2250 mile bike ride!

It was nice to meet the other police officers, hear the stories and to see my parents. We were able to get in a round of putt putt golf after the rain let up, and I have to say…. it was the coolest golf course I’ve ever seen! There were life size dinosaurs everywhere and a 4 story tall volcano that you golf through! NEAT. I don’t remember who won (probably Dad), but it was a lot of fun and I forgot how silly both of my parents are.

Congratulations to my Dad and the other HPD Officers for completing another successful ride and thank you for all you do!

The Friends of the Roc City Skate Park did a wonderful job putting on this huge “friend-raiser” for the largest skatepark in the United States. We had 4 professional skateboarders and one professional bmx rider, plus other amateur level riders from Krudco and dozens of kids who raised money to skate with the pros. Here is the Board of Directors (including me!)…

The weekend began for me on Friday evening at Krudco Skateboard Shop with an autograph signing by Zoo York skater, Ron Deily. Wow, what a friendly and laid back guy. Red Bull was on hand to show off their MXT vehicle and pass out a plethora of their drinks. Ron made the kids do all sorts of things to earn signed skateboard decks and other prizes! I was able to score an easy birthday present for my older brother who skates. Actually, some of the earliest photos I ever took were of him skating.

Saturday was a bit chaotic for me as I ran down to Max for the Friends of the Roc City Skatepark Board meeting, then ran home to finish packing my car and pick up my SUPER assistant, Dan Ross… a Groom from last year! Dan and I setup the outdoor McKay’s Photography booth just in time for it to pour down rain. So, we packed everything back up and re-setup inside Max. Phew! During all of this, I also was delegating the setup for my indoor McKay’s Photography booth with on-site photo printing. Thanks to Dan, I stayed on track and relatively sane. Note to self…. always bring an assistant that is tall… they come in handy! It was excellent to see Brittany and Mike (Dan’s brother) hanging out and having fun too!

Once the rain stopped, it was a great time. I feel like I didn’t get to photograph nearly as much as I had planned because the schedule was thrown out and I was constantly pulled in 4 different directions at once. Special thanks to Lori Coleman of Light and Ink and Angie Carter of Goatmouth Studio for helping to photograph the event. Also Terri Parthum for editing all day!

The VIP event was a blast though. We had a slideshow with the best images from the day (3 photographers!!) and there was a performance by Aerial Arts of Rochester, speeches by Jim Maddison (RCP President), Luis Burgos who is probable our biggest fan at City Hall (Commissioner for Recreation and Youth Services) and most important, a brief and touching speech by Sheila Foxx. There were tears on everyone’s faces as she talked about her son, Akeer, and his passion for skateboarding, which killed him….

Sheila Foxx’s 14 year old son Akeer T. Matthews was hit by a car on October 8th 2010 while riding his skateboard and passed away on October 9th. “I was devastated. Actually, that is an understatement. Words cannot describe how I felt. I didn’t know what to do. Akeer never had a place to ride his skateboard and skateboarding was his passion. Akeer and his friends would try to skateboard in empty parking lots or at playgrounds but at each location there was a sign, NO SKATEBOARDERS ALLOWED. But as I mentioned, it was his passion, he was determined to skate anywhere he could. Unfortunately, like most skaters that place has become our business parking lots and busy city streets. In the name of Akeer, please help Roc City SkatePark become a place for them to skate. ANY donations would be appreciated.”

The weekend ended with a ride around Rochester in the Red Bull MXT and skateboarding with pro-skater, Ron Deily, for the largest fundraiser for the Rally… Jesse Morland! I was on hand to be the Professional Photographer and provide a photo shoot for Jesse and Ron. We headed downtown to Manhattan Square Park and within 30 seconds we were kicked out by the security at the HSBC office building! Ah, if only there was a legal and safe place to skate in the city of Rochester…..

All of the Professional images from this event will be online for viewing and ordering. Most of the proceeds will go directly to the Roc City Skatepark! Click HERE to view the gallery and buy away.

Media Links:

http://rochester.ynn.com/content/all_news/rochester/545761/rally-to-raise-money-for-roc-city-skatepark/

http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/news/articles/2011/05/RECREATION-Big-boost-for-Roc-City-Skatepark/

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110605/NEWS01/106050338/Youths-rally-skate-park-Rochester?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Marcus McBride – DGK Skateboard Video

Lenny Rivas – DGK Skateboard Video

Ron Deily – Zoo York Skateboard Video

Tony Hamlin – Kink BMX Video

Derrick Wilson – Skateboarding Video

I’ve tried to learn to skate several times in my life, but none were serious attempts. Usually, it was when I was with my brother or another group of guys. I’d borrow their board for about 5 minutes and that was about it. So much pressure when there are a ton of guys standing around watching! Not surprisingly, I never picked it up and I’ve always been bummed about it. Now that I snowboard, I really want to make a concerted effort to learn though. I made Aaron from Krudco Skateshop promise to have “Girls Learn to Ride” clinics if I help him get the Roc City Skate Park built!

So here we have Samantha! She is a RAD little spunky girl and totally rocked the ramps at the Webster Skate Park. When we arrived, she immediately went over to where the 19 year old boys were skating and wanted to ride with them. Wow, no fear! We talked her into moving out of their way and she practiced going up and down the biggest ramp in the park. She was getting really good at it and picking up a lot of speed by the time we left! It was amusing to watch her skate because she looked like a surfer until she got the hang of it. She would push on her skateboard, nearly sitting and then when she had enough speed, she would hop up! After a while, she stopped doing that, but it was interesting to watch the natural process of learning.

Don’t tell Jerry, but these are going to be Father’s Day gifts for him of his oldest girl shredding the skate park. He is a long time skater and has been teaching Sammy how to ride. What an awesome father/daughter experience! Hopefully over the years I can get some images of them skating together….

Well, I can’t believe I didn’t blog about biking last year. Geez! I’m so behind on blog posts, I can hardly believe it. I mean, I like blogging, but it takes a lot of time. Suppose I should do it every day so I have less to say. Oh, well, this will be a catch all for 2010. Like a year in review. Except it is already May of 2011.

Here are the cliff notes. I like to ride my bicycle…. I like to ride my bike (guess the song!?!). I gathered a bunch of Photographer friends up and we started a regular bike club one day a week. Biking is a great way to work out frustration, brainstorm, location scout, feel the wind on your face, move your butt, feel strong, network with other Photogs and generally enjoy our tax $….

Click here to read the City of Rochester’s Bicycle Master Plan!

So, here it is… May and I’m finally out an on my bike again. A few weeks ago I was able to get in my first ride of the year … It felt good to get a full 15 miles in on the first time out. Decent pace too, averaging 11 miles an hour. Not bad for the first ride. I guess all my P90X has been paying off. And snowboarding. And walking.

Did you know that Rochester was ranked #50 in the top biking cities in the USA by Bicycling Magazine?

Anyway, I’ll try to blog more about my biking escapades, since I always see such random things. Do you bike? Where do you go? What’s your favorite item in your bike bag?? Mine is my crash proof, waterproof camera…

Here are a few highlights from past biking trips around the Finger Lakes and Rochester with Linda McFadden, Lori Coleman, Sue Egan, Greg Fair and others…

Here is Scott with his two favorite things in life:

This year, McKay’s Photography sponsored the opening night movie, “Everyday Sunshine – The Story of Fishbone” and director, Lev Anderson was in attendance to answer questions after the film. The film was so fun and informative. To get an inside view into the historical context of such a unique band who inspired so many successful artists (Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt and many more) was a real treat.

Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other highlights of the film festival were the panel discussions on Saturday at George Eastman House’s Curtis Theater. One was about Youth and Media Literacy and there was a heated and thoughtful discussion about race and economics. At the same time, it was inspiring to hear about so many programs around the city that are available for kids who want to learn how to tell their own story through the power of film.

Other Other Other  Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other There were also a lot of local Rochester films and filmmakers screening during the festival including “Second Story Man” by Neal Dhand. This was entirely shot near Rochester and most of the cast was in attendance for the Q&A afterwards.

Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other Other There really were so many amazing movies and parties that there isn’t really time to tell you about them all here. For more information about the film festival, please visit the website: http://film360365.com and to see all of the images, check out the facebook page! http://film360365.com

That’s what a group of involved citizens and small business owners are doing. Together with the City of Rochester’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Human Services, as well as the New York State Department of Transportation, the Citizens Planning Group is working to build and maintain a skatepark for skateboarders and BMX riders.

McKay’s Photography is taking part in the Rally for Roc City Skatepark to raise money for a world class destination level skatepark in downtown Rochester. Much like a walk-a-thon or other fundraising effort, this sponsorship qualifies MP for the following:

* Minimum to skate/ride $100. Ride with and meet the pros and receive a t-shirt.
* VIP Access Minimum $500. Ride, meet, skate and have dinner with the pros and receive a hoodie.
* Rally hardest and raise the most in sponsorship dollars and ride in the Red Bull MXT vehicle with Red Bull Athlete Zered Basset on Sunday to skate your favorite skate spots with a professional photo shoot!

(MP is donating this qualification to ride with the pros to a younger, less fortunate rider!)

MP’s goal is to raise $500. Please make a donation of any amount by visiting my FirstGiving page (by June 1st):
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/mckaysphoto/rallyforroccityskatepark

You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to “CENTER FOR POPULAR RESEARCH EDUCATION AND POLICY” by FirstGiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation.

Please send my page to anyone who might like to donate!

The planned location of Roc City Skatepark is at the heart of the city, beneath the east side of the iconic and award winning Frederick Douglass/ Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge. Pending New York State Department of Transportation approval, this spot boasts plenty of room for varied skateboarding and BMX disciplines with areas on either side of the bridge for a more outdoor feel. Not to mention excellent shelter from the elements and our fair city’s unpredictable weather.

A concrete investment.
Nothing rides like permanent, concrete rails and ramps. But more importantly, a cast-in-place concrete skatepark is low-maintenance and long-lasting. Which is why nothing less will suffice for this project.

The Rally for the Roc City Skatepark will feature an indoor and outdoor skateboarding and bmx biking experience, exhibitions by pro skateboarders, contests, physical activities in which children can participate, family activities, music, delicious food, a parent oasis area, silent auction and VIP event. The Rally for Roc City Skatepark is being hosted by the Friends of the Roc City Skatepark and is a fundraising event for the planned skatepark in the City of Rochester.

Please help McKay’s Photography raise money for this much needed project in Rochester!

Tonight, McKay’s Photography is sponsoring Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, in Little Theater 1 at 7:00 PM.

“They play ska, rock, punk and funk – they are Fishbone!  Defying easy labels, the members of this legendary band met in high school in Los Angeles and set out in 1979 to do their, decidedly, own thing. Along the way, they managed to influence musicians from Gwen Stefani of No Doubt to Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who are all featured in the film.  To the amazement of everyone interviewed Fishbone never managed to make it big.”

http://film360365.com

Other highlights of this year’s festival are:

Julie Taymor: Susan B. Anthony Award

The 360 | 365 George Eastman House Film Festival announces Oscar®-nominated and Tony Award®-winning director Julie Taymor is the 2011 recipient of its Susan B. Anthony Award. The ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 29 in the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House, followed by a screening of her 2010 film The Tempest, which she directed and also wrote the adapted screenplay. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now.

Buddy Squires: Golden Lens Award for Cinematography, presented by Kodak

6:45 p.m. Thursday, April 28

Buddy Squires, whom many call “the visual poet,” is best known for photographing the films of Ken Burns and is a founding member of Florentine Films. He has earned several Oscar® nominations and Emmy® awards for cinematography, as well as for producing and directing, plus several additional leading cinematography honors. A program featuring Squires’ work will be screened followed the award presentation. The festival’s film roster includes a screening of Strangers No More (2010), the current Oscar® winner for Best Short Documentary, for which Squires served as cinematographer.

Movies I’m excited to see:

The Troll Hunter, The Lie, Rollout Cowboy, Second Story man, Adult shorts programs, The Tempest, Tracker, Windfall and Wrecked.

http://film360365.com

Brock Yates: Rochester Film Legacy Award

This is a new award established by the festival, to honor a filmmaker or film supporter based in the Rochester area whose passion and dedication embodies Rochester’s proud film legacy. Screenwriter Brock Yates, who resides in Wyoming in Wyoming County, has been chosen as the inaugural recipient. His film scripts include Smokey and the Bandit II and The Cannonball Run. This award was given during a sponsor’s reception in advance of the festival.

We drank beer on 1/2 price pizza night and that was amazing. Then we went to trivia night at the local rib joint and I was pleasantly surprised that they had excellent beers and a plethora of vegetarian options. You never would have guessed by looking at the outside.

What struck me most about Salisbury, MD and specifically driving through Delaware was the fact that every strip mall had these three things: a porn store, a liquor store and a church. I’m not even kidding.

While I was in MD, one of my Grooms (Dan, from November) tagged me on some travel pics on Facebook to get my feedback… well I took it as a challenge. The one I liked the most was of beer, so that night, Meg and I went searching for beer… with my camera in tow. The brewery was closed, but the rib place was open! I don’t know if I beat him, but it was fun trying.

Now Dan and I are talking about participating in a McKay’s Photography Blog Photography Workshop and Critique. Wow, it needs a much better name! Any ideas??? We’ll start next month. I know several of my customers that are already in!

It was awesome to meet Izzie and have brunch with the Crudup family. They have always been some of my favorite clients (because they are FUN) and is wonderful to see them all doing so well. We even got their dog, Echo, in some of the pictures. Another highlight was seeing all of my photography all over the house. Framed prints on the walls, signature frame in the hall, wedding album on the coffee table. Seeing my products/photographs living in their final location is so cool. Hearing that little Izzie loves looking through the wedding album is neat.

It is even more awesome that some of my good friends, Tony & Vivianna, live nearby in the suburbs of Philadelphia. I got to meet little Massimo finally and to see before everyone else that Vi is pregnant again! Woohoo! Congratulations Tony & Vi! Massimo and I totally hit it off and we watched the Little Mermaid together at least twice. Massi is an adorable mix between these two and aside from his late night Raves, he is treating Mom and Dad well. I know it will be a long time before I see these friends again, so I was happy to stop by and say “Hi!”