George F. Will on his late mother

To me, the phrase "mother's love" is, and probably always will be, an oxymoron. Others have fared far better than I have in that department, including the highly respected conservative columnist George F. Will, whose own mother recently passed away at age 98. Unfortunately for her, however, she lived long enough to fall victim to the ravages of dementia, which deprived her of her memories, and thus of much of what can help to make old age worthwhile. His tribute to her appears here.

The perfect Bond villain

One of my life's ambitions is to be the villain in a James Bond movie. However, I recognize that some individuals might be better suited for the role than I am, so I would not be disappointed at being passed over in their favor after a casting call. One person, in particular, could fill the role perfectly -- and certainly better than I could even imagine doing it. Simply put, this fellow is a natural for the part. To learn who he is, click here.

Another spectacular sunset

Fab sunset 7/7/06 (1)
Originally uploaded by gwilmore.

Last night I interrupted a visit to some friends in order to spend about 20 minutes sunset-hunting, during which I captured this image. It immediately became one of my favorites among all of the sunsets I have photographed, so I decided to post it here as well. Stay tuned; there will be more, although surely you already know that!

Sunday with Spoots

Sunday with Spoots (4)
Originally uploaded by gwilmore.

After church today, I took several pictures of our new cockatiel, Spoots, and in this one included myself with my current reading material. This bird's name was provided by our daughter Vanessa, albeit without any intention on her part to do so. When she was very young -- between about ages 2 and 5 -- she sometimes came up with her own unique pronunciation of everyday words. For instance, we might be driving by a pasture, and Vanessa would say something about the "cwows" grazing in the field. "Spoots" were something worn during the winter months to protect one's feet from the snow. Somehow the name fits this newest member of our family.