Uncle Bill Turns Sixty Five

Bill Thompson, the retired K9 police officer is a man of a thousand stories. He spends his time doing good turns wherever he goes. I asked at his "surprise"celebratory dinner at Frankies New York Italian Restaurant, if any one felt that he was an uncle to them. There was a roar of agreement.



With Frankie and Terri

The event was captured by Steve Galland the Photographer, and here are a few of his shots.


















So here is a brief salute to a man who should definitely write a book.


Taylor, Kerry Sue and Bill

Uncle Bill’s Sixty Fifth

They say you don’t feel the years coming
That we rise up each day with a will.
That the ‘sixty five’ ties
Come as a surprise,
So here is a good health to Bill.

They say good Policemen don’t perish,
They fade off and quietly fill,
A place on a list
Of the loved and the missed,
So here is a good health to Bill.

There’s many a villain not sorry
To know that he’s not at his drill,
Sending his hound
’Till the culprit is found,
So here is a good health to Bill.

Now our friend is a jolly good fellow
You can’t say he’s over the hill,
He’s lending a hand
Doing good where he can,
So here is a good health to Bill.

So to finish I just thought that I’d ask
If you’d join me as I share this thrill
To raise up a glass
To a Copper with class
So here is a good health to Bill.

Neil McLeod 8.28.2011

With Roger - My daughter's teddy bear

Graduation from high school is done and so is summer, and our daughter departs for college accompanied by her favorite comfy toy.

Only those who have shared the experience can appreciate how it feels to suppress to choking emotion of saying goodbye to a loved child when sending her off to college. It was four o'clock in the morning, we had bowed heads and asked God's blessing and travel mercies, and as Maran turned to go she said, "Daddy, send me a poem so I can share it with my new friends at College." She then turned to get into the car and the vision of her with her bear packed in at the top of her knapsack resulted in this poem.





















With Roger

I’m leaving with Roger for college,
His top’s sticking out from my pack,
He can see past each ear
To the front and the rear
And everything that’s at my back.

I’m leaving with Roger for college,
It’s the first time that we’ll be long away,
We’ve left our home,
And our folks all alone
And flown up and off for a day.

I am safe because Roger is with me,
He keeps my spirits buoyed up,
He knows if I’m blue
And I’m thinking of you
To listen and not interrupt.

I can tell that he’ll be a good room mate,
He’s had hours of practice you know,
If it’s logic or rhetoric
Or some other what the heck
He’ll wait for my answers to show.

I’m leaving with Roger for college,
In McIntyre we’ll be there,
Working away
At our classes each day,
Miss Maran and Roger her bear.

With my love, Dad