Here Comes the President

It was just an ordinary day in our little old town. . .until I thought to drive by the local airport that President Obama was flying into to dedicate a section of the San Gabriel Mountains National Forest as the newest National Monument.  Nessa and I were just returning from imoms and we turned off towards the airport.  I parked as many other cars did the same thing.  I held Janessa's hand as we walked across an industial section of town to get to the main drag which was closed off by a school bus and multiple police cars.  Did I mention the armed army men?  Yep, just walking back and forth, turning cars away.

 Janessa and I stood on the corner, along with a lot of other people.  the excitement in the air was palpable.  All the while I talked to my girl about how this may be the closest she every gets to a president.  I told her about my sighting of Bill Clinton what must have been about 17 years ago.  She waited patiently for the most part, scanning the scenery, pointing things out until the helicopters started flying in, flying low and directly above us.  People clapped and cheered.  We both shielded our eyes as we looked up into the sky.  I snapped picture after picture after picture on my camera phone.  Had I been more prepared, or known we were stopping, I would have brought my Canon.

 Here the President of the United States was literally flying into our back yard and we were there to witness the flying part at least.  Once he landed in one of the identical three copters that flew in. . .we could see nothing but the motorcade which whisked him away to make his speech at Puddingstone.  He stood in the same grass the boys run cross country at on Mondays.  We saw the signs that the park was closed days before we even knew why the park was closed.

 And this pretty lady borrowed my sunglasses because we were waiting a little bit longer than I could have anticipated. . .but it was worth the wait.

Together, she and I have this memory:  the day we went to see the President.  Well, the day we went to see his helicopter: The Marine One.  Politics aside, it was quite amazing the lengths they went to to keep him safe.  The secret service men, all the local fire fighters and police agencies.  It took a village.  And the memory is ours for the keeping.

We called Ernie right away to tell him who we saw.  Janessa called out, "Daddy, we saw the judge!" Um....not exactly.
 But two weeks later: she knows now.  Ask her: )
This homeschooling gig is pretty fantastic (if I do say so myself).