Graduation!

Graduation went very well. The ceremony was quite impressive. On the floor of the Exposition Center, chairs were lined up for the faculty and students. The relatives sat up in the bleachers. My wife's mother, brother and sister were present. Her father, unfortunately, had to stay in California to recuperate.

First the school dignitaries walked in, followed immediately by the faculty. Then the students walked in and sat down. The festivities were started with an invocation followed by the National Anthem played by our local high school band. The school dignitaries each gave their speeches. The guest speaker was our local Congressman, who spoke about time - how precious it is, how we waste it and how better we can use it. At least, he was consistent - rather than waste our time, he kept his speech short.

The students were then called, one by one, to receive their diplomas. Of the 1,100 graduates, only two were awarded their degrees by a member of the faculty, rather than by the school dignitaries. My wife was one of those two. She received her diploma from her history professor. This caused my wife's sister and mother to cry.

After the ceremony, our group headed for a weekend at Canyon of the Eagles. This is a lodge and campground on the shore of one of the recouviors on the lower Colorado River. Her mother paid for the first night and her brother and sister paid for the second. We spent our days hiking and catching up on times. It was a good visit.