In the '80s, when I was living in Germany and teaching for the University of Maryland's European Division, I was involved with UMd's creative-writing magazine, Gathering. Also involved was English prof Gary Kissick, and Gary and I have been friends ever since. At the end of July of this year, he flew over from England — where he now lives and teaches, still for UMd (now UMUC) — for a conference at the College Park campus, and he spent the weekend of August 3-5 down at the beach with me and Becca. He brought his old pal Dana, who lives in Takoma Park and has known him even longer than I have, and BethAnn and Casey came down Saturday night to join us. The six of us had a gigantic Sunday brunch at the Rod and Reel, just down the road from my place, and as we were leaving I got some passerby to snap this picture. Reading from left to right, that's Casey, BethAnn, Dana, Gary, Becca and me.