Holiday greetings, fellow airmen (and airwomen). A few weeks ago I started sending out traditional Christmas cards and in return began receiving some. I am always taken by those photo-cards you guys send and sincerely wish Valerie and I had had the time to do one as well. So when I saw this excellent shot of my lovely lady, and the old guy, I knew it would be a perfect digital Christmas card for all of you. This is a Holy Time of year, a time to ponder what the baby Jesus’s arrival into our world truly signifies. His is a message of peace and love, and that is a universal message regardless of your particular faith. We cherish all of you dearly and want you all to have the most blessed Christmas ever. Thanks for being there, our world is so much richer because of each and every one of you.

Okay, as you may recall, I was really pumping up going to see Peter Jackson’s remake of my all time favorite flick, KING KONG.
Well, that happened just a week ago when Valerie and I, accompanied by son Kevin and daughter, Heather, made it to a local cineplex and caught the 10 AM showing. For the next three hours I was a little kid again, so wonderful and amazing was this true blockbuster achievement in visual storetelling. And much like the first time, when I saw the movie at 9 yrs old with my Dad, I cried at the end for the Big Gorilla. Peter Jackson is a blooming genius and he has given us all a fanatastic new movie classic. Be sure to see it on the big screen where the size does matter, and be prepared to be wowed! Oh, and the picture gracing this section is an actual Russian poster of the film. Thought you’d enjoy the international feel to it. Am planning on seeing this many more times. Oh, yeah.

And finally, two weeks ago, artist Rich Woodall and I completed our first School of Graphic Storytelling at our local comic shop, the Paperback Bazaar. And we had a graduation ceremony for our first-ever students,
artist Tom Bonello and writer Josh Florence. I can’t say enough about how talented these two young men are and how much fun it was for Rich and I to share our craft with them. Above is a picture of the four amigos, going left to write;
Rich, Tom, Josh and of course, that Fortier dude. Our next session kicks off 3 Jan.06 and
we have four new students signed up. I think we’ve got something special here and hope to see it continue to grow.

That’s it gang. Two more days and Santa is here. Valerie and we’ll be spending Christmas
morning with our daughter Michelle, her husband Chris and our two beautiful grand princesses, Kristi & Chelsea. Gonna be a wonderful day.
I hope each and every one of you will be with either friends or family. Know, that you will all be in our Christmas prayers.

Ron, over and out.