Well, we have finally made it back home from California. What a trip! The weather was beautiful the entire time we were out there, and we got to eat a ton of great seafood. Eating at the same restaurant three nights in a row isn’t crazy if you love their fish tacos, right?

One day we traveled out to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and hiked to a natural palm oasis. The signs at the beginning of the trail were no joke about carrying a gallon of water. It was hot! It’s too bad we only got one day to spend out there, the park was beautiful.

We also got to spend one afternoon with the lovely Viola Kelly, James second-cousin, who happens to be 7 months old. We walked through North Los Angeles to a pet store and looked at the guinea pigs and fish.

The trip wasn’t just a vacation though. During the other 11 days we worked with the Marine Corps Wounded Warriors at the shooting venue. J and I mostly ran the electronic targets and produced results on match day, but we did get to know a few of the athletes. This year, more so than last year, was really an exception experience in seeing their camaraderie. We attended the Opening and Closing Ceremonies where we recognized some of the athletes. Knowing the Warriors and hearing about their individual struggles and recoveries made the entire week more meaningful. We were proud of the shooting athletes and their advances during the week.

The week got both J and I thinking about how we could incorporate an adaptive adult shooting event in our own work. We were also approached several times about traveling to other events and running the targets, looks like we’ll continue to be on the road in the future!