Last Meal @ 52

Here we are just finishing a wonderful dinner held at Engine 52's station house last night.   All of 52's families were invited in for dinner but, for one reason or another Vincent's family was the only one to make it.  I guess the others got tired of eating alone as the crew is very often called out just as they sit down to eat!
 Greensboro's fire departments are First Responders so they go on all auto accident with injury, medical emergency, rescue and fire calls.  They are most often the first service to arrive.
In anticipation of being called out the men scoffed down their meal pretty quickly, then they relaxed for maybe 45 seconds. 

   

I know the first thing you notice in this picture is Cohen sprawled across the table, just ignore that, it's the men I want you to look at.
See how the guys are jumping up?  Off to the races?  Bad food?  A five alarm fire?  No!  They are rushing to do the dishes! 


 I can tell you if these men jumped up from the dinner table and rushed to clean the kitchen at home like they do here there would be a lot of happy wives serving their meals.  Actually, I've never seen anything like it.  The kitchen was cleaned with military precision in record time.  ( That last sentence is a misnomer but you know what I mean. ) 

 

Because Engine 52 is a very busy station everyone was surprised to have had an uninterrupted meal...spirits were high.   There was time for a little horseplay and a photo session before we said good night.

 

 

 This is Justin holding Sophia.  She is a happy as a clam because she is truly in love with this man.  I wish you could see how she lights up and
 looks at him with adoring eyes whenever they meet. 

Sophia's tribute to Justin and Daddy's station.  Sorry, Daddy, she may be sitting on your lap but her heart is Justins!
And, in the picture below, Josh, another firefighter at 52,  holds Cohen and Sophia.  Josh is waiting for his first baby to arrive very soon.  Exciting times a comin'

The fellas had six calls between midnight and 6 am so their routine didn't stay interrupted by leisure for very long.

You ask, Why " Last Meal @ 52 "?

Vincent has been promoted and is now off to work with the HAZMAT ( Hazardous Materials ) team.  Once again starting a learning experience and rookie position of sorts, call it higher education.  He is very excited and looks forward to working with a top notch crew.  He will also be teaching some EMT courses within the department on his ' off  days ' so there are busy times ahead.

CONGRADULATIONS SON !

BOO!

Here is our resident Halloween Cat.  He sends his greetings and the wish that your Trick or Treat bag gets filled to the  brim.
  

And here are our Halloween Darlings.  Cohen as Thomas, his most favorite train in the whole wide world and Sophia as the most beautiful peacock that has ever struted its stuff.

Jim suprised me with a new companion to keep me company.  He knew how much Emma meant to me and thought this new girl might just help me through my grief.  The most amazing thing is, she is!  To say they resemble each other is an understatement and the fact that their personalities are so the same is just plain uncanny.  There will  never be another Emma, but there couldn't be another one as much like her as Daisy is either. 

 Can you tell which pup is Emma and which is Daisy? 

  Hint:  Emma has shorter legs.