This is a story of Love and Romance!!
May 19, 2007

My wife and I and our two kids started the morning early in Roseville, CA. We drove with a group of 24 other people the 100 miles to Tiburon to catch the 10:00am ferry to Angel Island. When we got to the island, we started our hike to the top of the island, Mount Livermore. We took a leisurely hike and arrived at the top, Mt. Livermore, about noon. When we got there most of the picnic tables were full but we had spotted three unused ones a bit off to one side and slightly off the summit that no one wanted to use. My family and I went down to eat our lunch in solitude. After we were there for about 15 minutes another couple whom we did not know arrived and sat down at one of the tables. I immediately struck up a conversation and told them about my Stranger-A-Day photo project I am working on and asked them their names (Marty and Lisa) and if I could take their pictures. I told them I needed more men in my pictures since I had an over representation of women so Marty agreed and I took his picture. We talked and ate for another 30 minutes or so and then my family decided to head down the hill to catch the 2:20 ferry back to Tiburon. We said our goodbyes to Marty and Lisa and headed down in somewhat of a rush to make sure we had adequate time. After about 5 minutes of walking we heard the somewhat annoying sound of a small airplane approaching from the South East. I glanced back over my shoulder and noticed it was towing a sign banner - I thought it was advertising so I didn’t pay attention to it and kept walking. Another minute or so passed and now this very annoying, obnoxious little plane was starting to circle the small island directly overhead. For some reason, my wife and I looked up and I started reading the sign…

Now you have to understand how the mind works - as I was reading the words, my mind was a bit behind comprehending what I was reading - sort of an “OK, there are some words I am seeing to a "Wait-a-minute!! We know who those people are - we just met them!!" My wife Julie sort of realized this at the same time I did. We both looked at each other with the same thought: we need to go back up and congratulate them! We yelled down the trail for the boys and hustled back up the hill. By the time we got there and approached Lisa and Marty, we greeted them and asked the obvious question, "Did she say yes?" Marty was only too happy to say, "Yes, she said yes!!" Of course, we were all giggling like school kids! I could tell Lisa was still in exuberant shock (notice they aren't hugging for the camera – they’re still stunned!):

Regaining our composure (while that incessantly noisy plane was still circling with its "Will you marry me" sign), I asked for another picture. The couple regained their senses and Gave me a true-love pose (if you look carefully, you can see the tears on Lisa's T-shirt – my wife Julie was crying too!):

But things were just getting started! Just as we were all exchanging happy congratulations, our hiking group of 24 strong (remember them? We had left them behind) came ambling along a ridge above our newly committed couple - perhaps only 20 feet away. Knowing a juicy opportunity when I see one, I quickly announced to the entire group "THESE TWO DOWN HERE - THEY ARE **THE** LISA AND MARTY". The group quickly “got” it - that the couple standing before them was the same Lisa and Marty announced on the plane flying around them.  All at once they erupted in loud cheering and hoots and hollers!!! Now everyone was ecstatic over this whole situation - they had seen the plane flying around romantically overhead for 15 minutes asking Lisa to marry Marty - all the time wondering who and where the couple could be. Now they had come upon them and had a chance to share their joy!

You can’t script things like this. With the timing, geography and weather - a group of 30 people on a picture-perfect day overlooking one of the greatest cities in the World and witnessing a young Loving couple proposing and accepting and being there to share in their joy. Here's the view of the day we had for this great event: