When I went to get my car inspected on Saturday, I was told that I needed a new license plate. What? I’ve had that plate for 22 years!  Alas, that information was correct. Here’s the scoop from the RMV website’s FAQ section:

My green registration plate is faded. How do I get a new one?
If you have a single green plate, you may not order a replacement. If the plate is not legible, you must obtain red and white “Spirit of America” plates. You may go to any full service RMV center to complete this transaction.

On my lunch hour today, I went to the Hadley Branch Office and traded in my old plate for a new one. This number will never be seen on the roads again:

At 7 o’clock in the evening, at Zukas Hilltop Barn in Spencer, Colby Whitcomb and Rebecca Fleury were married in a civil ceremony performed by a Justice of the Peace. The wedding was held outdoors with the sun just setting on a beautiful summer day. Here is a view from where I sat, looking to the right of the gazebo.

I didn’t take any photos of the ceremony or of the bride and groom and their attendants because for one thing, snapping photos seemed rude and not in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion, and for another, my camera battery was low again. I must say that the bride looked spectacular in a strapless gown with a long train.

The reception followed the ceremony, but I didn’t stay because I’m not really a friend of either family, but rather a witness to Colby’s transformation from a child to a young man (I first met him sixteen years ago, to the day). All the same, I was thrilled to have been invited to witness this couple’s public commitment to each other and to share in their joy. In fact, I’ll refrain from commenting on recent changes in laws concerning marriage in our very blue state, and simply offer Colby and Rebecca my best wishes.