Outskirts Press, INC.

Every now and then in life it is important to check your canopy. Don’t take it for granted that the most important things are functioning properly.

The title of the book refers to one of the procedures a paratrooper must perform after exiting the aircraft. There are many checks and procedures that need to be performed prior to exiting the aircraft and others required during descent and landing. The most important check is when the trooper counts to four after the exit, feels an opening shock and looks up and sees a billowing canopy fully opened If the canopy is not open, immediate action must be taken. In this intimate narrative, an Army Colonel reflects on his life and career, after losing a battle against kidney disease, largely because he was in denial that anything was wrong and there was always something more pressing to do. The book takes the reader through Cold War assignments in Europe, missions in support of Haiti and Bosnia and post 9/11 support, while his wife and children not only endured multiple moves, new schools, job hunting and leaving friends, they excelled. Through the medical marvel of dialysis and the miracle of a transplant, he could continue working, watch his two children complete graduate school, and walk his daughter down the aisle. Check Canopy is dedicated to the author's sister, Nancy Winship, who selflessly donated a kidney. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation.