–2011 in Review–

This was the year to round out my half a century on the planet…and the first year in as long as I can remember that I haven’t (at least not yet)  composed a year-end letter…So I’ve been flipping back through old photos to jog my memories…

Another year of many trails and travels—with destinations as close as Scout Mountain and the Ragged Islands and as far away as Alaska and Las Vegas…

January–

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We gained a beautiful granddaughter this year.  Which has of course necessitated more travels to visit…

February–

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And as always, I’ve been out and about capturing the seasons in nature…

March–

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April

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May

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…walking and praying…

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June

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…and watching for seeds planted to begin to grow…

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…and wonders to appear…

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It was a year for a family reunion to celebrate an 80th birthday…

July–

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…and the year for losing my most faithful hiking companion of the four-legged variety, reducing markedly the amount of hiking I’ve done since…

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Instead, I became an A-1 stoker for my life companion!  Oh the miles we did ride and the sweat and smiles we did share…

August–

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September ended in Alaska, giving my mom a hand in making plans for my dad…He’s now in a private care facility in the city, far from home and mom most of the time…waiting to go Home.

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By October the little tykes had grown so much they needed another visit!

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And the rest of the year has found me out and about enjoying the scenery closer to home…

November–

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…continually grateful and amazed at this world God has let us inhabit for another year…

 

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Which brings us ‘round to December again…treasuring family near at hand, carrying on with all the family traditions, for who knows if this will be the last year they are home under this one roof… (gulp)

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Our present to ourselves this year was a (near)new Tandem to replace our homemade and not-as-strong-as-it-should-be relic…We are stoked to start putting on the miles together!

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And that is a smattering of our year here.

Here’s wishing you and yours a God-Blessed New Year!

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–LS, for the Skelton crew…

===2010 in Review===

We’re having a quiet Christmas time this year.  it’s quietly sneaking up on us anyway!  Haven’t been out in nature much this week, unless the mall counts as it’s a natural place to go in December!  So I offer you our year in very brief review.  Good to take a look back before marching into the new one…

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January—our now annual honeymoon in the big city…lookin’ out the window of our hotel.

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February–The Olympic torch comes to town and our little town has a big celebration!!

 

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March—a miniature microcosm on the mountain

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April–Bumbling about up Scout

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May—Sailing to our favorite haunts in the ‘Ragged Islands’

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June—Summer is come and gardens and flowers

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July—The tree that has now become this year’s Christmas tree.  Homegrown!

IMG_5638…Sailing and beachcombing

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… and Alaska!

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August—Lakes and water and sun and more sailing…

IMG_6374 …and smiling with cycling friends.

 

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September—out and about

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October—the season’s last blooms

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November—last color before winter

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…and wet walks

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and December comes round again with all the glory of the heavens declaring the glory of God.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will to men on whom His favor rests.”

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

–LS