–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…

And I thought Nevada was a ‘moonscape’…

“Sin City” has its glamor and glitz but it can’t compare to the wonders of God’s creation that surround it.  Here are a few pics from our travels in the area… taken mostly at the Valley of Fire and the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, and a few round about coming and going. 
On top of the treat of a trip was the treat of a new camera that offers a 25mm wide angle and an amazing 12X zoom capability.  See what you think ( :
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These are ‘newbie’ Barrel cactus growing on the hillside.  I couldn’t resist stopping to get a closer look.  This so reminded us of our old stomping grounds.  Glorious, sunny, and silent…
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O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Ps104:24
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I had very much fun trotting along in barefeet studying the tiny animal prints along the way, left in the wash from the night visitors…
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Some spots you’ve just got to stop and take note of the grand vistas…
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What does this one remind you of?
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It’s called Elephant Rock.

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Heaven is His throne, and the earth His footstool! (Is.66:1)

P1000398Mesquite! a mainstay of the Arizona desert, is also seen here in the less arid areas.
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Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.  I Chron.29:11
–LS
Thanks for sharing our travels…We were blessed with record breaking warm temps (70F) for this time of year—unknown since 1975!  Thanks be to God who plans our steps ( :

World Travelers

My feet have traipsed new territory this week….

 I’ve tread the cobblestones of Rome,

[Incidentally, this guy’s alive. This is no mere statue.  How would you like that job?!]

…walked the winding streets of Paris…

…and the back alleys of New York City.

 
The byways of Venice along the canal were my favorite…

   For now, I’m glad the visit was semi-virtual though I almost got a real blister.  If I ever again attempt all these places in two days I will get some comfier shoes!

“…and behold, all was vanity and a striving after the wind…” Eccl.2:11

LS in LasVegas