Well, it has been too long since I updated my blog so here goes. Seems I left off before President Obama was re-elected! Yay! Good for him, good for our country!! Since Jack and I were going out of the country for Christmas we did a road trip with Dakota to Florida in November. Spent Thanksgiving with my soon-to-be 91 year-old Father in Gainesville. My brother, Steve, and his family treated us to dinner at their country club. From there we headed south to the Keys for a few days of visiting with Donald and Alina – and the beagles. Unfortunately, the pictures of the doggies playing together are on my I-Pad and I don’t know how – yet – to get them to this blog????? After the Keys we stopped in Cocoa beach to visit Holly and our godchildren and got to catch up with cruising friends who live on their boat in Merritt Island, Tammy and Doug on Gypsies in the Palace. Christmas found us winging our way across the Atlantic to Geneva, then on the train to the magical little village of Zermatt. It was our 5th time there and each time we are reminded of why we keep coming back! Unfortunately, a knee injury for me sent us home early but not before great food, great skiing and great apres ski. Just not many pictures – sorry! The MRI revealed some damage but nothing requiring anything other than 6 weeks of rest. Now, ask me how much I hated that! But, I was a good patient and followed orders. We love our winters in Ohio with a fire in the fireplace every night and lots of winter hiking and bird-watching with trips downtown to our favorite restaurants, the Westside Market – which just celebrated it’s 100th anniversary - to our museums and wonderful orchestra! I took a trip in February to Asheville, NC to celebrate my friend Susan’s birthday. She and I have been friends since college! We visited the Biltmore and took in funky downtown Asheville. Loved it there and loved seeing her and Celeste. We just returned from another trip to Las Vegas for a reunion of Jack’s Air Force pilot training class! It has been 40 years!! We were treated to a VIP tour of Nellis Air Force Base, a strenuous hike in Red Rock Canyon and lots of drinks, happy hours, dinners and friendship renewals. Some new friends, too – as some of the guys had different wives!!
Daddy and his favorite grand daughters!
Jack and I with Daddy and my brother, Steve
That’s Alina dressed up for winter in the Keys!
Sunset in the beautiful Florida Keys
Sunrise from our hotel room in Cocoa Beach
Sunrise over the Matterhorn. This is the view from our room!! Like I said – magical!!
Alina’s coolee cup went to Switzerland!
The weather and the snow were perfect! As our landlord told us – “magnifique”!! That is sort of in interesting story in itself. We always stay in the same condo and the first year we stayed there our landlord, Mr. Perren had two darling little twin girls. That was in 1988. Now those two little twin girls run the place and Mr. Perren is retired! Life marches on.
Back in Ohio – hiking Buckeye Woods
Swans and Canadian geese. BRRRRR
A pileated woodpecker on my suet feeder
The bluebirds love suet, too. And mealy worms. But I haven’t gotten the courage to have worms crawling around my feeders – yet!
Susan and I at the Biltmore in Asheville! LOVE you guys!
And OH, I forgot to mention this! Jack has a new hobby! Making wine! We have quite a cellar going. Here is the Old Vine Zin just after bottling!
And now, Las Vegas!
Sunrise over the strip from our hotel room
Thunderbird hangar
These few pictures are from the Threat Facility where our enemies equipment is stored. Jack remembers when it was a top-secret place. Not anymore!!
An Mi Hind, a big Russian helicopter. That’s Bob, Jack’s best friend from pilot training and his wife, Jacki!
Triple A gun – I think!
MIG 29, a Russian fighter
A drive down the flight line in the desert revealed all kinds of aircraft. Some we were allowed to take pictures of – others NOT!
Hiking the Calico Trail at Red Rock Canyon! Beautiful!!!
And last but not least – I know you won’t believe me - and the pictures are awful – BUT – we have black squirrels here!!! Can you see how dark the one on the right is compared to the 2 gray squirrels on the left?
Here he is running across the roof of the gazebo. Unlike the grays and the reds the blacks are very skittish and hard to photograph.
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