Merry Christmas 2018!

Winter is arriving early this year, with cooler temperatures and snow in November. In fact, our sailing season this year was a bit abbreviated on both ends by cool wet weather, but we managed to have some great time on the water anyway, a reward we relished after spending several Spring weekends painting our masts.

In contrast, we started 2018 with a warmer January that thwarted our attempt to plan a snowshoeing vacation in January – we went hiking instead. We headed to Todos Santos, Mexico in February to escape Michigan altogether. Our good friends, Jane and Paul, accompanied us on our southern adventure to explore that region and enjoy good food, local art and whale watching.

The family gathering this year returned to its historical roots at the old cottage on Elk Lake. We took over a nearby campground and hotel with all the participants. We had a great time catching up with one another, playing on the water and taking a canoe trip.

Mom and Dad joined us this year for our Fall vacation. We took them to our favorite spots in Colorado for hiking and touring. In a new twist for us, we took Amtrak between Michigan and Colorado and enjoyed it, in spite of a long overnight delay in the middle of a mid-western cornfield where we hid out from passing storms. It was nice to arrive relatively refreshed, not having to make the long drive. The Fall colors arrived slightly early, so Mom and Dad were able to see the Rocky Mountains at their best.

The annual Father-Son backpacking trip went off without a hitch this October in the Smoky Mountains. The women scoured surrounding towns for deals while we enjoyed the wilderness. No bear encounters this year, but we did step around a Copperhead and challenged Craig’s fire building skills with wet wood.

Kathy retired this summer, having held out until the practice was sold. She is adjusting to a new lifestyle and making plans for her next chapter. I stayed as busy as ever as our clinic had a record year. I won’t mind it at all if I get to slow down a little in 2019. We’re up to 13 veterinarians, but really need to be at 14-15 to allow us all to enjoy our preferred schedules.

We will be taking Betty south with us this month for Christmas in Tennessee. All the siblings will be there. It will be nice to have the family together again for the holiday.

Kathy and I hope your Christmas holiday season is wonderful and you have a great 2019!