Merry Christmas, 2021

This past year started off in poor fashion, with me sidelined recovering from surgery for prostate cancer. Fortunately, we think it was caught early and has a favorable prognosis. It did lay me off work for six weeks, so I spent a fair amount of time catching up with reading, playing guitar, and gradually building up an exercise regime. Kathy, of course, was the perfect home nurse, but I'm certain she was glad to see me get back to work. Like everyone else, we also became Zoom experts.

We were able to get Lotus launched in good time this Spring and enjoyed several long weekends on board. We spent almost a week on her over Fourth of July. A cooler Spring made for less swimming opportunities, but good sailing.

In spite of COVID, we gathered for a fun family reunion at a nice lakefront cottage in the Ludington area in August. We managed to hit the one week of lower than normal humidity this summer, a welcome respite. Hiking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, dune rides and evening campfires filled the agenda.

Planning for our Fall vacation proved to be challenging with all the uncertainty related to COVID. We ended up taking the ferry across to Door County, Wisconsin, where we found three different places to rent while we explored the peninsula, hiking, biking and kayaking. We enjoyed good weather (except for high winds and waves on our return trip) and had a great time.

The October Father-Son gathering was a mixture of day hiking, refinishing Mom & Dad's deck, and chasing down a persistent leak in their motorhome. Dad was having some intermittent balance issues that dictated we avoid the more strenuous backpacking and hammock camping type outing. Fortunately, it looks like rehab will help him regain some of his loss of equilibrium.

The clinic remains extremely busy. I have restricted my own practice to surgeries in order to aid in my slow transition out of veterinary medicine. I had enjoyed the client interactions associated with outpatient, but it is time to wean myself away and transfer my clientele to my associates. It also leaves me in the great position of doing what I enjoy most and being available for training of newer veterinarians.

Barring any crazy changes in the pandemic situation, we hope to travel to Tennessee with Betty to join Mom & Dad for Christmas. Kathy and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and that 2022 is good to you and your loved ones.

Merry Christmas!

Steve & Kathy