… A Very Merry Ho-Ho-Ho to You-N-Yours…

Another snowy day here in Santa Fe: Peace on earth, good will towards person-kind, and other worthwhile goals to strive for, makes for annual reflection: We had one of those years you hear about where it was pretty much steady-as-she-goes & without much happening. Oh, we both had our teeth cleaned twice & the house didn’t burn down (yet). So, now you have it: News from Ranch Encantado

Snow falling on the Jacuzzi, in many ways, could be a fitting metaphor for our lives; sitting in hot water surrounded by climate change. Water is such a basic part of all our lives and a principal component of this home: Meme continues stewardship over the State’s water resources, we’ve recently “worn out” our 3^rd Hot Springs top & 4^th water bed mattress, and for our 35^th anniversary we went-n-splashed and made bubbles in the Florida Keys.

Conch Key Resort, FL

We didn’t have any really exotic destinations with our travels this year. Oh, I forgot Palmdale (during my Dodgers & Burbank HS sojourn). Got to visit Kirk & Lynne Harris in Agua Dulce, and with Meme’s step-mom Arlene Medici and part of her 3 generations of super family. Meme’s solo excursions took her climbing near Pagosa Springs (CO) & to the Canyonlands of southeast Utah for a “Climb Like A Girl” adventure. Some of our other journeys included Gilbert, AZ to visit my Mom, sisters & families. In early June, joined there by several cousins and my Auntie Ginny (Virginia) from Ventura. We also shared experiences with Meme’s sister Pat at their cousin Pete’s (& Nancy’s) place in Hayden Lake, Idaho: fun-on-the-waters. Another water-based trip was annual pilgrimage to Pacific Beach/La Jolla area where we paid homage to our sunset ocean.

Sunset/Pacific Beach, CA

Justin continues as a “second year” law student at UNM, having spent the summer term studying Int’l Law in Spain (“where the rain falls mainly…”). While he was abroad, I had a very active fire season: 7 fires on 4 dispatches, as a Safety Officer. It was a tragic year with the loss of too many men & women trying to protect us, like Sandoval County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. (and former NPS Ranger) Robert Baron. I’d also been on the same fire incident as Granite Mountain (Interagency Hotshot Crew) on Granite Mountain (Prescott, AZ) a week before their deaths at Yarnell Hill. When told, I went into immediate denial: “we just don’t lose whole crews.” Unfortunately, this time we did. Our hopes are with all our public safety personnel: you aren’t forgotten.

Lucy & Meme @ Monster Wall

This year Lucy started to really fill-out her punch card for the frequent vet visit program: twice for ripped nails, a rattlesnake bite/envenomation (against the outside our front-yard wall), and a recent teeth cleaning (for her 5^th birthday). Of course that doesn’t count the time this Autumn when I took her for a run via my bike-ride: never had a problem before… this time she went 90-degrees starboard behind the bike descending a hill: I ended up on gravel road with her looking at me seemingly saying: “Whachya doin’ down here?” She was fine; I ended up later that day at urgent care (two-broken ribs).

Meme on a lead climb
East Fork Jemez River

… and Meme continues climbing, jogging, tennis, yoga, working and taking care of Phil (me) & Lucy = she’s very busy (and is going to make some holiday goodies now). I continue with tennis officiating, SiteWatch steward activities, “etc. Etc., ETC.” (yes yoga too, but I’m much more… remedial much of the time). Ya know, we sure are blessed… and hope you are too this year & next.