2018 Remembered (partially)
As December creeps ever towards winter, from where the southern Rockies meet the high plains, we bid you good tidings and the warmest of
SEASON’S GREETINGS,
We are in relatively good health: family and a few fine friends & neighbors to help us along.
So, life is good…
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| Trunk Bay, U.S.V.I. |
Phil’s past two Novembers were spent on fire assignment in Kentucky (2016 Daniel Boone NF) and post-hurricanes in Virgin Islands (2017 St. John). This year allowed a little more time for reflection (that can be good). For those of you that have followed this update over the decades you’ll have noticed that we’re no longer regaling you with tall-tales of Justin’s 6thgrade basketball scholarship to Princeton and pre-select for Harvard Med, or Meme winning the tennis Grand Slam (yep, all 4 majors in same calendar year) while being named USGS’ Water Employee of the Decade, or Phil leading the Denver Broncosto Super Bowl glory then the Dodgersto World Series supremacy in consecutive years, or one of us playing a duet and harmonica with Jimmy Page & Led Zeppelin on “When the Levee Breaks” (*- that timeless Holiday classic of comfort, hope & cheer: it can be heard at the link at the bottom of this message) and “Dazed & Confused” for the “Royal Family” at a New Year’s Eve concert: London’s Palladium. Must be that age is slowin’ us down, and for some reason we just can’t find a publishing house interested in our Memories of Underachievers. However, just to show we haven’t lost ALL our mental faculties, Phil wants to salute the Dodgers & Saints for their back-to-back championships.
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| Our solar panels |
WE actually WENT SOLAR early this year: we have a roof mounted system from ”SUNPOWER by Positive Energy Solar” and we’ve enjoyed watching the electrical meter spinning clockwise with the monthly bill being just for the system connection fee. Love banking those energy credits.
The end of APRIL saw us in Pacific Beach for a 40thwedding anniversary trip, and touching base with step-brother Charlie Jaramillo (Capt. with Alaska Airlines): we always enjoy that.
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| Hal Marcus and his work |
In MAY, even though retired from USTA & College tennis umpiring, Phil once again helped at the State High School. Tennis Tournament and chaired the Girls 5A singles final (long 3-set match). The next week we were visited by Phil’s cousin Steve Riley and his girlfriend Pat: part of their 4-Corners area trip from Redding, CA. This was followed by our El Paso trip to see Meme’s sister Pat Medici and her husband Hal Marcus: Hal had a new art installation at a local medical center (some of you might recall he has pieces in numerous locations around El Paso, including Chamizal National Memorial).
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| Maple Canyon, Utah |
In JUNE & AUGUST, Meme enjoyed rock-climbing trips to MAPLE CANYON (Manti-La Sal NF, UT). These were sandwiched around fire Safety Officer (SOF) assignments for Phil at Ute Park/Philmont Scout Ranch (Eagle’s Nest, NM), Weston Pass/Chateau (Fairplay/South Park, CO), and Texas Initial Attacks (primarily in-&-around “Hill Country”). So, two Texas trips: “What I like about Texas” (Jerry Jeff hits it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9otXXx_Zr3M).
Unfortunately, while on Texas assignment, cousin Steve lost his home (as did all but one on his cul-de-sac) to the Carr Fire that consumed his part of northwest Redding – he had very little warning or time to flee, but he made it to safety “with the clothes on his back and his health.”
In the latter part of August, Phil was at the Cougar Creek fire (Wenatchee/Leavenworth, WA), followed by late Sept./early Oct. at the Roosevelt fire (Bridger-Teton NF/ Bondurant, WY). Sometimes he was ordered as a “Team Safety” (like the last two), and other times as a SOF for a Division/Group on the line. With each one, he continued to marvel at the skilled & talented folks he was privileged to meet and work alongside; the Aussies he worked with at Cougar Creek were great assets. He is sometimes asked why he keeps going on these assignments, and the answer is “SERVICE- as long as I can be contributing and help emergency responders.” Of course, the money is very good too, but after a career it is sometimes just hard giving up being a Ranger.
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| Roosevelt Fire ICP |
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| Uncle Bruce, Patrick, Phil & Steve |
While at the Cougar Creek incident, Phil received word that his maternal AUNT VIRGINIA (“Auntie Ginny”) had passed away in Ventura. In between the last two assignments he was able to join family for a memorial service and a bit of reflection. Phil was fortunate to have vacationed as a kid with her and his cousins at seaside and national park locations, including Sequoia-Kings Canyon & Yosemite back in the 1950’s. Many great memories: she was a bold doer, and will be greatly missed…
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| Meme - ascending wall |
In October we journeyed to KENTUCKY, for a week at the Daniel Boone NF’s Red River Recreation Area. Meme enjoyed many days of rock-climbing with compadres that had driven, or flown, from Santa Fe. The areas around Slade & Beattysville have grown the past couple of decades into a world-class rock-climbing destination and we got to experience it during the “Wooly Worm Festival” no less: I don’t know if we’ll ever be the same, but bourbon helps Phil try.
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| Senator Udall & Phil (more in the Rangers pointing series) |
He also continues to volunteer in archaeology & history with SiteWatch (stewards): in early May he got to co-lead a tour of La Cieneguilla petroglyphs for U.S. Senator Tom Udall and some of his office staff. The rock images are on BLM lands (public land just outside Santa Fe), and it is always good to be back in touch with our lawmakers (plus, he & Phil go back a ways to when he was the NM Attorney General & Phil was with the Interagency ARPA Task Force).
YOGA: Meme & Phil continue to study periodically with the greatest yoga instructor this side of the Pecos. Oh yeah, that is really close isn’t it: so, maybe she is the best this side of the Mississippi. That would be better…
NEXT YEAR (Feb., 2019): We have an opportunity to watch Phil’s sister Chris Erickson judge the Terrier Group at Westminster Kennel Club (aka “The Garden” - Madison Square Garden, NYC), followed by a trip to Cayman Brac (CB), BUT Greece is calling. Instead of NYC in February (the view on TV will probably be better) followed by CB (which we’ve been to before), we’re gearing for climbing, diving and arch-history in Greece and one of their Aegean islands.
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| Kalymnos - Greece (near Turkey) |
JUSTIN has been doing some legal writing and appears to be on verge of starting a job with the NM Human Services Dept. as an attorney. He was happy that a law school classmate (Xochitl Torres Small) was elected to Congress. He says she is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
May our thoughts-n-prayers be with both of them.
May our thoughts-n-prayers be with both of them.
No matter where the holidays and 2019 find you, we hope you the very best of health & Happiness.
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| "Happy Trails to you..." |
