Christmas Newsletter

 Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year                                                             December, 2024

 We hope you are well. As our doctors say, we are both in good shape for our age with just the expected aches and pains that come with being old.
With that in mind, we have begun our Last Gasp Tour and were remarkedly successful. Looking at my calendar, I realized that November was the only month we did not visit family, go birding, or both at once.
Our big trip was in August and September to see sister Betsy and husband Keith in New Zealand. We started at Wellington’s Zealandia, a 500+ acre sanctuary where we heard, but did not see, kiwis. We then spent 4 weeks helping my sister Betsy and her husband Keith in their garden or being ferried around the North Island to see kauri trees, Pacific and Tasmanian Oceans, the thermal areas of Rota Rua and more. We had fun attending Quiz Night at the Returning Servicemen Club. I knitted a hat with donated yarn for the shop of Betsy’s Red Cross group. Maybe next time we will see kiwis.

On our way home, we stayed 4 days on Norfolk Island so I could see NI pines in their home turf. I also practiced driving on the left and avoiding the free-range cows that wandered around the island. Delta rerouted our flights through Australia, so we took the opportunity to stay a week in Sydney. I was delighted by the royal ibis, which the Aussies call bin chicken, and the yellow cockatoos, as common as pigeons here in the US. We saw kangaroos and a lyrebird on our bus ride to the Blue Mountains. 
 
In May, we toured Magee Marsh in Michigan for warblers and other migrants. In Florida, these are little brown birds, but up north, the males were decked out in their breeding finery. Their names tell it all: yellow warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, scarlet tanager, goldfinch, etc. The boardwalk along the marsh was crowded with birds and birders.
 
December, we got the last available room in a cruise to visit Christmas markets along the Rhine, from Basel, Switzerland, through Germany, and finishing in Amsterdam. At each port, we sampled the local version of hot glühwein in commemorative mugs. Come visit. We will make our version for you.
 

We got to see flamingos at Merrit Island after we picked up my other sister, Peg, from her bluegrass cruise and again in the Keys when we stayed at  Bahia Honda State Park. Experts think these birds, blown in by hurricanes, may start breeding in the Everglades, so we hope to see them even more.   No flamingos when we drove with friends through Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the first time we’ve been there in years.
 
Our cabin camping group stayed at Silver Springs State Park. We enjoyed it so much, we may make it our permanent spot. Even though there were signs to watch out for bears, the park volunteer told me it was highly unlikely I would see any. I didn’t. We did see monkeys and manatees when we took the glass bottomed boat ride.
 
Two trips to Atlanta: Grant and I went in June to see the Rolling Stones, their tour sponsored appropriately by AARP. In October, I returned to celebrate with my Naples High School girlfriends, our first in-person reunion in five years. Thank goodness for Zoom.
 
In April, we zipped up to DC for a short trip to see Jamey and April, the only time we 4 retired people could find mutual open space on our calendars.
 
We flew to Utah twice to see Spaulding, Molly, and Teddy. During our July visit, we took a night tour to see flammulated owls. Then, we flew on to California to see Mary, Ryan, Bella and Remi. I also got to CA for Easter and for Bella’s October birthday.
 
Patten made several trips up to see us, and we drove down to Fort Lauderdale, including Christmas Day, when he and girlfriend Ryann cooked for us and friend Marjorie. I also got to see them in June, when I rode the fast train to Fort Lauderdale to attend the International Association of Arboriculture’s convention as a perk of my volunteering on my town’s tree board. Patten was promoted to sales at the marine plumbing company where he works. He and Ryann enjoy their free time offshore fishing and lobstering in their boat.
 
Since Clara walks to high school this year, we no longer drive her, however we still got to see her play 3rd base in her softball league and to take her shopping. Or does she take me, since I’ve found a cute sweater and other things with her help? Stephanie, Clara and I went to the Nutcracker ballet. The second year, so now it’s tradition. Steph and boyfriend Kyle hosted Thanksgiving. Another tradition I am encouraging. Grant smoked a turkey, and I made pumpkin pies. Mostly we ate.
 
 We haven’t made many plans for the 2025 tour dates, but I suspect there will be fewer stops. We are tired.
 

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