February 2022

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What do you do when winter tightens its icy grip?  Time to visit California.

Chrissy Baby Shower

On Feb 8, we flew to LA to enjoy a few days with Steve and Wende as well as Valerie’s family.  Up first on the 12th was a baby shower for Chrissy.  Valerie’s sisters also made the trip from Maryland for the shower. Continue reading

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January 2022

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The first month of the new year was largely uneventful for us.  It was mostly about adjusting to the winter weather.  On New Year’s Day, Chrissy & Johnny were finishing their visit to Maryland for the holidays.

Gunners Lake

On the second day of the month, we got a modest snowfall.  Plus the weather turned colder over the next couple of weeks, adding a layer of ice to the nearby lake.  The ducks had to work to keep a small area open.

On the final day of the month, Ming’s mom prepared a beautiful and delicious Chinese meal for the family to share.

December 2021

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We started out the month by spending a few days in Frederick, MD, once again pet sitting for Tino.  Our first time looking after Tino was back in August.

With Ralph and Carlie in San Antonio

In the middle of December, we traveled to San Antonio to visit with Ralph and Carlie.  This was our first opportunity to see them since they sold their home in California and moved to Texas to be near their grandchildren.  They purchased a home on 2 acres located about 15 minutes outside of San Antonio.  Add some miniature horses, a regular sized horse, some ducks, chickens and dogs and you have a mini-ranch.  We had a great time, great food and did a little sightseeing.

During Christmas, Chrissy and Johnny came out to Maryland to join the family for holiday festivities.

November 2021

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The second week in November was time for the annual family reunion at Dale Hollow Lake.  Since we were living in Maryland, we could drive to the event this year.  We took our time with an overnight stop in Charleston, WV.  Our first stop was to visit Hew at Nolin Lake.

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On the 13th, we continued on to Eagle  Cove on Dale Hollow Lake.  We enjoyed all of the usual festivities, particularly the White Elephant gift exchange.

At the conclusion of the weekend, we drove back into Kentucky to visit with Nancy in Louisville.

Later in November, we enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving dinner with Valerie’s sisters in Maryland.

West Coast Trip

In late September/early October, we flew to Los Angeles to visit friends and family.  In no particular order, we did the following:

  • With Steve and Wende, we went to downtown LA and toured the Grammy Museum, took a ride on Angels Flight and stopped into Grand Central Market.
  • On another day, we went to the “Old World Village” in Huntington Beach to sample their Octoberfest celebration.
  • Over the weekend, Steve and Kevin went to San Francisco and attended the San Francisco 49ers game, playing against the Seattle Seahawks.  Unfortunately, SF lost but we enjoyed the trip.
  • While we were in SF, Valerie visited with Jason, Ashley, Tad and Mia.  She also had lunch with her long-time friend, Delcy.
  • We took a trip out to Prescott, Arizona, to visit Tim and Dinah.  We enjoyed some nice hiking, and I had a thrilling ride with Tim in their Porsche 911.
  • The timing of our visit coincided with birthdays for Steve as well as for Valerie’s son, Tim.  Steve and Wende hosted a nice birthday cookout for the family.
  • Valerie and I visited with her Aunt Amy (her Mom’s sister).

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