Seasons greetings family and dear friends. Today, Kay and I celebrate our 24th Christmas together, and have experienced another blessed year. 

New Year’s Day 2022 found us at Palm Creek RV and Golf Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona, to begin our third winter there. Many games of pickleball, golf, bird photography, hot tubbing, and get togethers with other Hot Springs Village folks ensued. We returned home in mid-March to a wet and soggy Hot Springs Village where we resumed golf and pickleball. In late April, we traveled to England, Scotland, and Wales, touring by bus the lands of our ancestors. June was for grandkids as we had visits from all of the young ones. It was a first time visit for Linc and Sutton, our two youngest. July was hot and muggy, a perfect month for golf, pickleball, and time at the pool. 

Spring was short lived, as the wet winter seemingly transitioned to summer overnight, absent the weeks’ long beautiful spring weather usually enjoyed. We opted to escape the hot weather and did a car trip to Utah and Colorado, revisiting national parks and seeing several state parks for the first time. And then the hot, humid days of summer transitioned into one of the “best” autumns we’ve experienced. The beautiful weather came to an end as fall leapt immediately into winter as sub-freezing, near single digit temperatures greeted us in early November.

I did a photography trip to Costa Rica in early December, and shot thousands of photographs of beautiful birds and mammals. Returning home, we experienced a wonderful Christmas season with family and friends.

Our kids are doing well, and we now are the proud grandparents of 7, comprising an age span from 27 years to 2 years. They are way too busy, as are their parents!  

Everyday aches and pains not withstanding, we have enjoyed good health with no major illnesses or surgeries. Life in Hot Springs Village remains great; golf courses and lakes abound, and grandkids are close enough to be accessible. We both keep busy with golf and pickleball.

So what’s in store for 2023? Again, we are scheduled to spend winter at Palm Creek RV and Golf Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona. In early May, we will travel to Rome, joining a “Journeys of Paul Cruise” with 10 nights aboard Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas. This journey will take us to Rome, Santorini, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and Crete! After that, there are no plans; we would like to visit New Zealand and Africa before health and/or age takes its toll. It’s all a question of money and time.

In ending, Kay and I wish you peace on earth and goodwill to all. Again, our blessings overflow.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.