Winter Solstice, Christmas time, year end wrap-up, and more!

Picking up where I left off with the Autumnal Equinox, let’s start with another kayaking expedition with Sheryl O’Connor, this one in the Pescadero Marsh. (I may update this post with another ‘yak session soon…)

 

Near the end of the Cross Country season, Charlie came in first place at Crystal Springs in the Open Boys race. He led the pack the whole way – very exciting!

 

Uncle Ron E. visited in November during the weekend when Jim Denevan’s “Outstanding in the Field” was having an event at Pie Ranch. Well, it turned into a family event for us with Grandma even (altho’ the kids had pizza up at the house). Check it out…

 

Lots of wild turkeys in the neighborhood. You think they’d be nervous at this time of year, but they’ve been wandering up the street, and even in the back yard…

 

Here’s a kooky bunch of miscellany. A walk around town with leaves on asphalt, dogs & ponds. A spontaneous beach sunset stop with Veronica. She doubled down in a pano. Weird dusk cloud. LHPUSD bus. Koi painting at D-Tech HS. And the RV brand at the San Gregorio store.

 

For his 16th birthday, Charlie wanted to take his buddies up to the Hiker’s Hut. So three months earlier he stayed up until midnight to book it. After a soccer game we took Thomas, Kohei & Taro, and Orion up. Lunch at our house before and after…

 

Related: on a recent weekend I was compelled to take two hikes up in the La Honda Creek Open Space. Here’s only a sampling of the pix (with a couple from other adventures as well)…

 

We had both Thanksgiving and Christmas at Grandma’s and the Dominican Oaks buffet was awesome (after Thanksgiving we went to downtown Santa Cruz with Nancy, Jered, Lucas, and Rosa to see Bohemian Rhapsody). Mary Lynn also hosted her Book Club on December 1st with a full house of literate ladies…

 

For her birthday, ML wanted to see the latest Cirque du Soleil – “Volta” – in San Francisco. Amazing again…

 

Finally, here’s Christmas. We had a lovely dinner on Christmas eve at the N, J, L & R’s new house on the upper slice at Pie Ranch, Christmas morning at our home, then the spread at the DO, and another visit at Pie Ranch for leftovers, etc. And we were joined by Jered’s step-Mom Suzy (sp?) in from Costa Rica.