As 2023 Comes to an End.....

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and wishing for a happier, healthier, and more sane 2024 for all!

Santa with two Senior Elves Terry & Linnea

It has been five months since my last posting, so it is time for some catch-up. Since the end of July we have been stateside, although as usual not in one place, dividing time between Fort Bragg, the Bay Area, the Northeast, and Georgia (the Peach State), seeing friends, family, and taking care of life's obligations and maintenance. There are more than a few boring details and stressful situations, but I will try not to focus on those, and update this long-running blog in reverse chronological order.

December

Christmas time I spent in Georgia with Sofia and the grandkids (more about our visit there in October below).

 

In Gatlinburg, TN for Soccer

 The visit included this wee Christmas tree, just for me.

 Earlier in the month Linnea, Fayne, and I weekended in Eureka to celebrate: 

1. Terry K.'s (aka: the Kiwanis Queen)  ? birthday;
2. Terry's Granddaughter Lyra's first BD, and;
3. Fayne & My 46th wedding anniversary.

Lyra with Dad Nathan..

... and Grandma Terry.

 

The other Birthday Girl

 We stayed at one of my favorite places, especially around the Yuletide, the Eureka Inn.

In this second view from the balcony you can see the tiny kindergartners parading in to sing carols.

Terry made sure we had a fun-filled weekend which included a stroll through the Sequoia Park Zoo (featuring the Redwood Sky Walk), and the Arcata Plaza Farmers' Market with gorgeous fresh veg (yum!).

Eureka/Arcata Collage (Clockwise from Left Upper corner): Bald Eagle, Winky the Northern Spotted Owl, Market veg, Scarlet Ibis, market greens, Linnea on the Sky  Walk, and Red panda

And in one of those "keep your eyes open, you don't know what you might see", I spotted this optimistic poem of the side of a local homeless day center.

Poem on the wall of the Betty Chinn Homeless Day Center

No holiday season on the North Coast would be complete without lights, and lots of them.

The Fort Bragg lighted truck parade, lighted boat parade , and Mendocino Botanical Gardens Festival of Lights

November

We enjoyed the traditions of Fall in Northern California. Of course there was Thanksgiving dinner at Athena's beautiful house with Cheryl, Emily, and Karen, meal provided by Molly Stones Market.

Cheryl and I celebrated Cal's 27-15 victory over "hated rivals" Stanford on their home field in the 126th Big Game! We had a great time despite a bit of a drizzle, and I had the BEST tail-gating experience ever with a welcoming group of enthusiastic Cal alums. Never met them before, but unlimited food and drink, high spirits, great fun!

Chase Center, home of the Warriors

November began with our first visit to Chase Center to see the Golden State Warriors defeat the Sacramento Kings by a point with 0.2 seconds left. The tickets were courtesy of our generous Marina Bay friend Hilary. Thanks, Hilary!

And as a callback to our courting days, we made time to share a sundae at Fenton's in Oakland after a movie.

October

The last three weeks of October were spent visiting the Heards. Ever since Sofia left college early to start a family, she has slowly but surely been progressing towards her degree, which she achieved in 2023. The "brick and mortar" Columbia Southern University she attended on-line is on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, so we headed down there for the ceremony and to congratulate our daughter on her achievement!

We spent the night before in nearby Pensacola FL. with some time for the beach (as you do there).

 

A selfie during Quiz Night at Rigbys

Before the trip back to Georgia, I was able to attend two films as part of the 46th Mill Valley Film Festival. I strongly recommend you check out Frybread Face and Me, a contemporary Native American coming of age story now streaming on Netflix. 

I also want to give a shout out to Ellen Blonder, a former Dixon HS classmate. She has always been a gifted artist and she participated in an exhibition of botanical paintings at the Marin Art & Garden Center (which unfortunately ended November 26). The display included about 30 sketchbooks from the Northern California Chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists. The idea is that one artist will sketch something then send it on to a total of ten artists one after another over ten months to be inspired by each other. Here are just two examples.

September

This was the month for a trip to the Northeastern USA, upstate New Your to visit Fayne's Family in Syracuse and East Greenbush followed by a few days visiting the Blums in Mystic CN. I have no photos from NY but here is a collage of sights in and around Mystic, including several photos from an afternoon at the Mystic Seaport Museum (which I will designate in the captions as MSM). BTW I highly recommend the Lobster Shack there; great lobster rolls.

Clockwise from upper left: MSM figureheads, statue of the late Mystic marathon legend John Kelly and his dog, Mystic Union Baptist Church, Mystic River, Stonington Lighthouse, MSM village, and MSM1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan

Labor Day Weekend means Paul Bunyan Days and Parade in Fort Bragg, an homage to the fading timber industry and the big man himself.

A sign of the more recent cash crop is represented by The Captains Quarters, a "Bud" and Breakfast craft cannabis retreat around the corner from our house, the former Colonial Inn.

August ...

 Summer is incomplete without a sunny day at the ballpark to cheer my soon-to-be homeless A's (sigh!). It was a great outing with the sisters.

Mascot Thumper, who still terrifies Sofia

 

 

One unusual afternoon we spent several hours killing time at SFO Airport with our dear Irish/Kiwi friend Florry in transit, as he has done for us many times in the Wellington Airport.

Sad but sweet, people gathered in Sacramento to remember and honor the life of June Nishikawa, the matriarch of the clan who passed in June at age 98. She lived a very good and full life, and was quite beloved by all. I saw my old Dixon HS friend Jay Shepherd and his wife for the first time in years.

Jay & me

  On a happier note, I'm glad I got to celebrate Emma Nestler's 97th BD with all the extended family.

...and the end of July (& looking into the crystal ball)

A last piece of old business from NZ- we headed down to Dunedin for an early Women's FIFA World Cup match between Japan and Costa Rica. I felt like it was our civic duty. Japan won 2-nil.

 

As far as 2024 goes, who knows? Better, I hope but things look ominous. I expect to work about five months in New Zealand and then be done with regular work as a doctor. The transition into retirement may be complete then. We'll see.