CHRISTMAS 2021

We traveled to Ohio for Christmas this year. Our flight to Detroit went smoothly and was on time. We connected with Tina outside the terminal and headed for her home in West Unity, Ohio. It was an overcast day with light rain showers. We stopped in Ann Arbor at the Trader Joe's for a few items before leaving the Detroit area. Then it was onto Western Ohio where Tina and Justin have a 20 acre ranch.

After we settled in we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Tina and Justin.

    Sierra & and House Mate 

Saturday, December 18th:

This was a quiet day around the house as it rained most of the day. We could not walk around much of the property because the soil was really saturated and muddy. After reading a number of articles on my iPhone or iPad I  grabbed a Lee Child book to read. It was an OK read but sometimes taxing in it's story line.

In the evening we enjoyed some family time around the fireplace.

Sunday, December 19th:

Klara arrived in the wee hours of the morning by train from Montana. Her arrival was on time and the station was only about a fifteen minute drive.

We arose just before sunrise which here in Ohio was about 0815!

After a leisurely breakfast the girls went off to the barn to do chores. I wandered around the pond for awhile, then did some reading and organizing our Christmas gifts.

In the afternoon we did about a 3 mile walk along the county roads. One has to be aware of the small inclines that might block drivers views of walkers as there are no shoulders, and the speed limit is about 50 mph.

We also took time to fill several bird feeders, and I hope to do some photography of bird activity around the feeders in the coming days.

Tonight's dinner was some grilled elk that Klara had brought from Montana along with a delicious salad.

It is wonderful to have us all together.

Monday, December 20th:

It was a beautiful sunrise but I was not dressed for going outside. The temperature was about 25˚F!!

Another quiet day in Ohio. It was cold and blustery today so there was not much bird activity. We did get out for a walk once again.

                                                                        A local barn

Today I am reading excerpts from a very detailed biography of Winston Churchill. He was quite the character, and could be an imposing person. He certainly was persistent in Britain's fighting Naziism.

Tuesday, December 21st:

Today we experienced Freezing Fog which occurs when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or lower, according to National Weather Service. The fog produces drizzle, the droplets freeze when they come into contact with an object, creating a coat of ice. This weather phenomenon dissipates as the day warms up.

    

    

 

George was recruited to be the cook of the day. He made a batch of csirke paprikas which was delicious as usual.

Wednesday, December 22nd:

It was a rainy day, but we did not let that deter us. We were off to the Toledo Museum of Art and the Glass Pavilion.

This is a lovely museum and I liked the openness of the displays. The descriptions of the works were clear and interesting. They have also incorporated some digital descriptions as well.

The Glass Pavilion was a bonus as it houses a display of glass works The glass objects at the Toledo Museum of Art comprise one of the most comprehensive and historically significant collections dedicated to the medium in the world. 

 We spent several hours here and enjoyed it tremendously.

On the way home we made a brief stop at Costco for a few items such as more avocados, fresh pineapple, and some meat.

Once back home we relaxed, read, checked our mail, and enjoyed a hot cup of cocoa.

In San Diego gas is $4.79!

View from the sunroom

                                               A stormy sunset

Thursday, December 23rd:

Today was spent making preparations for Christmas which is celebrated on Christmas Eve.

 A working Farm

    Pickerel Homestead

The tree was decorated, gifts were wrapped, and advanced food preparations were done. One of the items was cherry rum balls.

Klara had brought a jar of marachino cherries that had been soaking

in rum for about two years. These are then hand wrapped in a  coating of grated chocolate, walnuts, and a little bit of apricot jam. Once the ball is made it is then rolled in chocolate sprinkles. They are most delicious and a real treat.😋 And a labor of love.

At various times we all went for walks along the road.

Friday, December 24th:

My contribution to the culinary duties was to make an Apple Pie for 

Christmas Dinner, which I did this morning.

In the afternoon we visited George Bible Park, a local park which is quite small but was a nice change of pace. I took my camera and did a little photography -- 

The Christmas celebration was casual and traditional. We all sit around and one person opens a present. Then she/he picks a present for someone else to open. It is a slow process but fun and enjoyable. Baby Jesus and the Angels were quite generous.

Saturday, December 25th:

Light rain again this morning. We enjoyed a breakfast put together by Justin and Tina. It was a nice change from the usual cereal and fixing fare.

We enjoyed our traditional Christmas meal of roast turkey which George carved, creamy vegetables, homemade cranberry sauce, and finally some apple pie. It was quite the feast.

Sunday, December 26th:

I have been having a battle with my digestive system. Tina bought some Lactaid caplets to use when I eat dairy. You take one anytime you are eating something which contains dairy. I usually use lactaid milk with my cereal, I just had not even heard of these caplets. They seem to help.😋

We enjoyed browsing our new books, and gadgets. 

I again wandered about with camera looking for subject matter :

Not much traffic today so our walks went smoothly.

Monday, December 27th:

Today I got my long lens out and tried to capture some birds at the feeder as well as in a bush or two. It was another gray overcast day so the lack of light was an issue, but I enjoyed the practice. The birds were small: American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Downy Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, and a Cardinal.

(These are record shots as the light was really overcast and the feeder was definitely part of the picture.)

    Song Sparrow

       American Goldfinch

Snowy Scene

American Goldfinch

    Downy Woodpecker

    Downy Woodpecker

Tuesday, December 28th:

Another quiet day in Ohio. Wet snowy day with little desire to venture out. We did go for a walk though.

Klara was off by train early this morning. She has a long ride with a stop in Chicago to change trains. She will have about 4 hours there so she will venture into the city but remain near the train station. She will get home in two days after an overnight stay with friends in the Great Falls area where she will pick up her car.

Wednesday, December 29:

Snowy day. We also did our packing up of gear and presents.

Got a walk in between snow flurries - 2 Inches of snow fell.

    Tina's Mule: Ima

    Ring-neck Duck    

    Cardinal

    Fresh wet Snow

   Tina and Papa

 Thursday, December 30th:

Had a nice breakfast and then we were off to Detroit to start our travel back to San Diego.

In spite of the dire news of flight cancellations and delays our travel went smoothly. The flight from Detroit was on time and took us to Salt Lake City where we had a layover of about 90 minutes, before our flight to San Diego. The San Diego flight was delayed by about 30 minutes and went smoothly.

Once in San Diego we met our shuttle as directed and were home about 30 minutes later. After bringing in our bags we called our neighbor who was taking care of Sierra and then went down and had a warm welcome from her.

 

Sierra later scaled the bed and was quite comfortable and at home.

In summary this was a very relaxed trip and wonderful to see the girls, and Justin. The Christmas celebration and tradition was wonderful and we were all thankful for the safe and healthy visit.

Wish you all a healthy and happy New Year.

 

SANTA FE VISIT II

Tuesday, October 12th:

We enjoyed breakfast in Klara’s room at 0830. 

Afterwards we were off to drive the Chumayo loop which takes you North of Santa Fe and out in the country. It started to rain shortly and continued most of the day. It was not a heavy rain, but did put a bit of a damper on the day's activities. We visited a couple of galleries along the loop, as well as three weaving shops. 

                                Gallery Art

Lunch was at Rancho Chumayo Restaurant. We enjoyed the prickly pear lemonade >>

                               KLARA AND TINA

                             NANCY AND GEORGE

which was as good as I remembered it. George and I had eaten here several years ago with our good friends Pat and Janeane when we had joined them to enjoy the Santa Fe Opera. Lunch was excellent as well - George and I split a shrimp enchilada plate made with blue corn tortillas. Afterwards we visited the Ortiz Weaving Gallery and found not only some nice placemats but also some very nice jewelry. Christmas presents were purchased for all.   

 

Back in Santa Fe we had a beer with Justin and Tina in their room, before we were called out by Klara to walk a bit around town. After visiting the La Fonda Inn we returned to the hotel and enjoyed a little wine and chocolate with Klara and Tina before calling it a day.

Wednesday,October 13th:  

Breakfast at Tia Sophia’s again. I Had the Wednesday Special Breakfast: a breakfast quesadilla with bacon. An excellent choice.

We were then off to Canyon Road to browse the various galleries. Canyon Road consists of many galleries and shops, and is about ¾ of a mile in length. It was a pleasant time. Saw some different art and jewelry.—My favorites were painting in feathers and Karina’s for art and jewelry.

Bright Fall Color along Canyon Road

                          One of Many Galleries

 We reconnected at the Tea House where I had a cup of soup and a lemonade, should have gotten a hot tea or mocha as it was chilly sitting outside. 

George took off on foot to the hotel with Klara.  Tina, Justin, and I drove to Fort Marcy located strategically at the top of a hill that overlooks Santa Fe and is the site of the first fort constructed by the USA under Gen. Kearny.  It has a grand panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.

Thursday, October 14th: 

Up and off from the Hotel at 0630 to photograph morning light around the Basilica.

Basilica in Morning Light

Artists at Work

Morning Glow

It was fun to get out with the camera and do some photography. The girls worked their magic with water colors. The temperature hovered around 30˚F! We called it a morning about 0800 and enjoyed a mocha at the French Crepe and Pastry shop for a much needed warm up. Brought some pastries to the Hotel where we had breakfast in the  room.

Santa Fe Architecture

Afterwards we were off to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Ghost Ranch where Georgia O"Keeffe spent a great deal of her time which is located Northwest of Santa Fe and about 50 miles away. It was a pleasant drive and we enjoyed a little photography on  the way into the ranch area. 

    Old Cart

                          Small chapel in Abiquiu

Aging?     

 

    Rural Scene

o No sooner had I gotten out of the car and was recognized by Sandy Sparks—— a participant from our Galapagos Trip in 2018!!!! She was there with her sister but she immediately recognized me. What a small world.!!!! 

    

   Entrance area to Ghost Ranch

Again we enjoyed wandering around taking in the sights and colors, as well as the geology. Klara and Tina again set up for some watercolor painting at the Ranch site. We were there for an hour and could have spent more time but dinner reservations called. I would also have preferably been able to stay later in the day as the light would have been softer. 

I enjoyed walking around the area with my camera:

It was nice to experience what makes New Mexico Fall Color special.

Back in town we changed some clothes and headed to the La Fonda to celebrate our anniversary with dinner. We all enjoyed the meal and the setting.

                Enjoying a Delicious Dinner

On our walk back to the Hotel we found this bumper sticker on display in a shop window:

We wished that we could have purchase one, but the store was closed.

Back at the Hotel we started the packing process for tomorrow when we will take Klara to the Albuquerque Airport, and then go onto  Winslow, AZ and an evening with our good friends, Janeane and Pat.

Friday, Saturday October 15-16th:  

Les artistes went out again this morning for another wander around the Basilica. The girls again did some painting while I meandered around with my camera. The architecture in the town is very Southwestern around the square and downtown, and fun to photograph.

After a quick breakfast we were off for points West. The drive was pleasant though the truck traffic on I-40 was heavy. 

Pat and Janeane were waiting for us by the train tracks at La Posada. The La Posada is a stop on the route of the Amtrak's Southwest Chief that goes from Los Angeles to Chicago.

We enjoyed a pleasant evening with them having not seen them for a couple of months. We look forward to seeing them in San Juan Capistrano in early December.

Saturday, October 16th: 

The drive on to San Diego went smoothly, and we were home about 1800. After a quick unpacking of the car we went and picked up our dog, Sierra,

who had been staying with her breeder and family.

In summary, it was wonderful to see the girls and enjoy the sights and sounds of Santa Fe.

SANTA FE IN OCTOBER 2021

Saturday, October 9th:

 We were off to Santa Fe for a family rendezvous. This was our first family gathering since the start of the Pandemic and the restrictions in travel and visits started in March 2020. We were all vaccinated and bolstered so we ventured out.

Today our goal was the reach Winslow, AZ where we would stay at the La Posada Hotel. 

Sweet Pretzels for road 

trip breakfast

It was a long day on the road with the distance covered being about 525 miles. 

On the Road

The drive went smoothly with one 25 minute slow down on I-17 North of Phoenix. 

We enjoyed the stop at Sunset Overlook which overlooks a long valley and I can see where it could be a photo op. 

                                Arizona Poppy

                                    Sunset Valley

We Had a scenic drive through forest the last 100 miles with very little traffic. Once in Winslow we topped off the gas a little too much and did not pay attention to the auto shut off. Got it done safely though.

After checking into La Posada we went for a short walk with a stop and photo op at THE CORNER. 

      Standing on the Corner and Singing the tune

Then we went for more of a walk in the residential area. Dinner in the Turquoise Room was very good - we split an elk entree. Noise was awful though. There is nothing to dampen the noise in the room. The sound just bounces off the walls, ceiling and tile floor.

                             Halloween Decor

Sunday, October 10: 

Drove onto Santa Fe today. The drive slowed by a crash on I-25 which caused a 30 minute delay. Overcast part of the time so we could see some rain clouds and actually had a few sprinkles. Google Maps did a great job of navigating us to the Hilton on the Plaza. Checked in and got a bit of the unpacking done before the girls and Justin arrived. Soon there after we were off for a little wandering about and stretching our legs. We enjoyed a  light dinner at the Ortiz, the cafe and bar area of our hotel. I enjoyed a Quesadilla with a cold Negra Modelo. As it was still early we wandered and window shopped around the Plaza some more.

 

                               Santa Fe Plaza

Monday, October 11: 

Slept in to about 0630!  We went to breakfast at a small restaurant on San Francisco Street - Tia Sophia - and then started browsing shop around the Plaza. Found the world of David Yarrow, a fine arts photographer, at the Sorrel Sky Gallery and shop. He produces very large prints in black and white. really enjoyed his work. We got three books describing his work and his writing about taking the photos. He sets up his shoots with lots of planning a layout.

We called a rest stop for George and I about noon. Went back to the Hotel and I read most of one of the Yarrow books and then took about a half hour nap while George went for a much longer nap.

Early dinner/late lunch at the Los Magueyes, a small restaurant located on Burro Alley.

                       Entrance to Burro Alley

off of San Francisco St. The food was excellent and we were all happy with our choices.

Then off again for browsing. I was headed for the Museum of the Presidents but we revisited the Sorrel Sky Gallery to take another look at David Yarrow works! Wandered around by the city offices, and then finally back to the Hotel.

                           A Santa Fe Residence

Klara went off to do some grocery shopping for snacks and breakfast foods for the next couple of days.