Season's Greetings

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2006

 

2006 was quite a busy year for us up to October, when we collapsed at home in Spruce Creek, and where we are still recovering.

If you click on any of the underlines it will take you to a photo album on flickr which may have a handful or a hundred photos. (I don't think you have to log into flickr to see my photos, but if you do it is free). Clicking on a photo will give you a larger version of just that one.
     
 

January

  
GDisneyIMG_1015.jpg (136805 bytes) Graham and family came. 

They of course went to Disney, (without us); 

and we all went to Homosassa Park

GHomosassaIMG_1138.jpg (140812 bytes)
     
 

February

  
HarvardIMG_1193.jpg (68865 bytes) Peter got to fly in a Harvard again, the first time since 1953

Harvard2IMG_1196.jpg (81038 bytes)
     
 

March

  
RickKayakIMG_1259.jpg (168768 bytes) Rick McCharles came to stay and we went kayaking 

and mountain biking

RickBikeIMG_1288.jpg (170204 bytes)
SausageIMG_1338.jpg (102452 bytes) With Doug and Carol Kenudson we made sausages  

and went to the Kanapaha Garden festival

 kanapahaIMG_1343.jpg (147909 bytes)
     
 

April

  
SUnFunIMG_1383.jpg (87851 bytes) We went to the EAA Sun 'N Fun fly in at Lakeland.

Then Warren, Sandy and Keiran descended for a hectic 10 days

I have put perhaps 5 percent of Warren's photos on flickr, just to give you a taste.

 SpruceP1100421resize.jpg (87625 bytes)
     
SilverIMGP0421.jpg (116005 bytes) We kayaked the Silver River, 

saw an Atlas rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center, 

Atlas06.jpg (31186 bytes)
KenudIMGP0671.jpg (145377 bytes) Visited the Kenudsons.  Warren had last seen them in 1966, when we left for Thailand

and went with Doug & Carol to the Butterfly Rainforest

ButterflyP1090965.jpg (139968 bytes)
GatorP1100691.jpg (106744 bytes) went to Gatorland, 

and Swam with Manatees. 

Warren, Sandy and Keiran did lots more stuff too which we opted out of.

 ManateesIMGP1087.jpg (46269 bytes)
     
 

May

  
Paris4201StMichelresize.jpg (134335 bytes) On May 1, we left Orlando for Paris. We stayed with Doug & Carol in an apartment they had rented, dating from the 1600s, in the Latin Quarter. We had an intensive 10 days seeing tourist sights together.

                We also visited Jacques & Blandine. Peter had exchanged holidays with Jacques 60 years ago in 1946!

 JacquesIMG_1579.jpg (102443 bytes)
AnneIMG_1673.jpg (147587 bytes) We spent 10 days in England, 

at Ramsbury with Anne,                                 

in Cornwall, where we also visited the Eden Project 

 PolperroIMG_1737.jpg (86251 bytes)
DonIMG_1800.jpg (145367 bytes) in Yorkshire with Don & family, 

      and Wroughton with Colin & Shirley

 ColinIMG_1839.jpg (140997 bytes)
AshesIMG_1849.jpg (66836 bytes) We scattered Pelly's (Peter's father) ashes on Barbury Castle to join those of his wife, Gwen

Finally we met with Peter's school group, which had exchanged holidays with pupils in France in 1946, after 60 years

 Commonweal20060521_2003.jpg (99266 bytes)
     
 

June

  
Rain06-16 Texas 002.jpg (85554 bytes) A couple of weeks later, we packed the trailer and took off for Los Angeles, mostly along I 75, I10 and I8. Louisiana was depressing, nothing done in a year after Katrina;  pouring with rain near Houston in Texas with floods after we left,

and hot in  New Mexico and Arizona

 Hot06-18 New Mexico 009.jpg (53953 bytes)
SanJ2006-06-25 Mount San Jacinto 034.jpg (134115 bytes) We stopped in San Diego, then went on to Anaheim, near Alison and family in Irvine. We spent a week there, hiking on Mount San Jacinto, 

walking on Turtle Rock near Alison's house, 

 Turtle2006-06-26 Turtle Rock 04.jpg (135884 bytes)
Newport2006-06-28 Newport Beach 08.jpg (61898 bytes) and on Newport Beach.

 

                                     Then we started up I5 to the north, taking a day out to visit Zion National Park in Utah. 

 Zion2006-06-30 Mount Zion 005.jpg (160559 bytes)
Mont3Montana 1.jpg (85513 bytes) We thought Utah was much pleasanter landscape than we had expected. 

Idaho had acres of potatoes. 

                Great Falls, Montana., had a big Lewis & Clark museum.

 Great Falls 003.jpg (87526 bytes)
     
 

July

  
WHouseIMGP2448.jpg (73938 bytes) We crossed into Alberta, and spent a night at Medicine Hat. Thursday 6 July we arrived at Warren's house in Saskatoon and the next day we all went on to our cottage on Emma Lake north of Prince Albert. We had to cut a few branches to get the trailer in, just before weekend guests arrived.  EmmaIMGP2482.jpg (112329 bytes)
Dinner2Imgp2584.jpg (44675 bytes) At Emma, it was quiet during the week, but there was usually a crowd during the weekend, which was nice because they cooked gourmet meals and cleaned up too. Bill & Joan were welcome guests on many weekends and more than pulled their weight dans la cuisine   Gourmet7-15-2006 6-45-12 PM_0015.jpg (113988 bytes)

Hiking7-16-2006 2-16-59 PM_0089.jpg (192011 bytes)

 Sailing was the main event, but all summer Warren also organized everyone to go hiking and biking BikingIMGP4843.jpg (180816 bytes)
     

Bonfire7-22-2006 9-42-34 PM_0403.jpg (66894 bytes)

 Alison, Albert, Katrina, Jeffrey and Christopher (The Lindens) arrived on July 22. They immediately jumped in the lake. Sandy had set up torches on the beach, and we had a roaring bonfire that evening.

The next week was spent at the lake; here are 429 more pictures

Katrina7-23-2006 6-56-16 PM_0365.jpg (102926 bytes)
     
 

August

  
JoyceOHaraIMG_2305.jpg (147369 bytes) Bill and Warren had arranged a hiking holiday in the Rockies. 

We stayed at Lake Louise for a week, including a day hiking at Lake O'Hara,  

 PeterOHaraIMG_2317.jpg (120883 bytes)
Spiral20060731Lake Louise 002.jpg (70660 bytes) We made a day trip to the Spiral Tunnels, where we were lucky to see a CPR steamer puffing up the grade. He had a diesel tucked in behind to give him some help. (This is a still from a 2 minute movie you can see on Google Video at http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-6437730874767848674&hl=en-CA  There is another clip of the train passing beneath us entering the tunnel at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5777479956249946159&hl=en 

We made another trip up the Ice Fields Highway to the Athabasca Glacier

 

 AlisonIceIMG_2337.jpg (111247 bytes)
Dinosaurs 002.jpg (104188 bytes) On the way home we stopped in Drumheller and visited the Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum

Then, back to the cottage and into our usual routine of quiet weeks and hectic weekends.

 Dinosaurs 006.jpg (93808 bytes)
     
 

September

  
SailLborPeter 004.jpg (89469 bytes) The weather was still nice at the beginning of September, and Joyce and Peter did some walking and canoeing at Emma, plus sailing with Warren and the crew at weekends.

Brent came and worked his magic with his trademark barbecued spareribs cooked very slowly for several hours

 Brent9-2-2006 11-57-04 AM_0060.jpg (99238 bytes)
Labor9-2-2006 9-16-45 PM_0145.jpg (48005 bytes) Summer is short in Saskatchewan. We wrapped up to sit on the dock and watch the Labor Day fireworks.

Warren galvanized everyone to go on several more mountain bike trips on the Anglin and Fish Lake trails in Prince Albert National Park.

By September 10 the weather was getting cold and we took the dock out of the water so that Warren would not have to do this later when it was freezing

 IMGP5076.jpg (87986 bytes)
FogPeter 007.jpg (55573 bytes) There was an icy fog on September 19 and we went for a last hike to Anglin Lake AnglinPeter 010.jpg (148405 bytes)
Peter 008_2.jpg (39227 bytes) It was time to leave

By the 24th we were in Kansas, on the Missouri, and 30 degrees warmer

 KansasPeter3 001.jpg (48887 bytes)
     
 

October, November 

  
JunglePeter3 028.jpg (147539 bytes) October and November have been a blur. We returned to Spruce Creek to find the garden an overgrown jungle. It took days to unpack and park the trailer and to open up the house. We are still hacking away at the jungle ("Judiciously" says Joyce). Back into our exercise routine and trying to recover from a 3-month layoff. We have a long "To Do" list we are slowly working through; stuff like servicing cars and refinishing outdoor furniture, but have caught up with doctors, dentists and optometrists. Joyce cannot resist buying more flowers, which we then have to get around to planting. ParadisePeter4 119.jpg (110623 bytes)
     
 

December

  

So here we are in December and it is time to write the Xmas newsletter.

We hope this finds you well and happy. We look forward to hearing from you. Our co-ordinates are: 9385 SE 125th Street, Summerfield, Florida, 34491, USA. Telephone (352) 307 2705. But the best way to talk to us is by E-mail to peter.long@longsworld.net

Happy Solstice.

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