This year brought a range of emotions: hopefulness, exhilaration, and challenges; along with forgiveness and letting go of judgments (myself and others). The early part of the year started with a health challenge but is ending with joy and healthy promise.
I’ve been exploring creative outlets—nature journaling, handmade books, embroidery and, after 50 years, I’m weaving again.
It’s all fun, comforting and helping bring some peace.
We enjoyed a wonderful spring, replenishing and enjoying our gardens in their full beautiful color, with wildflowers, bulbs, cactus flower displays and veggies!
I was grateful for some much-needed stillness and tranquility. It was also nice to appreciate our home without having to prepare for being away in Yellowstone for almost six months. We spent many years living in Yellowstone—and loved it!—but it has been nice being home—even through one of the longest and hottest summers in quite awhile.
A road trip in April took us to Texas for the solar eclipse. On the way, we spent a few days with my youngest brother and his family, and then visited the beautiful hill country on the way up to Austin for a few days to watch the eclipse. Such beautiful wildflowers all along the trip; great fun. 
The actual eclipse day was beautiful, even though somewhat overcast. But nonetheless wonderful viewing. The previous eclipse we were able to watch was while working in Yellowstone and it, of course, was just as incredible.
After Austin and the eclipse we headed south and visited with my youngest niece on our way to San Antonio where we stayed right on the River Walk for a few days. While there we had a great reconnection with my high school best friend and her husband.
On our way home we stayed a few days near Carlsbad Caverns. What a fascinating place! 
This is our 17th year volunteering as Sunday Docents at the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) and springtime at the Garden was pretty spectacular.
In May we took my sister and brother-in-law to the Mesa Arts Center to see Doug Smith who brought the wolves back to Yellowstone in the 1990s. It was great to see him again and have a chance for them to hear Doug’s inspiring talk.
The end of May we attended the Arizona Game & Fish Department’s banding of bats. It was great fun.
We also had a chance to leave the heat of the Phoenix area and get away to higher elevations to enjoy time with my sister and brother-in-law at their home in Sedona.
To also be with a wonderful Yellowstone friend who is now a State Park Ranger at Tonto Natural Bridge
and to spend time with dear DBG friends at their place in the high country as well (along with some great bird watching).
July brought a one-month long trip, beginning with a two-night stay in Ely, Nevada, and finally being able to take their train ride, pulled by a steam locomotive, up into the hills. 
We discovered the Ely train and museum in the early days of heading north on our way to work in Yellowstone. But we’ve never ridden the train as our stay has always been in early spring before the train started up for the season. This time though we visited in summer (when the train is running again after their winter hiatus). We were not only finally able to ride the train but before heading back into the station we stopped for an incredible fireworks display on July 4th!
After leaving Boise-area family, eventually making our way to Yellowstone, we first headed up into the mountains to visit McCall, Idaho, for a week-long stay at a timeshare we hadn’t taken advantage of for almost 10 years as we’ve been working summers in Yellowstone. It was a lovely time and beautiful weather. We also visited with a couple of friends from Yellowstone who now live and work in McCall. It was great to reconnect.
From McCall we made our way to Yellowstone for 10 days visiting our family of friends there and to enjoy the Park. Not to work; just to play and enjoy reconnecting with everyone.
After leaving Yellowstone, we went south down through Grand Teton National Park . . .
and eventually revisited the massively large aspen forest of “Pando.” The aspens at Pando are one great big living organism. It is an incredible place and quite beautiful. 
We then continued on to Bryce Canyon National Park, staying with two more Yellowstone friends working the summer at the Canyon. I was reminded what a beautiful place Bryce is—I hadn’t been there since the 70s. It was of course pretty spectacular.
In September we flew out to Illinois and had a fun visit Steve’s family, taking advantage of our time there to visit Morton Arboretum.
October brought cooler nights at home and new beauties in our garden, and then cooler days brought a chance to once again clean up our gardens and patio and enjoy being outside.
October also brought a new fall season at our “other garden,” the Desert Botanical Garden, with this year’s exhibit of “Light Bloom.” It was fun to reconnect with DBG friends that we hadn’t seen much of through the summer.
November was a fun birthday celebration month (77 years young!) and Thanksgiving. We enjoyed another one of Steve’s delicious turkeys and lots of leftovers. We also helped an “army” of DBG volunteers prepare for the start of Las Noches De Las Luminaria (The Nights of the Luminaries) by bringing out of storage and cleaning up almost 8,000 Luminaria bags, putting candles in the bags, and getting them placed around the Garden. Then Friday after Thanksgiving we helped light the candles on the first night of this special Luminaria season. It is so festive and this year is especially beautiful with the “Light Bloom” exhibit at night. So spectacular.
December we brought out holiday decorations
and my sister and her husband joined us to attend Luminaria as members.
It was a magical evening.
This year we’ve enjoyed wonderful trips to visit family, had great get-togethers and reconnections with many friends and, of course, more beautiful early-morning walks along the Salt River.
Now, as we come to the end of another year on the planet and head into our 15th year together, we are grateful for our lives together. Blessings to all and Happy Holidays!
And the cactus! Really showing off their beauty . . .
It’s spring in Arizona! May you enjoy your spring.
Halfway through another wonderful summer in Yellowstone. Enjoying time to relax on some days off, but fun times with folks on our tours too.
Creating these movies over the years has always been a wonderful way to begin getting ready for our return.
Our sweet little tree house, the Safari, was cozy and nestled “Among the Trees.”
We left Ohio for Chicago and, while there, visited the Morton Arboretum and their Human+Nature exhibit. Exquisite!
Once back home in Arizona, we headed up to Sedona for another very special birthday present . . . a hot air balloon ride. Another dream I’ve had for many years finally accomplished!
