Home for the Holidays

Our three weeks back home were expectedly full of holiday cheer and manic busy-ness, starting with the Network-IT holiday dinner and ending with New Year's Eve. Christmas shopping, getting and decorating a tree, hanging twinkle lights in the eaves, going to dinner with friends, ice skating, mountain biking, downhill skiing, and time with family were all cosily nestled into our available time. We also had a good, proper snowfall to dig out of, arriving just too late for a white Christmas, but early enough to enjoy before departing once more on our epic journey.

It felt weird for me to leave knowing that I might not be home again for 10 or 11 months, and that I'd be trusting all of the care and maintenance of my house to others. My boat will not touch water this season; my mower & 'tiller will not roar to life; my gardens and plantings will not get weeded or pruned. But lots of other, new, exciting adventures will be had, exploring storied places such as New Orleans, San Fransisco and Seattle, The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Moab. While someone else shovels my driveway I'll be wandering the French Quarter in search of the perfect Creole restaurant. While someone else watches the magnolia bloom I'll be riding the slickrock trails of Moab. While someone else mows my grass I'll be hiking in Yellowstone. While someone else rakes my leaves I'll be surveying the tortured landscape of the Badlands. Not a bad tradeoff, really!

So, here we are, back in South Carolina, having found The Whale just as we'd left her, with no water or ice damage, and all systems ready to go. Tomorrow we head south in search of a few more degrees of warmth before heading westward.

Here are some images from our time back home:

Toby Clause:
Scott shows off his hockey gear and stance on our pond (best ice in years!):


Toby tows Nancy across the ice:


Athena, Matthew and Gene at Jiminy Peak (Austin was shredding a different trail):

Scott, Mike, Nancy, Matthew, Derik & Lillian on Christmas morning:


Kinsey cheerfully models her new coat:


The whole crew for Christmas dinner = Nancy, Derik, Laurel, Scott, Dakota, Greta, George, Alistair, Charles, Brittany, Kristin, Mike & Lillian:


New Year's Eve at the Shirley's = Todd, John, George, Marilyn, Matthew, Nancy, Greta:


Happy New Year!