January: The Nederland Library board, fire department, Chamber/Visitors Center, and the Aging Services Foundation continued to be groups we worked with in 2002; Ken Andrews visited on his way home to Atlanta from a ski trip to Vail; Judy and I drove to Elko (NV) for our first time at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a wonderful mix of cowboy poets (e.g., Baxter Black, Waddie Mitchell, et al.) and musicians (Ian Tyson, Tom Russell, Don Edwards, et al.) who entertained for three days; Judy X-country skied and snowshoed, though our snow throughout the winter was generally poor and our drought and fire danger continued to increase.

February: We spent a relaxing and warm week in Puerto Vallarta with Dan and Debra and our grandchildren where we swam, played bingo near the beach, ate wonderful seafood, and shopped; we continued to enjoy our different book clubs (Hughes’ Mystery Book Club meets locally, and Judy’s group read real “lit-er-a-ture” in Boulder).

March: A watershed month for us both: Judy’s birthday ended with a zero so she enjoyed a surprise birthday party with neighborhood friends; Hughes received his first Social Security check (precious little, but better than a poke in the eye); Hughes raised nearly $1,400 for the library from folks anxious to see him do the “Polar Plunge” during Frozen Dead Guy Days; work began in earnest to campaign for a new Library District.

April: Saw the IMax film “Kilimanjaro” in anticipation of our climb this summer; a week of hiking, biking, and relaxing in Sedona (AZ) convinced us that this is an ideal spring or fall destination for us every year; we traveled through the Petrified Forest, Moab, and US 66 on the way. Details of the trip can be found elsewhere.

May: Judy won age group in the Bolder-Boulder for 11th straight time; we flew to Milton to stay with Griffin and Julia while Dan and Debra visited Ireland; both kids are very involved with baseball, piano lessons, dance (Julia), lacrosse (Griffin); we began planning, packing, preparing (medically) for Tanzania trip in July.

June: The calendar filled with meetings nearly every day and some even on weekends—we began to feel not-retired, so we set aside a day a week to hike (both to get in shape for Kilimanjaro and to have a day to ourselves); we took a short camping trip to Red Feather Lakes (north and west of Ft. Collins) to bike, hike, catch a fish dinner or two, and read.

July and August: Michael and Hughes played in the Barker Dam Brass Band on July 4th; we left on July 15 for Tanzania with eleven other Boulder County folks for a summit climb to Kilimanjaro, safari to the Serengeti, and relaxing (and diving) on Zanzibar; returned in August with over 700 photos, loads of souvenirs, and great memories; we hosted neighborhood dinner group with a Zanzibar meal; continued weekly hikes; Hedy Bressler stopped on her way home to Florida after visiting her son in Vail.

September: The new $1.8 million fire station was dedicated, Judy was present for placing of cornerstone; petition to get Library District on ballot got county commissioners OK, campaign in full swing; we returned to the Scottish-Irish Festival in Estes Park for the first time in many years—still good fun; Judy won her age group again in the Neder-Nederland 5K; played hooky with a four-day trip to Angel Fire and Taos (NM); saw the IMax “Kilimanjaro” film again just to see if they got it right (they almost did); flew to Washington for our annual reunion with Judy’s high school girl friends (left to right: Pat, Irene, and Judy) and spouses—Port Angeles (WA), Olympic NP, Victoria, BC, and Lake Quinault on the south end of Olympic NP—they’re great folks to see each year.

October: The aspen were golden and glorious this year; Judy began a series of tests and therapies for what was finally diagnosed as a stress fracture in pelvis (plus related muscle and joint issues); no single cause, but the races and the Kilimanjaro climb would have been more comfortable if problems had been discovered and healed back in April! Hughes announced his resignation from Library Board effective the day before the November elections (cutting back there to give more time to the Aging Services Foundation which he heads).

November: The Library District passed by a big margin (Nederland no longer is among 3% of communities in country without a library); we took a “reward” week in Breckenridge to relax—snowshoed on great snow, watched movies (8), read (at least 13 books between us), and ate out; we hosted Thanksgiving with Judy’s friend Betsy (on left) and Michael and Cindy’s neighbor Jeannie (in red sweater) joining us for the holiday; saw an adventure travel program on Thailand, but decided it was so “tame” we’d wait until we got old to go.

December: Things seem to slow down every December: fewer meetings, holiday shopping almost done by now; social calendar fills; it’s a month for reflecting and enjoying our friends and thinking about those who are not here. A phone call yesterday out of the blue from a Toledo friend reminded us of how many folks whose friendships have been important to us. This holiday greeting is our way of saying thank you for continuing to share your friendship with us. Along with Michael and Cindy, we wish you