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Holiday Letter - Our 2007 This year, our fourth in Birch Bay, was the most active since we left San Francisco. The high points – the highest in our 15 years together – came during our nine-week visit to New Zealand and Australia in the spring.
Splitting the time between the two countries, we visited 12 places in New Zealand, focusing on outdoor activities, kayaking and hiking. What we remember best is paddling in Milford Sound on a foggy, rainy day that was beautiful. But then there were Queenstown, the Marlborough Sounds, and, oh yes, the Tasman Sea.
In Australia we concentrated on four places: Ø Tasmania, hiking the Freycinet Peninsula; Ø The tropical northern coast and Great Barrier Reef where the vegetation and wildlife, as well as the snorkeling, were as good as advertised; Ø Uluru, the sacred rock in the red center, where we met aboriginal people; Ø Melbourne, a sophisticated city that we enjoyed very much. Click here for a picture report of the full week we spent in this city. Thirty-nine of 83 nights we stayed in hostels that added dimensions to our experience. ‘Making Friends While Saving Money’ is the title of an article we hope to publish next year. Back home in May – too late to make our garden
worthwhile – we vowed to explore our own Northwest as well as we had
expe Meanwhile, we continue to work with groups restoring salmon to our creeks, growing trees to shade those fish, and monitoring the eagle and heron populations. In family news, Ruth’s granddaughter Mackenzie, a freshman at Emerson College, located on the Boston Common, is studying theater arts. Her brother, Ryder, started to shave on his 14th birthday. The business their parents started three years ago is booming. See www.wonderfulgraffiti.com We wish all a happy holiday season and great joy in the coming year.
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rienced “down under.” After trips to San Francisco for a friend’s
wedding shower and ceremony, and to Bexley for a granddaughter’s
graduation, we made a brief camping trip to the Mt. Baker area with
friends. It was easy to recognize why our corner of Washington is so
popular with travelers from other parts of the U.S. and the world. And
2008 will take us to even more of the region.