The Twenties Turn Two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so we bid 2021 adieu and welcome in 2022, let's see what this year brings!

Hit And Myth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildermyth got rave reviews for being a great RPG so I gave it a shot and it just didn't click for me. Maybe it was the paper figure graphics, maybe the magic system that I didn't particularly like. To each their own!

Stockings And Crepes

 

 

 

Christmas 2021! Up to Mom and Dad's house to open stockings and have some of Dad's famous crepes!

Still Fishing For Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The table is all set for Christmas eve dinner, which of course will be salmon soup (or clam chowder if you don't like salmon like persons who shall remain anonymous.)

 Just like years past.

Double Boost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third shot's the charm. Until the fourth is recommended. Or the fifth.

Second Surrender

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They're putting on another Safe Surrender today and tomorrow. The last one was in 2015. This was was much easier because they had already wired the building, so setting everything up was very smooth. Hope it goes well!

Social But Distant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The JIS Christmas party / quarterly meeting, as distanced as possible to bring people close.

Novid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concerned by a bad cold, I make sure it's not something more serious. Thankfully not. 

More Light!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps inspired by Cheekwood, Mari added lights to several of our Christmas displays. Proving once and for all more lights is never a bad thing!

Train Gain II

 

 

Which was a huge improvement and one of the better parts of the walk.

Train Gain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In previous years they had a relatively small train area you could walk by. This year they turned it into an entire section you could walk through.

Fun With Fire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They added a make your own S'mores center this year which was a lot of fun, even for those of us who don't particularly like marshmallows.

Maintained Mansion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mansion was less lasers more up-lighting which I think made it look classier.

Tree Lighting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up close with one of the illuminated trees.

Star Stroll IV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the effect of walking in the sea of Christmas lights.

Star Stroll III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though this is yet another of those occasions where pictures can't truly capture the essence of the moment.

Star Stroll II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking in the lights.

Star Stroll

 

 

 

The drinks were warm (I swear I tasted peanut butter!) and the weather perfect for wandering the meandering paths.

Near Deer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reindeer enclosure is up near the entrance now and much bigger so that's nice for our flying friends.

Night Light

 

 

We hit Cheekwood's Holiday Light display every few years, since our first visit in 2016. It usually doesn't change much but this year they're redone several spots.

 

WOTM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best stretch of the year, that Thanksgiving to New Years holiday haze!

English Excellence II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also love their packaging with the whale, hot air balloon, birds and clouds.

English Excellence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett's Mix is awesome. Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia is awesome. But Fortnum and Mason Salted Caramel Biscuits might just be the best treat I've ever eaten. First discovered on our 2017 tour of Europe, we've gotten them a few times since but they aren't a tradition. Maybe they need to become one! 

XMas XPlodes II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If that isn't Christmas I don't know what is!

XMas XPlodes I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By rule of law, Christmas decoration must start no earlier and no later than the day after Thanksgiving. And so the law has been respected. After many days of work, the results are some of the best yet.

Silver Plated Celebration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bounty of flowers to celebrate 23 years of wedded bliss.

Christmas Comes Popping In

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh yes, one the best Christmas traditions has arrived and is better than ever. Chicago Style Garrett's Mix popcorn.

No Fowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps not the most photogenic turkeys, but one of the best we've had!

Turkey Trappings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mari always puts out a beautiful spread.

Puzzling Behavior XIV

 

 

 

We had to admit defeat on this one. All of the remaining pieces were basically the same color with no distinguishing features and it was getting to be more tedious than fun. So back into the box it goes and on to the next one.

Going Up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ascent is a third person shooter set in a cyberpunk world. The combat got a little repetitive, but the scenery was gorgeous and the story was surprisingly good so I'd call it a winner.

Please Stand By

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I updated my Fallout lock screen background too. Really loving the new phone, it lives up to the hype!

Going Pro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After almost 6 years my trusty Samsung Galaxy S7 finally started to let me down, so it was time to move on. Enter the shiny new Pixel 6 Pro in Cloudy White. I was picky on the color since it will be in a case for most of it's life.

The Third Hit's A Charm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've really enjoyed the Hitman series. This is the third and final of this story line and it was just as good as the other two. Not sure where it goes from here, a reboot possibly but I'll be keeping an eye out.

Let's Get Kraken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An early Christmas gift from Casie and John, a Seattle Kraken jersey! Love it.

Wired

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bunker no Archie.

Ochenta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We headed to Dos Margaritas tonight for a surprise party honoring the 80th birthday of (retired) work friend Vivian.

Creedish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I put a lot of time into Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, but in the end didn't think if was one of the stronger entries in this long running series. The story was really disjointed and the ending was abrupt and confusing. 

Looking back I've played a lot of AC.

Odyssey

Origins

Syndicate 

Black Flag

Brotherhood  

And that's just the ones I can find, I know there's been at least two others.

Local Color

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little leaf peeping closer to home.

Magnolia Memorial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our puppy memorial tree now has proper remembrance stones for Tara and Mystic.

WOTM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heading towards the end of the year.

Distant Distribution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeating last years safe distancing we set the table up and greeted the costumed customers from afar again.

Squashing Halloween

 

 

 

An early dinner with the folks before trick or treating begins.

Monarch Of The Bush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two pretty visitors to the butterfly bush.

New England Trip Summary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

Day Eight

Day Nine

The Tour Guides

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm adding this picture after the fact because it was provided by someone else from the tour, but here is a better picture of our guides. From left to right Xavier the driver, Howie the wellness director, and Gary the tour director.

The New England Crew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A group photo of the people we toured with, as well as Gary and Howie in the front.

A Guide To Peeping

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A neat guide to the different leaves that Gary handed out.

Southwhat?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found out the morning we were going home that Southwest had cancelled our flight. It turned out that Southwest had been cancelling hundreds of flights because of "a weather issue in Florida." This is still up for debate since nobody else seemed to have this issue. They cancelled so many flights over so many days it made major headlines. Luckily for us our travel agent Tracy was able to get us out. We had to bounce through JFK in New York (seen here) and it took four hours longer than our cancelled direct flight, but we still made it home which was more than many could say.

Space Light

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then another brief stop at the Cape Neddick Light, otherwise known as the Nubble Lighthouse because it was built on a little patch of land known as Nubble Island. Constructed in 1879 it is considered an American icon and "classic example of a lighthouse." So much so that the Nubble Lighthouse was among the pictures chosen to put on the Voyager spacecraft.