A year ago, Tania and I were enjoying boiled peanuts while delivering a free Cadillac to my mom in Florida. Things got even weirder and (often) more wonderful in 2016. Sometimes it got so exciting that I took pictures.
Click on the first photo to start the slide show. Order is left to right, top to bottom.
It isn’t easy to grow okra in Ithaca NY, but I’m getting better at it. Franklin Crawford took this shot in our garden.
Emma is a second-year MD resident in internal medicine and pediatrics in Philadelphia. Tania is an avid bicyclist anywhere. We spent one of her rare days off on the city’s bike paths.
Will is Director of Analytics at Major League Baseball’s web division. He lives with Zoe Shea, an attorney, and Eloise, their CEO. Here we are on St. Regis Mountain in the Adirondacks. And now, the year in review:
JANUARY: Emma lives with Ayyappan “Pan” Venkatraman (center, with thumbs up), an MD resident in psychiatry. The others were just visiting for her birthday.
For us, 2016 was a year of recovery while dealing with the estates of Tania’s parents. It was comforting to visit the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY on (Russian) Christmas Day.
All year, we delivered carloads of Russian stuff and Werbizky household goods to Jordanville. After our last visit, the grateful monks gave us a “small” loaf of bread.
FEBRUARY: Cross-country skiing in glamorous Tug Hill, NY is a sure-fire way to kill sadness. The bar isn’t.
MARCH: The first road trip of the year took us from Tucson to Santa Fe. We stopped at Petrified Forest Natl Park to ruminate about Deep Time.This tree fell about 225 million years ago.
At Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in Jemez Springs, NM.
Tania reunited with high school pal Susan McDuffie in Santa Fe.
Our NM hosts were dear friends Migue Dozier and Lynne Lucero.
At Ghost Ranch near Taos, NM.
APRIL: Will turned 30 this year. His colleague Damien Eckert snuck me into his office and I ambushed him in front of his staff. He loved/hated it.
My musical highlight of a strong concert year was Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs, and Sharon White at the State Theater in Ithaca. All songs pre-1965. (Tania’s was Bryan Ferry in Boston with dear friend Jon Crispin).
MAY: Back in Florida, we rode the Shark Valley bike loop to look for alligators.
It was a hot day, so we found just one.
JUNE: As the president emeritus of Historic Ithaca, Tania helped organize a float and squad to march in the annual Ithaca Festival parade.
JUNE: Emma in Norristown, PA (see #2, above).
Edmondson family reunion at Brad’s house: (l-r) Meredith, Melissa, Caitlin, Nolan, Mike, and Brad (back). Jennifer took the picture while Tania bused the table.
JULY: Upper St. Regis Lake, Adirondack Park, NY (see #3 above).
Basking at “Frog Island” in the St.Regis Canoe Area.
The aforementioned frog.
AUGUST: Evening”cat walks” are a favorite neighborhood pasttime.
We went to Ottawa for our 15th wedding anniversary and rode world-class bike trails, stopping at Champlain Lookout in Gatineau Park.
Outside a Portugese bakery in Ottawa.
SEPTEMBER: (l-r) Jennifer, Caitlin, Nolan, and Mike Edmondson at Nolan’s wedding.
At dear friend Paul Michelsen’s annual “tomato tasting” in Potter Valley, CA.
The redwoods at Montgomery Woods State Reserve are among the tallest in the world.
The Fall Creek Brass Band plays Tioga Street on Porchfest Sunday in Ithaca.
OCTOBER: I spent the fall doing oral history interviews with members of Cornell’s Class of 1956. The trophy is theirs. The cauliflower is mine.
Old pal Pete Carroll did the camera, lights, and sound for the interviews. We’re at Mesa Taco in Costa Mesa, CA.
NOVEMBER: Tania speaks at the 50th anniversary of Cornell’s historic preservation program. She was in the inaugural class.
The Preservation League of NYS, Tania’s employer through 2014, held its annual gala to honor “pillars” in the Rainbow Room. She’s a 2015 pillar. I’m arm candy.
On election day, we went door-to-door in Scranton with these unnamed folks to get out the vote. We were in the right place at the right time, but it wasn’t enough.
The election was a major bummer, so we went for a walk in Connecticut Hill State Forest.
DECEMBER: Cleaning out and selling the Werbizky homestead was a long, difficult, sad job. But we got ‘er done.
Saying goodbye to a family home is really hard, so we went back to Brad’s homestead in Florida. Here’s how we looked on Day One.
Nothing kills grief better than hiking to Deep Hole at Myakka River State Park,
or maybe reviewing baby goats at Edmondson Farm with farmer Brian.
After a few days at Casperson’s Beach, Tania felt much better.
Ooof! That was quite a climb (at Ghost Ranch). Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everybody!
A year ago, Tania and I were enjoying boiled peanuts while delivering a free Cadillac to my mom in Florida. Things got even weirder and (often) more wonderful in 2016. Sometimes it got so exciting that I took pictures.
