We continue to enjoy life in Vermont.  2019 has been another busy year.  In addition to our outdoor activities, we both work at the local food pantry.  Heather teaches ESL and Steve volunteers at the high school in the AP computer class.  We both lead hikes for the Green Mountain Club.  January and February brought lots of snow, and we were able to do both cross country and alpine skiing as well as the occasional snowshoe hike up a mountain.

We had season passes at Sugarbush

Melissa joined us at Craftsbury VT

Snowshoeing

We had to get all of our winter sports in before March 25, when Heather was scheduled for her shoulder surgery.  It was her fourth surgery on her left shoulder, and a lot of repairs were needed.  The recovery has been slow and steady, but she is making good progress!

Post-op hike with our borrowed Lab Bea

In April we moved from our apartment of five years to a small house in a different part of Montpelier.  It was nice not to have to share the building with anyone.  Too bad Heather's shoulder didn't allow her to carry any boxes!

Our new address is 5 Charles St, Montpelier VT 05602

The high point of the year, however, was our son David's wedding to Natasha in May.  They were married near Lake Wenatchee in the Cascade Mts near Leavenworth, WA.  It was a lovely event.  Our daughter Melissa officiated.

Heather's weekly visits to rehab for her shoulder kept us close to home for the summer, which is the best time to be in Vermont.  We enjoyed hiking and swimming in local lakes.

Lake Willoughby in NE Vermont

On June 8th we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary with our Latino friends.

In September the four Bailey brothers and their spouses got together for a reunion in Cape Cod.  The sharks were active, but we managed to avoid them!

Steve and brother John

We were happy to have a visit from Dave, Natasha and Melissa in October.  We hiked Mt Mansfield and saw lots of fall foliage along the way.

November is a good time to take a break from Vermont.  The foliage is gone, the snow is not good yet, and the days are short.  It was the perfect time to explore the desert.  We rented a camper van in Las Vegas and spent two weeks in southern Utah and northern Arizona.

Our home on wheels

"White Hoodoos" near Page, AZ

White Pocket, AZ

Antelope Canyon, reached by kayak

I wonder why they call this "Yellow Rock"

We look forward to Melissa's upcoming visit over Christmas and hope we have good snow for outside adventures.

We send love and wish you health and happiness in the coming year.

Steve and Heather