Friday, January 1, 2016

Farewell 2015, Welcome 2016

Each year seems to pass more quickly than the last.  I still give my head a shake when I hear people refer to 'mid century antique' and find they are referring to the nineteen fifties, not the century before that. Guess I'm just a mid century antique now.

The past year brought many joys and new experiences and a few new skills.  I think my photography improved somewhat, and I learned how to play with photo editing programs to correct problems or create something new.

Owl at Nanoose Bay




Avatar, my friend's horse

Eagle in tree
With added effects

I did lots of hiking and exploring, some in new terrain, some with Elder College, some with friends and family.  I added Thetis Island,  Holland Creek Park, Mt Tzouhalem, and Glenora Trail Head Park to my list of nearby places to hike. I travelled to Tofino and Gabriola and Parksville, and to the mainland and up to Lillooet.

Chesterman Beach

Surfer Boy
Tofino


Fire on trip from Lillooet

Mountain goat
Lillooet trip


I horsesat Boo and Magic, and dog sat Lexi, Cosmo, and Bessie.  And I welcomed RASTA, a farm animal sanctuary, to my neck of the woods island.

Boo

Cosmo


Tango and Romeo
at RASTA


Oh, and I blogged every day for the whole friggin' month of November.  Now THAT'S an accomplishment.

But it was also a year of sorrow.  Friends were widowed, lost beloved pets, or moved away. The sanctuary lost 13 potbellied pigs to an unknown cause, and also said goodbye to Wilbur the big pig and to Rusty the Rooster.

Wilbur


And I said goodbye to two of my three dogs, as both Shiloh and my little hiking buddy Eddie passed away Easter weekend.  Things around here have been pretty quiet ever since.




What will the new year bring?  Who knows?  But I hope it includes more time with animals, more hikes, more photography, more time with family and friends.

And me!  More time with me!


We ended the year with a bang here - an earthquake.  May the new year bring a tsunami of joy, of peace, of compassion and goodness, of adventure and stewardship and inner strength and hope.

Happy New Year, dear readers.  May 2016 be kind to you.

6 comments:

CarolineA said...

Happy New Year Jean and Mitzi and Allie.
I hope we get to share 2016 with you on your blog, while we can't expect you to blog every day (oh gosh I'd love it if you did), taking us on your hikes and showing us sunrises and sunsets is such an amazing treat!

Happy 2016! Go get your boots dirty, your heart full and your soul soaring

Marie said...

Happy New Year to you as well! It was great to review the past year in this posting, some happy memories and some sad ones.
I hope that 2016 brings us all many more happy ones, all the best from Sparkle and I.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful pictures of old and gone friends and new ones. Happy New year and I hope 2016 will be a happy one.

Else

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Jean, Mitzi and oh alright, Allie.....May 2016 be filled with lots of adventures, photography, and just plain fun stress free days.....M
arf arf, woof woof, bark bark say Tarben, Chi Ki & the Huli (they send kissy faces)

Mark said...

Happy New Year Jean and Critters. We are looking forward to reading of more of your adventures in 2016, Hope to get to visit with you again this year somewhere.

Love Mark, Del & the Royals

Sheryl said...

Happy New Year, Jean, Mitzi and Allie.