GREETINGS JANUARY 2022
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In last year's newsletter ..... Another action-packed year is behind us - well, not really. Compared with other years, we didn't do much, probably not unlike many of you. We are thankful to be retired and healthy. But here are some of the goings-on chez van Hecke. As usual, all pictures are clickable, and there are some surprises. | ||||||
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Our longtime neighbors, John and Laura, moved to Colorado to be closer to
their daughter, Anna. Anna has been one of Saskia's closest friends since
they were 4. So that makes 30 years of close frienship. Anna lives in Denver
and had a beautiful baby this past January. The tug of being grandparents,
as well as wanting to be closer to the 14ers of Colorado was too strong for
them to not heed it. Now we just have to visit them in Buena Vista, CO, and
chat by phone in between visits. Niels and Tyko also live in CO so we get
to see them when we travel to Colorado.
← The last of many loads
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| A new treasure of a hike that we discovered (along with many other locals seeking the outdoors as therapy during the pandemic) was Nambe Badlands. Surprisingly, we had not known about this area until now. It is northeast of Santa Fe, and not far. We've always been intrigued by the rock formations located near the Nambe Pueblo and got to see them up close. It's a few-hour hike and totally worth the effort.
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This past March we were finally able to visit Saskia and Andrew in Tucson.
We traveled by car and were able to take scenic routes rather than the
interstate, which has lost what little charm it ever had after so many trips
south to visit them. We drove past the
Very Large Array,
the site of
about 27 telescopes that was also the setting for the movie "Contact." We
didn't see any aliens there and the buildings were closed to visitors, but
the VLA is always an impressive sight.
← At the Biospere-2 glass pyramid
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In May, we were able to visit Buena Vista and Denver. It was wonderful to
hug Niels and Tyko in person and to visit John and Laura in their new
mountain
home. Being able to travel gave us a sense that we could connect with
loved ones and share time together. What a relief after 2020!
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Father's Day weekend found us bound for Antonito, CO, to ride the geology
train on the Cumbres and Toltec historic narrow-gauge railroad.
The train always has a crew of
docents to explain features of the train and answer questions. But the
geology train is special because all of the docents are geologists, and the
train stops at points of interest along the route. At some of these the
group is allowed to disembark and get a closer look at formations. Deb is
a geology enthusiast and loved this trip.
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| In July, Saskia and Andrew were able to take a two week vacation and travel north. They divided their time between Santa Fe and Denver. We're willing to share them!
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In October our New Orleans buddies, Jim and Jolie were able to visit. They
were here for the Balloon Fiesta and some gorgeous fall weather. We also
took in Meow Wolf, an immersive multisensory art experience in Santa Fe. It
had been 2 1/2 years since out last visit to Meow Wolf and we thoroughly
enjoyed it.
← At Meow Wolf
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This year we completed our front yard landscaping project. The plantings are
largely low water maintenance and beautiful. The landscapers used our
compost at our urging. What erupted was a yardful of volunteer plants that
ended up being mostly edible: cantaloupes, pumpkins, beans, butternut squash
and tomatoes. Quite a harvest and it was almost all incredibly tasty.
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| In November, after not traveling for 2 years by plane, we plucked up our courage and joined a small group of intrepid travelers to make our way to Patagonia. This trip had been planned for 2020 but had to be cancelled as both Chile and Argentina were closed to tourism. This was a beautiful trip but was not for sissies. Due to limited flight schedules, we took 14 flights in 18 days. We were rewarded with beautiful scenery and opportunities to view wildlife: toucans, condors, rheas, guanacos, penguins, southern right whales, elephant seals and sealions. Lots to tell you about, so we put the whole story on a separate page | |||||
| It was wonderful to have our family together for the holidays! We celebrated with a white elephant gift exchange, much to the merriment of all. And by Dutch custom, we celebrated New Year's Eve with the traditional olliebollen. Yum!
Wishing us all health in 2022 and the ability to visit, hug and even kiss (gasp!) our friends and family members!
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