The End of Indian Summer

We have had a glorious Indian Summer this Fall with a string of warm, sunny days and spectacular foliage displays.

With the weather forecasts predicting the end of this unseasonable spell, Sue and I decided to visit the Botanic Gardens today.  

What a great day we had. Neither of us remember visiting the Botanic Garden this time of the year before.

But, of course, most years we would have had a killing frost or even a snow storm by now. As we arrived at the Garden, the school children were leaving, so we had the garden to ourselves much of the time. 

We had a lovely al fresco lunch and then began our stroll around the Garden. As in all seasons, every turn brings a new revelation or a struttingly, beautiful vista. The water lilies had been removed from the large central pond--earlier in the season we had talked with a gardener who told us that many of the water lilies are replanted each year--sometimes with root stocks that the DBG grow, but more often purchased from specialty suppliers.

The colors throughout the Garden were clearly autumnal--but with the sunlight, playing on the foliage, it was an inspiring but relaxing and peaceful interlude. We took a lot of pictures and  wanted to share; our photos certainly don't live up to the actual experience, but they do give a glimpse. 

Some things have died back, getting ready for the winter, but other plants such as the dahlias, hydrangeas, and roses were putting on a last, spectacular show.

We hope you are having a good fall; and if you get a chance, take some time to enjoy the gifts of Nature this time of year.  It makes you glad to be alive.

Amsterdam with Ashley

 

We arrived in Amsterdam on Sunday, May 7th after 15 days of cruising. 

We got to Ashley's a little earlier than she expected but she and Bob--the new man in her life--were cheerful and welcoming.

We brought some good weather with two days of mostly sun and temps in the 60's. 

I'll write more about cruising--not all of it positive, at a later time, but, in sum, we are happy to be off the ship and away from the cruise milieu.

As I mentioned, Sue and I arrived pretty early on Sunday morning, having left the ship at 7:30; John and Bonnie didn't get away until 10:00.  Once they arrived and got acclimated, Ashley and Bob took us for a walkabout of Amsterdam, which included an interesting first Amsterdam tram ride.  

Ashley, Sue and I successfully got off at the right stop, but Bob, Bonnie and John couldn't get out in time and ended up having to ride to the next stop.  Thanks to cell phone communication, we soon reconnected with only a moderate amount of distress.  

We had a delightful meal at a traditional tavern and visited a small art fair; then ventured over to a small quiet neighborhood which has housed since the 17th century religious women who want to live together in service to others, but don't want to become nuns. 

You could look into the neighborhood and see their lovely homes and gardens, but you couldn't go into the restricted area.  Attendants kept watch on the visitors and frequently shushed those who were talking too loud, including some of our group once.

Ashley lives in a lovely, quiet neighborhood in the heart of Amsterdam.  There are far more bikes than cars; and every block has two or three EV charging stations. 

Her second floor apartment is small, but cozy.  She has turned it over to us for our four day stay. She acts as our guide and keeper during the day, but leaves us at bedtime and walks to the nearby home of friends who have a spare room she is using.

Yesterday, we rented a car; picked up Bonnie and John at their hotel and then drove to Keukenhof a vast garden devoted mostly to tulips and other spring bulbs. 

It covers nearly 100 acres and attracts thousands of visitors during the two spring months each year it is open. 

We spent four wonderful hours oohing and aahing at all of the lovely plantings. 

Fortunately, it was a beautiful spring day with temps close to 70. 

We walked around the park for more than four hours. 

(Sue and Bonnie wisely decided to share riding in the wheelchair, although we all could have used one.)

 

I'll post some of our photos, but as always the pictures can only give you some idea of the loveliness of the reality of the visit.

Today we will rest up as we have tickets to the Vermeer Exhibit at the Rijksmuseum tomorrow. Unfortunately, John and Bonnie are returning home today so they will miss this once in a lifetime experience, but we all thought visiting Kuekenhof checked off one important item in our travel bucket list.

2022 Highlights 

Well, wasn't 2022 an interesting year.  Just when we thought Covid was done, we all got it, but fortunately it felt like an awful lingering cold rather than a killer virus. Despite Covid, our year was delightful, with family time, visits with friends, travel, and, of course, Charlie. Rather than regale you with a list of activities, and falling back on the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, we thought we would share a few photo collages & a small bit of commentary. Proceed at your own risk!

Family

Left to Right: Roschy Family Reunion at the wedding of our grandnephew, Jonathan Roschy; Our nephew Dean, his wife, Anita, & daughter, Christine, visited Denver, and we all took in a Rockies baseball game on a beautiful summer evening; Larry, Sue, John and Bonnie with our sister-in-law, Shirley on a visit to Myrtle Beach, SC (despite being bedridden, Shirley looked like a million bucks and exuded a positive attitude);  Celebrating Bryn & Joel's wedding in November (they eloped to The Bahamas for the ceremony); Larry's visit with his Mom and siblings, Sandy, Glenda & Dale; Sue and Erin on a hiking trail; a visit with niece Susie, her husband Jerry, and their daughters, Abby & Evelyn; Erin with her friend, John.

Travel & Friends

Traveling and spending time with friends, both new and old, continue to enrich our lives. In April we traveled to France for a River Boat cruise on the Loire and a side trip to Paris. We decided that river cruising is not for us nor is traveling in Europe on the week before Easter. In May, we returned to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, this time with a great group of friends. Southwest Colorado provides truly spectacular scenery and travel experiences. October saw us back at the NC shore, one of our favorite locales. Our last trip was a return to Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende, after nearly three years.

Left to Right: In Paris on a Seine boat ride with John & Bonnie; with some new Chinese friends we met in line waiting to get into Versailles (they made the wait and tour of the gardens so much fun); at Black Canyon with Blythe Tennant & Steve Clagett; visiting with a former work buddy and friend, Mark Sanders, at Emerald Isle, NC; Mexico City, with Carole Reedy at the Museum of Modern Art--Mexico City is filled with extraordinary museums and art galleries & Carole is a great friend and the perfect guide to the city; visiting with Barbara & Dave in their lovely home outside of San Miguel; with more of our friends at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Charlie

Charlie turned 10 this year and entered fifth grade this fall. How quickly time is passing.  It seems like just yesterday when Bryn called to tell us that she was in labor. Any opportunity to be with Charlie is a gift, and we are so grateful that he and his Mom and Joel live nearby, and that they want to spend time with us.

Left to Right: Charlie with Bryn, Joel, and Joel's father at a Chiefs game; Charlie chilling with Opa and Oma; celebrating Oma's 78th birthday; Bryn & Charlie at Easter; Charlie on his first unaccompanied airplane trip--no worries says he; Oma & Opa with Charlie and his best bud, Dylan, at Elitch Gardens, a local amusement park; Charlie in Florida learning to surf; Charlie and Dylan; Bryn, Larry, Erin on skis, with Charlie on his snowboard. He seems to be a natural on the snowboard and surfboard, and this fall is taking up basketball--the next Steph Curry!

Summer 2021 Visit:

Re-Introducing Charlie to the Roschys

It's been a good while since last we posted; several reasons, most importantly is the Pandemic and the complete disruption of life and social interaction. But we have now assumed something of our normal lives--at least until this Delta variant and the stupidity of anti-vaxers shuts us down again.

The week of August 2nd Charlie, our grandson, joined us in making a trip East to visit with family and friends.  

It was a lot of fun, if a bit tiring, especially for Sue who had a complete knee replacement on June 9th,  but we are very glad we made the trip and had a lot of great adventures.

Our first stop, after an eight hour marathon flight, was John and Bonnie's farm, Anchor Rest, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It's a lovely and peaceful setting, and we all look forward to being there.

Charlie loved seeing and meeting everyone, but says he doesn't want to live in the country.  Too much corn and soy beans; not enough civilization.

Our second day, along with John, Bonnie and their granddaughters, Hannah and Betsy, we made the two hour drive to Rehoboth. The weather gods were not smiling on us, and we were greeted with blustery winds, chilly temps, and rain or drizzle.  

Charlie was undeterred, and as soon as we were able to unload the car, we made the short walk to the beach.  

Charlie dropped his towel, discarded his shoes, and ran straight into the surf--only to be called back by the lifeguards.  The undertow was too dangerous and no one was allowed to go out beyond their knees. 

Fallback to Funland, the local amusement park. 

Hannah and Betsy have been going to Funland since they were tiny, and they were delighted to show Charlie the ropes. 

He loved everything, although the Gravitron--a spinning nightmare was his favorite.

Charlie really enjoyed meeting and getting to know his cool East coast cousins--Hannah and Betsy.

And Abby and Evelyn--who along with their parents, Susie & Jerry--joined us all at Rehoboth. (Later we were able to join them to celebrate Abby's 11th birthday & then a couple of days of visiting and getting to know them all better.)

After a couple of days of rain, the sun did come out on the morning we had to leave, but the ocean still remained rough and dangerous, 

and even though the lifeguards were still cautioning us not to go out beyond one’s knees, a kind fellow bather showed Charlie how to bodysurf--and we all know he is always up for a physical challenge. 

Too soon we had to say good bye to Rehoboth... 

but Charlie was in for another new experience—eating crabs.  He liked the crab, but thought it was better if Opa picked it out for him.

One of the reasons for our trip was to show Charlie DC. So reluctantly saying goodbye to the Roschys, we set off for our friend Angie’s place in Alexandria. 

 

But first we decided to drive through the city and stop at the Lincoln Memorial. That was pretty easy, and we were able to spend a little time there.

After the Lincoln, we had hoped to see the FDR Memorial, but by the time we arrived the Park Service had turned out all of the lights--a change from times past, making such a visit not easily done.

Angie is a wonderful & loving friend and a great host—she welcomed us with open arms, way past her normal 10:00 bedtime. She entertained us graciously throughout our visit. 

We have missed seeing Angie so much. Charlie and Angie became fast friends.

We all had a lot of fun, especially when Charlie tried to teach us some of his favorite card games—interpreting the rules as he went along. Guess who was the winner?

Deciding not to try to tackle the entire city of DC, we opted for touring Mount Vernon, which is very close to Angie’s condo. 

It was a great decision—Mount Vernon is a beautiful and intriguing place. Gloriously restored and maintained, with good docents and a great museum

We all came away thinking that George Washington was a greater man and patriot than we could have imagined.

We had a fun filled, but exhausting visit--family and friends are so important, 

and this Covid Year has made us realize that even more.  

We can't wait to go back and see everyone again.

 Happy New Year

2020 started off so well. On the last day of 2019, Joel, Bryn & Charlie joined us for a visit with Erin in the Bahamas. Sun, surf, and Junkanoo…we had a wonderful time: Charlie got to swim in the ocean for the first time & loved it, and Bryn & Joel ​became​ officially engaged. They returned home​;​we lingered another week enjoying Erin’s hospitality, and then flew to our annual stay in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; but normality was not to last. COVID19 was about to rear its ugly head!

We were able to enjoy a few delightful weeks in the Mexican sun & culture​ with our friends there​, but on March 20, we returned to Denver, accompanied by our ​good​ friends and longtime traveling companions, Mart & Bob Larson. They stayed with us a couple of weeks and then moved to a nearby apartment​,​but they have continued to be part of our COVID bubble​. ​Their friendship and mutual support have made this time easier.

And here we have stayed—trying our best to remain disease free & socially distanced. In mid-April, Erin joined us in Denver, as The Bahamas was and has continued to be on “lock-down” and working remotely from Denver is as easy as Nassau or DC.  We were thrilled to have her nearby, and it looks like she will be here well into 2021, although ​unfortunately ​she will not be returning to The Bahamas. We will miss visiting her there. 

Traveling, eating out and trying new eateries​;​live performance and ​seeing movies in a theater​​; as well as visiting with friends and family are among our favorite activities—and none of them are available to us these days.  We have not been able to see or be with our extended families in MD and GA for more than a year. It is only an inconvenience for us—but for the millions of people who have lost their livelihood​s​providing those services, this COVID pandemic has been ​disastrous to their lives.

We can only hope that it will soon be over. In the meanwhile, we​ have tried​, as we're sure you have,​to concentrate on the positive—more time with our children and grandchildren and the time to reflect and renew. Local road trips to explore the beautiful CO countryside have helped​ us​alleviate some of th​e​ ​​sense of isolation.

2020 did have one final surprise for us, on December 1st, Larry had open-heart surgery.  He was totally asymptomatic, but an alert Nurse Practitioner scheduled a stress test, leading to the discovery of major arterial blockage & thus the surgery.​Thankfully, the procedure went well, and although the recovery has been a bit bumpy, he is now well on his way to a full recovery​. 

Let's hope that 2021 brings a return to normalcy, sooner rather than later. 

Until then stay safe & stay well.​ 

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Photos: Top left to bottom right: Bryn & Erin with us at Denver Botanical Garden; Family photo this summer; Sue & Charlie on the beach in The Bahamas; Larry & Charlie--Garden of the Gods Park (Colorado Springs); Summer Gathering; Family in the Bahamas; Bike Riding on DU campus; our favorite get-away spot in Hotchkiss, CO; taking a walk in the New Normal.