A Look Back at 2011

It was an incredible year! Looking in my mind’s rearview mirror, 2011 is chocked full with memories and adventures.

• We spent our first entire year at our new Grey Havens cottage, experiencing every season. It no longer feels like we are visiting. It feels like home! 
• In January, I started a new consulting job with my former employer and put my retirement status on hold. The work continued throughout the year, and it will finally come to a close in a few more months. It has seriously impacted my free time, but the unexpected income has provided us a welcomed financial cushion in these difficult economic times. 
• We had several snowfalls early in the year, giving us an opportunity to photograph the cheerful birds that visited our bird feeders and our lovely neighborhood shrouded in a white cloak. 
• Our cottage welcomed the completion of some landscaping projects in the spring. We continued to spot deer and other wildlife as they venture into our yard from the adjacent woodlands. 
• In April, we explored national parks and other scenic areas in north-central New Mexico. We saw incredible vistas like the one shown above at Tent Rocks National Park. 
• During the month of May, we bit the Apple and switched over from old PC computers to new iMacs. Though the transition took a little adjustment (you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks), we haven’t experienced a single computer system problem since then. 
• My photo editing skills continued to improve during the year. We added Nik Complete software to our arsenal of digital processing tools. I also started to feature larger-sized images on my blog, linked to my flickr account. 
• My blog celebrated its 3-year anniversary, 500th post, and 600th post. Though I worked, my wee blog ended the year with an all-time high of posts. Numerous series about our travels and participation in the photo challenge contributed to this prolific achievement. I also featured custom blog headers and backgrounds throughout the year! 
• In July, we traveled throughout Alaska, photographing astonishing scenery and wildlife for three memorable weeks. It was truly a trip of a lifetime that we will fondly remember. If you followed my blog this year, you got a visual taste of our legendary 49th state. 
• In late September and early October, we traveled to the Canadian Maritimes and enjoyed quaint coastal scenery. I’ll be featuring photos from that trip later on this year. 
• My sweet hubby received a bionic hip this past month and spent three weeks at a rehabilitation facility to assist in his recovery. We celebrated a very low-key Christmas and gave thanks to the miracles of modern medicine. 

We have had our share of personal challenges throughout the year. Life at Grey Havens is not always a bed of roses. But we strive to focus on those moments that bring us joy, live our lives to the fullest, and show kindnesses along the way. Some of you started last year’s journey with me, and some began to visit later on. I hope that you enjoyed the ride. I certainly did! 

2011 is put to bed. It’s history. 

Okay, 2012 - bring it ON! Won’t you join me?