Semuc Champey, Guatemala

My next post will give all the details of our 3 day trip to Coban. Here's some pictures from our visit to Semuc Champey, a remote beautiful series of pools and waterfalls in the mountains of Guatemala. It took us 7 hours to get there, 3 hours on a road that looked like a stream bed. Unfortunately it was overcast, cool and too late in the day to enjoy the wonderful swimming and hiking. The walk up to a viewing place where you can see all the pools at one time would have taken us another couple of hours. But this is a place we hope to come back to and stay for a few days - in warmer sunnier weather.

Dave & Ellen of Cordelia, Scott & Heather, Jim & Renate of Emerald Seas, our friend
Linda on Just Now didn't make this group shot.

This bridge tested our drivers fortitude - and ours too as we
were standing up in the back of the cattle car!

Here's the view on the way back. Only one
vehicle at a time!

It was fairly cold but I dressed even warmer
as I was still recovering from bronchitis

Looking down the valley

A series of paths and steps followed along
the pools.

The water varies in color and would be even more amazing
if we'd had any sun.

Water cascades down from pool to pool and
you can see the steep cliffs that form the
valley.

On our cloudy misty day the water often looks pale green.

A raging river comes down the narrow canyon and drops
underground, reappearing after several pools. These pools
are fed by a multitude of streams that pour down the sides of
the narrow valley. 

Renate and Jim pose with our guide.

The small pools are fringed with lovely ferns.

A few hardy young souls used the waterfalls to slide from
one pool to another.

Christmas in Guatemala

Enjoying a coffee at a cafe overlooking the busy street.

 We arrived in Antigua rather ill. Heather came down with something just after the Holiday Party and ended up in the ER in Florida. It was bronchitus not pneumonia thank goodness but the regimen on prednisone and antibiotics haven't completed a cure still on 12/29. Scott has caught it too so we're quite a pair. But we rallied enough to walk around Antigua admiring the beautiful Christmas decorations and Scott got 6 fillings done by a good local dentist. On the 23rd we took the long bus ride down to the Rio and are now on Scott Free. We enjoyed a very nice cruiser pot luck here at our Marina on Christmas Day with some old friends. But we're still dreaming of a White Christmas!

Antigua is lit up for the holidays. We joined the crowd celebrating a live Nativity play in front of .La Merced Church

It was a beautiful scene.

The 3 Kings arrived with great pomp and
circumstance.

This is the center of the main square at night in Antigua in front of the Cathedral. Lots of families are out walking around and playing.

Doris putting out the pot luck buffet. She made
the roast turkey and gravy.

Kathi, Luis and Daphne (owner of Tortugal Resort)

Scott in his shirt from the San Blas islands with a few other
cruisers.

End of the Year Travels

Scott, Heather, Nick, Tommy and Zoë hiking up above Palo Alto

This fall Scott and I spent a week each in Palo Alto, CA and Dallas, TX. The first was with our daughter Zoë, son in law George and 2 grandchildren Nick and Tommy. We got to see Tommy's school play "The Stinky Cheese Man" and visited San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.  Next we were off to Dallas to see our oldest son Joshua, daughter in law Michal and grandchildren Daniel, Cookie, Maya, Jonathan and Shira. A visit with them involves cooking, playing board games and watching movies - non stop!
We had Thanksgiving at home with James, Sean, Will, Will's parents Cathy & Gary, Larry, Luke and Christine. Great long weekend with a dusting of snow, fires in the fireplace and stove - and lots of great food (and of course board games).

Maya, Cookie and Heather love art!

Shira gave us all some advice.

Jonathan and Daniel prefer electronic media.

And so does Heather at times.

Another long weekend in Concord MA followed with a dinner on Friday night to celebrate two birthdays (Scott's and Bill Fonvielle's) and the Annual Holiday Open House on Sunday. This party has been going on since 1970!

Larry, Will, Sean, James, Scott and Christine at Thanksgiving

Bill, Carole, Russ, Heather, Marty, Debra and Scott at the Capitol Grille

Sean & James

Declan, Will and Sean at the Holiday Party

Doug, Carole and Nick

Jesse, Barbara, Scott, Patrick and Molly

Bill, Debra and Marty

Dick, Gene and Julie

Jeannie, Karen and Leslie

Marty, Nick, Heather, Leslie and Dave

Then we packed up and flew south to Florida to visit first Julie & Peter in Punta Gorda and then Uli & Thomas in Titusville. Both have been cruising friends for many years. After a wonderful week there we hoped on a plane to Guatemala and on to the old capitol Antigua.  We've been enjoying three days here before taking the bus down to the Rio Dulce and back to Scott Free tomorrow. So many photos - here are those thru Florida!
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah!

Peter & Julie get a hug!

The view from Peter & Julie's condo in Punta Gorda

Enjoying ice cream on Scott's Birthday - 70 now!

With our cruiser friends Uli & Thomas in Titusville

's

Their Christmas Card Photo on Toriba

Cooking Class to Benefit Pierce's Store

Doris Perry, Linda Berryhill, Pam Grace and Sally Deinzer
work together on dinner.

Stacy McKiernan, Donna Swartz, Ronnie Bowers and Joan
Judge form the other team

Here's the first of our Bacon Wrapped Pork
Tenderloins

And one of the Fresh Fruit Tarts.

Ronnie and Stacy first suggested the idea of my holding a Cooking Class. They had enjoyed my Friday Night Suppers at Pierce's Store. One day after the Shrewsbury Times came out with the notice we had filled the class with 8 students. Together we decided on a date, October 20, and a menu. Broccoli Parmesan Fritters, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic & Herbs and Fresh Fruit Tarts for dessert. I added Baked Potatoes with Chives & Sour Cream and a Green Salad.
It was a wonderful evening. Every one showed up between 4:30 and 5 pm with the early arrivals diving into prep work.  I had a large handout which included a Battle Plan for preparing this menu for a dinner party and recipes. I divided the group into two teams with each group making appetizers, a main course and dessert. All of the participants were good cooks already and shared many tips. With so many willing and talented women, we were ready to pour some libations and sit down to our appetizers by 7:15! It was a terrific evening and everyone hopes for a second session next year. And we raised $185 for Pierce's Store ($30 each minus the cost of the ingredients)!

Summer's End

James Haslam, Director of Rights & Democracy, Senator Bernie Sanders, Heather and Scott at Bernie's Birthday Bash September 10th  on a cruise around Lake Champlain.

Scott and I hike almost every day. This was taken on the AT/LT north of Killington.

It's always bitter sweet when we enter September. Touches of red, yellow and orange tinge the trees and it's too cold to sit outside and eat our breakfast. Fall is starting and we barely had summer. It was cooler and wetter than usual here in Vermont. But we had a lot of fun as usual with lots of guests. Here's a photo album of some of the highlights:

Scott, his cousin Lisa and her boyfriend Yosi, neice Wandi, sister-in-law
Wilma, brother Brent and Heather

All dressed up to attend Opera North's Madam Butterfly.
Brent, Wilma and Wandi came for a week in early August.

Scott won a painting by Persi Narvaez at the
Art in the Park, Rutland

My sister Paula took Amtrak to Boston this year at the
beginning and end of her two weeks with us. Here our first
night dinner at a Cape Verdean restaurant in Dorchester.
Restaurante Cesaria, Sean & Will

Scott, Paula, Sean & Will at Boston Harbor's Harborwalk
Terrace for dinner and a concert by Soul City.

Blues Band Soul City played one hit after another.

My sister Paula Mathai and myself

We picked so many blueberries that we made jam for the
first time.

My containers did really well this year.

The new border around the west end of the pond

I LOVE hollyhocks and just wish I could grow more of them.

There is a close up below of the huge blue heron that has made our pond his home. AND eaten all our trout! He definitely
considers himself King and is not easily driven away.