Considerable time has passed since the last page, and we have a lot to report. Happily, we begin with the great American food, the hamburger.

Shota and Ryotaro

Michiko and Takuji Kuwajima, and their sons, Ryotaro and Shota, have re-relocated to Bellevue, WA, from Tokyo. We welcomed them back by introducing the boys to their first American barbecue. What to serve? Hamburgers, of course. The boys put on their aprons and helped out. They will soon be experts.

News & Notes

• Before all the fall leaves were gone, J joined her "water aerobics" friends for a weekend getaway in the Cascade mountains at friend Karlla Sander's cabin. The only activity that even hinted at water aerobics was a hike along the Wenachee River. Another view of this river was in an earlier Web page.

  

  Karlla Sander, Gwyn Fowler and Pirkko Borland

• As is traditional we went to Libby Montana to spend US Thanksgiving with the Jim and Julie Shadle family. Among the big events (besides the annual Christmas tree cut) was a perihelion or "sundog" around the early morning sun. This is a rainbow created by ice crystals in very cold air and It is rare to have the right weather conditions.

  

• There is a new sign near one of our favorite Christmas tree cutting stands.

  

  Are bears hibernating by Thanksgiving? (No!)

• Tomoko, Dan and Dave were home for Christmas. On the winter solstice, we all went to the hot tub to watch a total lunar eclipse. This is only the second solstice eclipse in 2000 years! It was the second amazing event of the evening. The first one was 5 minutes before we went to the tub, when the rain stopped and the clouds cleared. [Photo credit to Ken Burr, who has a real camera.]

  

  Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse

• Before everyone scattered after Christmas we took a quick trip to Vancouver, and celebrated the holidays "in the city."

  

• There was a cousins' reunion with Paradees and Shadles at dinner on New Year's Eve eve.

  

  Back: Jeff Paradee, Dan, L, J
  Front: Eric and Cole Shadle, Anna and Stephanie Paradee, Dave, and Brian Paradee

  
  This was followed a few days later with the Christie branch of the cousins coming for dinner since they had to miss the first round.

  

  Back: The Usual Suspects
  Front: Tom, Devin and Stacy Christie

• Finally, we went to a wonderful talk by Isabel Rorick, a celebrated Haida Indian hat and basket maker. She is the great granddaughter, granddaughter, and daughter of legendary Haida weavers. Her hats and baskets are traditional and use roots of spruce trees. Here she is holding a beautiful rattle; she wove the head and carved the handle.

  

  Isabel Rorick