Something wonderful was waiting down the road in 2025. We hit cruise control; the sun was shining, all possibilities within reach. The biggest news of the year was that Terry retired in June—a veritable game-changer. I’ll admit, the dogs and I are still adjusting to her being home all the time (she went from school principal to house principal), but the pros far outweigh the cons. For starters, she’s a much better cook than I ever was, so meals are tastier now.

We celebrated her retirement with a trip to Alaska on a National Geographic expedition cruise. The trip was nothing short of spectacular, observing brown bears and humpback whales up close in a misty, rainforest milieu. Later in October, we traveled to New England for its glorious fall colors and explored historic Boston. One of my favorite moments was seeing the house in Fairfield, Connecticut where Terry grew up, and visiting her teenage hangouts. This is the best part about Terry retiring: we can now travel during the school year—no more jamming all our vacations into July.

On the home front, Heather, Allie, Randi, and Doug are all doing exceptionally well, and our grandkids are growing up way too fast—the oldest is now a senior in high school! We’re living our youth through them these days, soaking up their energy. With so much joy around, I can’t complain. Who knows where it goes from here? As the late great T.P. once said: “Working on a mystery; going wherever it leads.”

Here are some of the photographs from the past year. Enjoy!

hhhhhhhhh

Living Large

Sunset cruise on Morro Bay with old friends. This winter rendezvous has become

an annual staple for hiking, mtn-biking, beachcombing, and catching up in general.

Morro Rock

Skating on ice in the old Donner Pass train tunnels.

Miss Penny (youngest grandchild) is three now.

Principal Mulcahy, ready
for the school relay race.

Birthdays are becoming a fire hazard.

I was awarded Certificates of Recognition from the city mayor,

County Board of Education, and U.S. Congresswoman Young Kim

for my volunteer work at Fairmont Elementary School. The kids

love my dad jokes. Why did Penny fling herself to the ground?

Because she didn't get an award.

Fairmont's end-of-school kickball showdown:

Teachers vs 5th-graders. I played centerfield for the teachers.

Put me in, Coach!

Kids and Grandkids

Heather and Logan working in the garden. Logan is

a high school senior now. Where did the years go?

With Hayden at the Segerstrom Center for
"The Life of Pi." She's a 7th-Grader now.

Allie w/ Brandon and little Wyatt.
Wyatt is in Kindergarten.

Randi & Kevin

Doug with Brianna, Noah, and Penny. Doug graduated
from OCFD's Reserve Firefighter program in September.
Noah is in Kindergarten at Fairmont where I volunteer.

Retirement Party!

It finally happened! Terry retired at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Oh, and it

was also her birthday—well, pretty close to it. Happy birthday and happy retirement!

Everyone had a blast.

Terry and I still argue over who gets to

wear this crown at the house now that

she's retired. The dogs are voting for me.

Stay tuned.

Travels

Kayaking in the Tongass rainforest of Southeast Alaska.

Grizzly on Chichagof Island: highest concentration of brown bears on the planet.

Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion.

Humpback whale in the Inside Passage.

Bailey, Toby and Wolfgang on the Sonoma Coast. A dog's life.

"Old Ironsides" USS Constitution in Boston, Massachusetts.

Terry's childhood home in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Sugar Hill, New Hampshire.

A biking day in Stowe, Vermont.

I got me a tractor up in Idaho.

Lost in a corn maze.

Wyatt... aka Little Cowboy

Allison... aka Queen of the Pumpkin Patch

Festivus Season

The annual ThankMas Shindig, which falls somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Pajama attire is optional. And what happens at the Shindig, stays at the Shindig.