Good-bye 2010!

Good-bye 2010!

You were
a big year!

I biked
across
America...

I learned
to blog...

I fell in love...

...with
my
camera!

I lost
my father...

...but
I grew closer
to my family...

...my family...

...my family.

So how
do you say
farewell
to a year
like 2010?




of course...

You bike!

...with Al!

We bike south
through
Lover's Key Park
this New Year's Eve...

...swing
around
Bonita Springs...

...and buzz
down the quiet streets
of Pelican Bay.

Downtown Naples
with its
expensive cars...












...and we want
to find lunch!

Call Nicky
to look
it up
on the web!

Finally,

we find Jane's!

This lovely cafe
inspired
Tom's famous
craisin and walnut salads!

And I love
their quiche!

...while Al
digs in
to their
fruit yogurt parfait!

It's a lovely
palm tree day...

...as we spin
back out
of Naples.

Brief visit
to our old friend,
the Inn at Pelican Bay.

This is my
favorite place
to stay
in SW Florida.

It's right
across the street
from my
favorite bike shop...

...walking distance
to restaurants
grocery
cinema
Borders...

...and great
bike lanes
everywhere!

We're having
so much fun
breezing down
Livingston Road...

...that we fail
to notice
the shadows
beginning
to stretch
eastwards...

- Al,
we're going
to have trouble
getting back
before sunset...

- No problem,
Mom....

- We'll bike up
to the airport,
turn left at Alico,
and head back
to Ft Myers Beach!

But
as we turn
wheels west
clouds settle
around the setting sun.

Cars zoom
around us.

Headlights glare.

Hurry to your
New Years Eve
event.

The last sun
of 2010
is rushing
to the horizon.

I watch
2010 set
in the reflection
of Al's eyes.

In the wink
of an eye...

...day
turns
to night...

...and we're
crossing
the Ft Myers Bridge...

...in the dark
of a Ft Myers night.

We make it safely
back to our hotel...

(although Al tells me
she thought I had been
hit by a bus
crossing the bridge
when she saw
I wasn't behind her
on the other side.)



(I had stopped
to take the pictures.)

Now Tom
swoops
us up...

...and rushes
the fam
to Nervous Nellies...

...for the
last dinner
of 2010.

Together
for this New Years
we ask
- What was
the best moment
for you
in 2010?

Al,
always the over-acheiver,
says, I have 5...

Two of them
were nights
in Argentina
on the terrace
of our casa.










One was crossing
the Teton Pass -
because
I thought
I couldn't do it!

Swimming
in Lake Huron
on our way into
Canada!

And arriving
after 3,630 miles
at the Atlantic Ocean!


Hard to beat
those for
the year's highlights!

KC?

Being at ASU
this year
was her highlight
of 2010.

Nicky
says her highlight
was recent...

The week
of Christmas
with the cousins.

TJ
didn't mention
a highlight.


I don't
know why.

Tom's highlight
of 2010
was
Stubby
learning to use
the litter box!

- and what
are your hopes?
your goals?
your dreams?
for 2011?
I ask.

Al?


- To graduate...

and then...?

Nicky?


- To get out
of my
comfort zone...

and then...?

KC?

To kiss
the Sphinx!

TJ?

TJ?





TJ???

To catch
the
champagne
cork!

He did it!

And my dream
for 2011?







For all of their dreams
to come true.