Holiday Greetings to all!

Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, Splendid Solstice!

We hope that this holiday greeting finds you healthy and happy! Just wanted to take just a moment to fill in our friends and family about our 2016.

January started off hot and cold as Steve visited Wisconsin in mid-January to experience a bit of “real” winter. When the door opened at the Milwaukee airport and I got my first blast of sub-zero temps in four years it was “bracing”. There was not a ton of snow, but enough to enjoy snowshoeing in the north-woods with my friends Ralph and Renee Ramarez while enjoying the hospitality of their cozy cabin in Eagle River. Back in Waukesha I enjoyed the company and hospitality of the Grunskes, Schwaabs, Andersons, Gerry and Nancy Balzer and Dennis and Chari Schwulst. It was great to visit, catch up and enjoy the Wisconsin winter, but I was happy to return to the beach at Jupiter, Samya and Bam.

During our mild South Florida winter we had the pleasure of visits from good friends Pat and Barb Montenero and Tim and Karen Schwaab. The remainder of our winter was spent with Samya involved with her job at Tequesta Terrace assisted living facility and Steve working with the sea turtles at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. At the end of “season” in April Steve finished up his regular schedule of Spinning and Circuit Boxing at Loggerhead Fitness. He now works there as a sub which seems more fitting to the retired lifestyle, and offers more opportunities for outdoor activities. May brought us a camping adventure in the Florida Keys.

Now feeling Florida Native both Samya and I enjoy the beach in the summertime. The ocean is generally calmer and warmer, and the temps encourage us to make the 600 yard journey to the beach often. In June we joined a short cruise to the Bahamas a destination of interest for Samya for some time. Also in June Steve ran (slowly) in the LMC's Run 4 the Sea.

This summer we were fortunate to host Steve's longtime friends Chris and Alison Howgate during their “all around America” tour. Chris and I played some "world class" frescoball. In August friends Mark, Mary, Ted and Louis Grunske visited Jupiter so we had time to paddleboard the inter-coastal, kayak Lake Worth, walk the beach, and spend some quality time at the Grunske's temporary retreat in Jupiter Farms.

At the end of September we were probably the first to evacuate the area for Hurricane Matthew. We packed the Prius (the Highlander was replaced in May) with our camping gear and Bam and headed west. This was Samya's first trip to the western mountain states. Our 6000 mile western adventure started in Rocky Mountain National Park. We were there during the elk mating season so we were able to hear the bugling males all night at our campsites along with packs of coyotes. The aspen were in full autumn glory, the hiking beautiful, the mornings frigid! We also visited niece Christie and her husband Travis in Kremling, CO, visited and hiked Gore Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion NP, the Grand Canyon, kayaked in Lake Powell and visited Dave and Christina Arntzen in Albuquerque. We arrived back in Jupiter in time for Steve to join the second half of the Blueline Paddleboard fall racing season with his friend Gus Rodriguez. No speed records were broken.

In Juno Beach Steve continues to expand his activities at the LMC. This year he started the early morning feeding and medication of all the turtles twice a week. Following another Turtle Walk season he participated in the inaugural Beachwalk With a Biologist program where the general public can observe the excavations that the LMC conducts on hatched sea turtle nests to gather nest success data. In mid-December he participated in the LMC's Project Shield a diving program to clean underwater debris from the pylons of the Juno Beach Pier.

Samya has changed jobs and started a position that allows her to utilize her skills teaching Pilates at the Jupiter Massage and Pilates studio on Indiantown Road. She is teaching both individual and group pilates on the Reformer. Her mastery of the English language continues to improve at a much faster pace than Steve's acquisition of Portuguese.

As we prepare to spend another warm and sandy Christmas with family and friends we are grateful for the good fortunes that we have experienced in the past year, and hope for the best in the forthcoming year. All the best to you and yours!

Steve, Samya & Bam