We have not posted for some time, what being “at home” and all since mid-October. Still we have not been idle, and now planning a departure by the beginning of next month, I felt it was time to provide an update to our friends and family who review this site from time to time.

We will celebrate our Christmas in our little log house. Anne had me slaughter a white pine this morning and I pulled it from our woodlot to living room where she is decorating it. The Strehl’s will meet here on Christmas Day. We will go to York on Christmas Eve where Chuck’s sister Laurie, our children, and Dad Strehl’s sister Bernie will join us to enjoy dinner with Mom and Dad Strehl.

Sadly Mom Strehl was diagnosed with lung cancer in October, but thanks to one of those “evil drug companies” the disease has retreated and she is well.So is Dad, but foot pain has greatly reduced his mobility. Still, they have been blessed with another year.

Since coming off the trail we have been working on home projects but also have enjoyed a few adventures. Anne attended a medical update in Philadelphia on the day that this great city was celebrating the Philly’s victory in the World Series. Before our departure, Chuck had become worried that we might be arriving during the games and watched the final minutes of the last game and the emotional after-play on television. He announced to Anne that the series was over. Only on Thursday, as we were driving to Cherry Hill, did we learn that the parade would be held on Friday, Halloween. As it happened, the event was fun and did not interfere with Anne as she arrived in town by train at dawn and left before the party was over.

Chuck had considered spending the day in town, but decided to go to Brigantine (Forthythe) National Wildlife Refuge instead. He there found a Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow, a snow bunting, and a western kingbird as well as many migrating waterfowl. He had no regrets. Both returned to the home of friends David and Margaret who had planned a Halloween party that evening. We looked for birds along the Delaware coast during a three day visit in November visiting the hawk watch at Cape Henlopen and the Indian River inlet as the tide changed. Bonaparte’s gulls and great cormorants as well as many more migrants welcomed us.

Thanksgiving found us in Princeton with his parents visiting Chuck’s sister. Our children joined us there. We stole off early on Saturday morning to make our almost annual pilgrimage to Barnegat Light where we welcomed purple sandpipers and harlequin ducks to their winter retreat.

At home we continue to find (mostly used) furniture for our new home. A twenty-dollar workbench (home-made of real lumber) at the Salvation Army Store was our best find. Chuck built walls and had gravel delivered to create a driveway to our front door.  He found a table saw at the second-hand store in Arendtsville for other projects. Sanding dust pollutes the house.

>We’re very domestic, baking bread, granola, and cookies.  If we stay here long, Chuck will brew beer. Anne works on a quilt for our daughter and plans to make wool rugs for our basement family room.  Not hiking, we jog most mornings to stay in shape. We will join in the Gettysburg Audubon Christmas bird count this weekend.

Anne’s parents are already in Ft. Myers. We plan to join them at least through the month of January and perhaps through much of the winter. We are likely to make visits back here to see our family in the Northeast. Our plans for next year remain indefinite. We anticipate spending much of the summer in the Midwest where two weddings are an excuse. We’ll probably spend time again in Cherokee, NC and hope to hike some of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. We have about 500 miles left to do. That will probably take a few years.

The far west is calling, and we’re hoping to head that way probably by 2010. Still some California birds to add to our life lists.