So what a year it has been: Brexit, US election results, many celebrity losses! But how lucky we are that it's not 100 years ago when WWI still had another two years to go.
Cumbria has slowly been recovering from last year's Storm Desmond & this week the lovely, lit Christmas trees have started to twinkle in the bay windows of the homes of Warwick Road (a main road always affected by flooding) in Carlisle.
Luckily the 'Rodgers Tribe' are all in the pink. Overall we have had a fairly busy year, especially with several weddings to celebrate of both family and friends. So here is our year in pictures...
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| One of the few wintry days of 2016. It's always magical walking by the beck |
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| Yesteryear - sister Lorna & Colin |
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| An Ulster lass is never far from a brew - Bettie |
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| Bath time chaos - contemplating grand kids? |
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| Springtime in Cumbria |
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April dawned with Hutcheson, niece Jo's wedding - when did we get to being the oldies?
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| Hutcheson - Thornhill Family Group |
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| Amy, Pete, Andy, Nicky & me |
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| Mr & Mrs John & Jo Croft |
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| Spring time in the orchard - there was an explosion of blossom & so much fruit to follow |
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| Allan Cyna - a conference break |
May & June brought visitors from South and
West of the globe and cousins. Meanwhile
Colin did get some time with the
Quick
Quacks in Yorkshire / Lincoln.
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| The Iain / Ian 'Hutcheson' cousins & me |
Of course the garden is never far from my thoughts - still a curate's egg - but I so enjoy it. I don't think Colin followed the advice of the US horticulturalist, T. H. Everett (1903 - 1986) who said,
“A man should never plant a garden larger than his wife can take care of ".
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| The Orchard in Late Summer |
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| The Albertine Roses |
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| A tad wet - mid summer deluge |
Here are some of the various wedding photos - the Rodgers Tribe looking fairly smart for once!
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| Bridesmaid Nicky & Rob - June 24th |
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| The Boys in 'Blue' - September |
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| The 'Brown Eyes' - September |
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| July - The scene is set for a truly romantic Scottish wedding in Gretna of friends Sue & Gareth. And yes the minister did bless the marriage 'over the anvil'. My friend Sheila & I were given free rein to decorate the calf shed as we pleased. And it's not every day the bride arrives on her dressage horse & wearing cowboy boots! |
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September brought a chance to visit friends who are now living in Brittany - an easy drive from the St. Malo ferry port. They live in a granite farmhouse where they have two gites, a large garden with a pond and swimming pool plus a new Golden Retriever puppy, Amber.
http://www.frenchgitebrittany.com
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| Mont St. Michel - way too busy for a visit - 2nd most popular French attraction after La Tour Eiffel |
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| Found a lovely boy - Quemada |
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| Colin in Dinan - It really is this pretty! |
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December has arrived and on the first of the month, the Bishop of Carlisle was able to dedicate the Cumberland Infirmary's organ donation memorial, The Tree of Life. The artist is our Brittany friend, Sue. The memorial project's inception was under Colin's watch as the Trust's Clinical Lead for Organ Donation (before retirement) almost four years ago.
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| Where is Mr J.W.M. Turner RA when you need him to paint a picture? Looking eastwards, mist in the Tyne Valley from the military road, Hadrian's Wall |
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So
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Love & Best Wishes for 2017
from Us All (Colin, Jamie & Nicky)
Trish x
