2016 in the Rearview Mirror

As 2016 draws to a close I am reading about the highlights and lowlights of the year from many sources.  It is something that I find beneficial, reviewing the year before closing that chapter and turning the page for a new year's arrival.

As I reviewed the year in pictures, I remembered starting the new year with Mom and Dad in Elkridge and then driving to upstate NY on New Year's Day when traffic was light. We stayed there until the 3rd and returned to Elkridge under sunny skies.

There was a fantastic party at a local climbing zone for Lucas to celebrate one of the first birthday's of the year. It was the first of many gatherings. 

There was a big snowstorm on January 22-23 which kept us snowed in until the plows finally cleared the street on January 26th. It was way too much snow. 

Garth Brooks Concert

I attended a Garth Brooks concert in Baltimore on January 29th. It was awesome.

February was quieter with just a trip to Northern Virginia to attend the Fauquier County Wine Tasting event. 

March saw the annual Orioles Spring Training trip with the guys for baseball and golf. Sarasota and Florida was warm and spectacular. 

March also saw the inaugural lawn mowing of the season, a sure sign of Spring.

Beach Fire
Bahamas

On Easter Sunday, during Late March, Chris and I departed for our first cruise of the year to the Bahamas. It was Spring Break and we went to Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas and had a great time. The trip lasted until early April.

April was busy as we competed in the annual Keswick Consensus Blending and I took a business trip to Alaska. It was a long trip to the great north. At the end of the month Chris and I headed off to St Michaels for the Wine Festival! It truly was a busy month.

May saw the pool opening and the beginning of the summer season. I installed a new sink for Chris and we celebrated Patrick's Master's Degree in Cyber Security! We also had a visit from Faline, the fawn.

June passed with Ethan's graduation form Elementary School and the end of the season for Jackson's baseball team. Then there was the trip to Upstate NY for Trevar's graduation from High School!

Our Caribbean Cruise Ship

During July, I made my first trip of the year to California. My second would be during November with Chris to revisit the cool finds I made during the July trip. Chris and I also departed on our Caribbean Cruise with Pennie and Scott which had an altered itinerary due to a hurricane. We never made it to Belize or Honduras. 

August saw the annual Troy Whittemore Golf Tournament in the rain in Trumansburg, NY. 

September was quieter, but October began with a trip to NYC with Ethan. It ended with a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate Jeremy's birthday. The highlight of the Vegas trip was playing TPC Las Vegas!

November was the do-over trip to California which included a visit to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum. A spectacular spot. 

December's highlight was the tour of the Christmas decorated White House.

And of course, Christmas with the family!

What a year. I'm exhausted just writing about it. And those were only the highlights.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD