Sedona 2108

This is the casita in Sedona, AZ where Gil and I have stayed for a week during the Michigan winter for three years in a row. It's cozy and just enough room for the two of us. On this latest trip, we hiked Chimney Rock Pass (3.2 miles RT) and Broken Arrow (3 miles RT) -- took the Submarine Rock side trip. Also hiked Baldwin Trail but it was long (7.2 miles round trip) and we hiked Chuckwagon which went alongside the 4x4 jeep road to Devil's Bridge.

We traveled from November 8-15, 2018. We looked at staying at the Wyndham Resort in Sedona for future trips. At Sedona Pines, we don't get AT&T phone reception and internet is spotty.

Nico to Winter in Kentucky

Nico Grafton-Raff will spend his winter in Kentucky on a horse farm free to roam the acres of rolling fields without having to live in a stall during what could be a harsh Chicago winter.

Having just competed in the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, he is enjoying the life of a snowbird in Kentucky for the winter.

He was offered for sale, but no offers came in at the asking price, so he will be around for Marika to continue training in the Spring 2109 at Stanley Luke Farm in Chicago.

He has shown lots of potential for becoming a champion Hunter Jumper and his training will continue -- much to the delight of owners, Marika and Gill Grafton.

Gil's 70th Birthday

Gil asked for a small, understated party to celebrate his 70th birthday. He wanted family only, which meant all the kids and grandkids, and his sisters (Meryl couldn't come) and his cousin, Peter, and his nephew, Yehoshua.

Everyone who was invited came -- if only for the day -- and although everyone arrived and departed at various times during the three day weekend celebration, the main event was on Saturday, September 15th, 2018 from 4-8 pm.

I had invitations made and coasters marking the occasion. Rachel Cohen Cooks Detroit catered the dinner of beef tenderloin and salmon. The kids bought Gil a 7-speed Townie bike. Evan and I made him scrapbooks. (Evan's was extraordinary!) Genie gave him a handblown glass globe.

It was during the transition season from summer to fall but we were lucky enough to have a weekend of hot weather. We sat on the patio under the umbrella, we swam next door at the Munn's pool, we went to the Petting Zoo at Kensington and took a hike on our favorite Kensington trail. We walked down the street several times to the pond.

Asher helped us make apple sauce from our own apples, picked tomatoes with Marika, fed the deer carrots, cleaned out the bird house, saw cranes on our hike and threw endless football passes in the living room managing to leave all the lampshades unscathed!

After everyone left, Gil said it had been the perfect way to celebrate and was everything he had envisioned it would be. Ta-dah!