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| George and I post Turkey Trot 4 Miler in November |
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| George on the New River in August 2011. |
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| Annette and teammate Pam Smith at World 100km Championships-September 2011 |
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| Mama Grey at play |
Dear
Friends, Family, and Kindred Spirits,
If you
are reading this we’ve all survived another year filled with joy, challenge,
celebration and anticipation of weekends and days doing what we love to do!
Don’t get me wrong-we both really like what we do for work (most of the time
anyway), yet days to play hard, or just hang out, don’t come often enough.
George
continues to work hard for the New River. He’s been traveling more than ever
this year-zipping around the 3-state watershed and spent a week in Milwaukee at
a conference. Again this past summer he headed up the New River Expedition,
paddling from the headwaters in NC to the end in WV. The event raises awareness
of human impact, offers communities lots of opportunities to help clean the
river, raises money for NCNR, and is meant to be tons of FUN!
George
has further developed his whitewater skills and kayaks and canoes whenever he
gets a chance. He is also teaching himself to fly fish. I think as long as
George gets to hang out by a river, he will be a happy man! Don’t get me wrong,
he still hikes, occasionally runs & bikes, and can sit on the couch for a
ball game like a champ, yet it is on the water is where he comes alive!
Annette
continues her work as a school counselor, with all the budget cuts and getting
added responsibilities she is working at least 8 more hours a week than this
time last year, just to survive at work. She is, thankfully, still able to
manage quality time for running and training.
Running
highlights for Annette this year were setting a course record at North Face’s
Bear Mountain 50Miler in NY in May, running a 3:01:30 marathon at the World
Master’s Marathon Championships in July in CA, and representing the United
States with Team USA at the 100km World Championships in Winschoten,
Netherlands in September, where she came in 6th (7:54:59) and helped
USA win a silver medal.
We
spent a week together in Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park in July and camped, hiked,
postholed and skid down snowfields at 11,000+ feet. Big mountains are fun!
Mama
Grey is as fabulous and crazy as ever! We can’t believe we’re about to spend
our 5th Christmas together!
Although
we both still enjoy winemaking, gardening and canning-work life has gotten in
the way a little more this year, so we have less to “brag” about in that
department…(Though if any of you are around come July of 2012, the cranberry
semi-sweet wine should be in it’s prime!)
Happy
Holidays and Happy 2012!
Love,
Annette and George
