The Duffel Bag: * 2018 - A Year In Review

Where the spirit leads the feet will follow.

Down distant paths for unmapped miles.

Heads forget but hearts remember:

The art of living knows no bounds.

"The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning you didn't even think to ask." - Jeff Johnson, 180 Degrees South

"The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost

Sleep doesn't help if it's your soul that's tired.

Monday, January 14, 2019

* 2018 - A Year In Review

Our 2018 Highlights
When it all boils down, 2018 was really a fantastic year for us! Milo had a couple eye/sight related issues that slowed us down for a few months, but our loverly daughter and her husband had their first child, and our first grandchild. In June, Baby Bruce was born and that is by far the highlight of 2018.

Other than the two months Milo was out for eye surgeries, we were on the road a lot, seeking out new adventures and revisiting the sports and places we love. So...let's get going...

January 2018
It was a rainy January in NorCal, but we did get in a New Year day paddle, and later in the month an epic paddle that almost covered the length of Humboldt Bay with our buddies up at Explore North Coast.

New Year's Day on Stone Lagoon

Arcata to Gill's for lunch

February 2018

We headed back to the Eureka/Trinidad area in Humboldt County for more stellar kayaking adventures.

Trinidad Harbor paddle

Indian Island paddle

Mad River Slough/Surf paddle

March 2018

More rain! Not much of note outdoor wise happened in March. We had our daughter's baby shower, and getting ready for Utah. We did get in a River Park walk though.

River Park

April 2018

A big adventure month in April as we made our annual Spring trip to Utah, then returned, only to re-tool with sea kayaking gear the following week for the annual Explore North Coast "Thingy" Sea Kayaking event.

Mystic Hot Springs

Rochester Petroglyphs

Horseshoe Canyon

Little Wild Horse/Bell Canyons

Capital Reef NP

Explore North Coast "Thingy"

May 2018

We needed to clean up, organize, and regroup in May, but we did get in a four day weekend sea kayaking on the Mendocino Coast with our friends Scott and Jen.

Noyo River

Van Damme

Russian Gulch

Caspar

Great food around camp

June 2018
Month of the year!!! Our daughter's first child, and our first grandchild is born. Bruce William Sauder. Also, getting our backyard cleaned up for a major tree trimming project planned for August.

Bruce William Sauder

Uncle Wyatt

Lower Yard clean-up

July 2018

Eye Surgery for Milo. Out of commission as far as physical exertion for the month of July. Good news...everything went well. Other eye in October.

August 2018
Tree trimming on our property, a lake Sonoma paddle, a weekend of sea kayaking at Trinidad, and a weekend camping and biking on the Mendocino Coast.

Tree Trimming Clean-up

Lake Sonoma Paddle

A Weekend at Trinidad

Camping and Biking at Fort Bragg

September 2018

Mostly Sea Kayaking - Mendo Coast for three days with the Bay Area Sea Kayakers, a San Francisco Bay paddle, and Humboldt County biking.

The Beautiful Avenue of the Giants

"Mendo Madness"

Treasure Island Paddle On SF Bay

October 2018

Milo's other eye gets fixed, It's Fall...backyard grilling , and Halloween with Brucey!

Waiting Out October

Fall Season Backyard Grilling

Brucey's First Halloween

November 2018

We were itching to get out in November. Biking on the Mendocino Coast and at McCloud California, peak hiking, Paradise burns :(, Lava Beds National Monument for Thanksgiving.

The Big River Haul Road