December 30, 2015
Happy New Year to everyone! As another year comes to a close, we can’t help but reflect on how fortunate we are to be able to experience the cruising life! We’ve had another wonderful year filled with adventures, many new friends, and the chance to re-connect with so many old friends and family! We are still charting our our plans for 2016 but expect to spend some time in the Caribbean during the first half of the year. After that, who knows?
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest to win a T-Shirt! Lucky winners are Jennifer U, Ken M, Tony P, Myron S, Bryant K, and Tracie N. Your shirts will be sent shortly!
Our time at National Harbor is coming to an end. What began as a one month stop has turned into three months as we kept finding reasons to stay! We’ve really enjoyed staying in one place for so long – it’s been great to see so many friends and National Harbor is a great base – plenty to do here and very convenient to MD, DC, and VA. We’ve already booked a reservation for next fall so hope to visit even more good friends then!
National Harbor has been a great place to hang out!
I ran in the Ugly Sweater Run here at National Harbor – there were 6000 people and LOTS of UGLY sweaters! We ventured to Colorado for a short visit with friends and family. And our Hannukah, Christmas, and New Years gifts to ourselves and each other included a new waterproof camera and a Fitbit for me, and a new Apple watch and iPhone 6S+ for Bradley, not to mention 5 years of TSA-Pre clearance to make our air travel more tolerable! The boat will be getting a new Iridium GO! to replace our existing satellite phone and SPOT tracker. We’re having fun learning to use them all!
We arrived back at the boat just in time to watch the Redskins defeat the Eagles to become NFC East Champs and earn a spot in the playoffs!
RESDSKINS IN THE PLAYOFFS!
We are hoping to depart from here and spend New Year’s Eve at anchor en route to our next destination Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA.
So below are a bunch of photos, including some tests from my new camera!
Happy New Year!!
-
- Rebecca and Steve joined us for a wonderful dinner
-
- Kathy prepares to run in the Ugly Sweater run
-
- Start of the Ugly Sweater Run
-
- Kathy in the Ugly Sweater Run
-
- Kathy with Phillip, Caren, and son
-
- Phillip, Caren and son visit Shear Madness
-
- Bob and Carol with son Nelson
-
- Brian and Laura join us for dinner on board
-
- Dinner with Cyndy and Burt, Cheryl and Dan, and long lost friend Nadine
-
- Kathy meets great-nephew Oliver for the first time
-
- Kathy visits Robin, Eric, and great-nephew Oliver
-
- Bradley helps Mike install a light in Mike’s kitchen in CO
-
- Robin, Eric, and Oliver
-
- Christmas with the Perkins family in CO
-
- Decorating a chocolate house
-
- The finished house
-
- Bradley get some love from Ollie in CO
-
- At the grocery store with great-niece Sophie
-
- Shoveling snow in CO
-
- Betty and her family visit
-
- Good friend Joe comes for a visit
-
- Wilson Bridge at Sunset
-
- Sunset over the Potomac
-
- Jim comes for a visit and lunch
-
- Capital Wheel at sunset
-
- Capital Wheel at sunset
-
- Capital Wheel at sunset
-
- Camera Test – The Awakening
-
- Camera Test – The Awakening
-
- Camera Test – Landscape
-
- Camera Test – Vivid Colors
-
- Camera Test -B&W
-
- Camera Test – Statue, Shear Madness and Capital Wheel
-
- Camera Test – reflections
-
- Camera Test – Panorama
-
- Camera Test – Reflections
-
- Camera Test – Potomac River
-
- Camera Test – Driftwood
Shear Madness 
#1 by ellen boer on January 10, 2016 - 9:55 pm
Loved your pictures of winter in Va…2015
LikeLike
#2 by kjaranyi on January 9, 2016 - 9:06 am
Beautifull pics, Happy new year!
LikeLike
#3 by Anonymous on January 1, 2016 - 8:26 pm
Nice camera! Great Pictures!
LikeLike
#4 by Jason K on January 1, 2016 - 3:54 pm
Hi Kathy, I really enjoy following you guys!! It is helping us to push closer to our dream.
Where and when will you be in the Carib, as we will be traveling around in April and would love to run into guys for a visit.
Happy New Year and safe travels, can’t wait for the next update.
P.S, I loved the reflections pix with the new camera !!
Jason K…..Canada
LikeLike
#5 by Robert Jones on December 31, 2015 - 7:56 pm
I wish you and Bradley a magnificent year to come! Not sure how i missed the t-shirt contest. Busy season and away from computer! Robert
LikeLike
#6 by Christine Kallivokas on December 31, 2015 - 8:38 am
Hey Kathy, first sorry I missed seeing you this time around.
Second, do tell what the new camera is? Love the photos, would like to know what you got.
Christine
Christine Kallivokas
COO, NVTC
Christine@nvtc.org
Sent with Good (www.good.com)
LikeLike
#7 by Anonymous on December 30, 2015 - 10:46 pm
The Awakening used to be one of my favorites, but I haven’t seen it since it was moved — thanks for the memory. Happy New Year to you both!
LikeLike
#8 by georgesmart60 on December 30, 2015 - 10:00 pm
I have loved following your life and times on and off Shear Madness. May it continue to give us pleasure in dreaming and may you and your family have a marvelous and prosperous 2016. Bless you both. 😈😈 George The devil is me!!
LikeLike
#9 by Lynne D on December 30, 2015 - 6:32 pm
Hi Kathy & Bradley, So glad we got to catch up at the reunion! Safe travels and have great adventures to tell us about.
Hope to see you NC next time you are in port.
Take care,
Lynne
LikeLike
#10 by Anonymous on December 30, 2015 - 5:34 pm
A very happy new year from the Rainbow Dreaming crew.
LikeLike
#11 by George on December 30, 2015 - 3:52 pm
I can’t believe you’d ruin a perfectly lovely report of your stay, and the beautiful pictures and unique capabilities of your new camera with a comment on those Redskins! Ugh! George
LikeLike
#12 by Wayne Connell on December 30, 2015 - 3:35 pm
Seasons greetings and have another great year on the water….
LikeLike
#13 by Autumn Alfaro on December 30, 2015 - 2:54 pm
I am not sure if you remember me, but this is Autumn from Deltaville Boat Yard……the one with the rattling mini van…
I have thought of you all often and all of your adventures. Me and my husband Luis live near Colonial Beach now and have family near National Harbor, so I was excited to know that you were close by.
I hope all is well, with you both and look forward to reading more about what you are up to
Autumn and Luis
LikeLike
#14 by spkim38 on December 30, 2015 - 2:45 pm
All the best also from us on this side of the Planet. Anchored at the bottom end of Waiheke ready to help bring in the New Year. Crap weather on the way. Hope we can catch up sometime in 2016. All the best and looking forward to tracking your adventures on Google earth. Kim & Maryke
LikeLike
#15 by Robert Conconi on December 30, 2015 - 10:20 am
Greetings from the West Coast, we are experiencing our coldest winter in a long time. Question, what is the model of your new camera, some very impressive examples of pictures. Seasons Greetings, Bob and Diane
LikeLike
#16 by Susan Maher on December 30, 2015 - 10:04 am
Great pictures. I feel horrible that we never made it over. The time went fast and I was swamped. I have to wait until you come back or fly over to wherever you are. But definitely we need to get together. I hope you have a great trip and a terrific New Year. It was great to see you at the reunion. Susan
LikeLike
#17 by Anonymous on December 30, 2015 - 10:00 am
Thank you again for your posts… Safe travels on your way south and Happy New year to you both…. Cheers
LikeLike
#18 by Carol Trautschold on December 30, 2015 - 9:46 am
Happy New Year to you and Bradley, as well.
Contact me when you are down this way, and we will concoct a golf game and/or something.
Caorl
LikeLike
#19 by Thomas, Lydia W. on December 30, 2015 - 9:32 am
Hi Kathy,
Pics are great. Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry Bill and I didn’t have a chance to stop by before you left but like you we have had non-stop guests. Hopefully we will see you on another stop in DC or bring Shear Madness up the bay to our little beach house in Chesapeake Beach, MD. Happy New Year. Safe travels.
Lydia
________________________________
LikeLike
#20 by Caroleerx@aol.com on December 30, 2015 - 9:30 am
Thanks so much, especially all the pictures of your life! Happy New Year to you both. I got such a nice card from Mark Murzin with pix of all the things he has done, too, but I suspect you must have seen it, too.
LikeLike
#21 by stan Krejci on December 30, 2015 - 9:30 am
Happy New Year Kathy and Bradley. Smooth seas and safe travel in 2016. Thanks for your hospitality! Hope to see you when you’re back at National Harbor next fall. And keep the “Shear Madness” updates coming. With warmth, Gail and Stan
LikeLike