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I am really proud of Leslie for organizing the Free to Breathe® hike on Mt. Tam on Sunday in observance of National Lung Cancer Awareness month. Despite threatening weather, 17 friends met at Rock Springs parking lot on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. to partake in either the 1-mile walk up to Dad O’Rouke’s Bench or the 5-mile hike on Coastal/Laurel Glen/Cataract trails and back to the parking lot. Leslie led the short hike, as she wanted to be in the first wave of hikers back to the house, while Mt. Tam gurus John and Jo Ann Comstock led the longer ramble.
Thanks to Clark for shooting this photo at the beginning of our hike! Click to enlarge.
John shot this photo of the hikers at O'Rourke's Bench before the groups split up. Note all the hiking poles -- they seem to be gaining in popularity as we get older.
Kudos to the irrepressible Charlie Mohn for toughing out the long hike despite his injuries from a bike accident earlier this year — it was the longest he’s walked since then. Don Wieneke got a pair of bad blisters, but toughed it out with a smile. Highlights of the hike included the serpentine power point (from Gary Snyder’s circumnabulation as described in Tamalpias Walking), the acorn grainery tree (Clark photographed five acorn woodpeckers on one branch of a neighboring tree!), O’Rourke’s bench (arguably the best view from the mountain, but everyone has their favorite), the ancient rusted car on Coastal, and the lush hike up Cataract. Apparently it was a moody day — sun/clouds, wind/calm, hot/cold… a real sampler of Mt. Tam in all its glory.
A perfect day for a hike on Mt. Tam!
About 20 friends came by our house afterward for hot chili and adult beverages. Sailing was the common denominator among the crowd, with the Yucca crew well represented (our leader Hank, Charlie, Laurence, Robin), two longtime Latitude friends (John A., Mitch), former Elan owner Bill Riess, Lulu owner and cancer advocate Don Weineke, and Katrina veteran Kevin Riley with wife Carolyn and daughter Jane. Pete McCormick (Morpheus) and his gal-pal made the hike, but had previous plans for the afternoon. We also had two hardcore underwater photographers/world travelers (Clark Miller and wife Audriana) and my two heroes from the Friends of the Mill Valley Library, Joanne Hively and David Robinson. Of course, John and Jo Ann — hikers, kayakers, occasional sailors — were there for us too, as always. It was quite a festive gathering! I’ve been a bit of a hermit lately, so it meant a lot to me to see so many friends under our roof.
Many other people donated to the cause, but couldn’t make it. Our two biggest donors live in New England and are observing the Free to Breathe® national walk week in their own way. Globetrotter Meg Campbell was climbing the Inca Trail up to Machu Picchu and ‘wins’ our humble fundraising effort on all counts! No report yet from Stephen, who hikes the trails from his home in Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley when he’s not sailing or hanging out on the Vineyard. We hope to have some photos from Meg when she returns, but we did receive some from my sister Marnie and husband Scott who reportedly had a lovely 6+ mile walk around the Blackstone Valley bike path in Rhode Island.
Together we raised somewhere over $2,700, with donations still dribbling in. It’s not too late to make a donation to this worthy organization. Many thanks to everyone who participated in any way!
Switching gears: all is status quo on the medical front. Six down and four to go on the WBR treatment. Not drooling yet, so I assume they haven’t hit anything important as they fry the ‘bad guys’. I’ve barfed a few times and am pretty fatigued, but this too will pass (as will my hair, which is slated to go next week). I am less reliant on the oxygen tank, though it is comforting to know it is there when I need it. Leslie has been bravely injecting me with Lovenox twice a day, which is to combat the blood clots that showed up in my lungs in last week’s CT scan. I am maybe the most needle-phobic person on the planet, and cover my head every time she closes in on me (I have never looked at a needle or an injection in 58 years. It’s irrational, I know, but I just can’t).
We have a meeting with Dr. Liu tomorrow, during which I intend to throw myself at his feet and plead for blood-thinning pills instead of injections. This decision has its pros and cons (pills deliver the dose less reliably, and therefor require frequent blood tests), and must be examined from all sides. We have also been meeting with a Kaiser social worker about end of life issues such as how hospice works, which is really heavy stuff and a little hard on me. But knowledge is power, and Leslie is really good at keeping one step ahead all the time.
On the whole, I feel like I’m rallying a bit thanks to Criz and just need to get through the next few weeks of feeling crappy until the effects of the radiation treatments wear off. I also realize that this is a grace period, that none of these treatments or drugs will beat this horrible disease forever. Rather, you co-exist with it, make peace with it, and try to enjoy every day. Sunday was the best day I’ve had in a long time — thanks, everybody!
Today marks the beginning of National Lung Cancer Awareness month. I met Sarah at the NLCP advocacy summit this spring, and she’s been working on a new initiative to raise awareness and funding for lung cancer. The following video marks the launch of their campaign. Please watch.
As you consider your year-end giving, I hope you’ll consider a donation to the National Lung Cancer Partnership in honor of Rob and the other 220,000 people who are diagnosed and the 160,000 who will die each year from lung cancer. Special thanks to everyone who has donated so far. We CAN make a difference!
Also, for you local folks – please join me on Sunday November 6th on Mt. Tam for a hike as part of the national Free to Breathe event. We’ll meet at 10:30am at the Rock Springs parking lot on Mt. Tam. There are numerous hiking options from this point to accommodate all time and elevation desires. At a minimum, bring water, lunch, and sunscreen. If you can’t make it, please consider sponsoring our VA hiking club team.
The view from the hill above Rock Springs.
You don’t have to be local to participate in the National Walk — next Sunday, join with us as non-resident members of the VA hiking club — your walk, run, bike, or even sail where ever you are. You can print out personalized signs to honor Rob or someone else effected by lung cancer. We’ll look forward to seeing photos from your activities!
November is National Lung Cancer Awareness month.
As we continue on Rob’s Adventure, we are constantly reminded of the toll lung cancer takes in our society. Lung cancer claims more that 160,000 lives in the U.S. every year — more than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney, and melanoma cancers combined. Once strictly associated with smoking, it’s now effecting a larger number of people who never smoked cigarettes (like Rob). Yet compared to these other cancers, lung cancer research receives only a fraction of the research funding. You can help.
Please join us to help raise awareness and funding for lung cancer by participating in the National Free to Breathe® event during the week of November 5th to 11th. You can participate in your community – any day, any place, any distance, with anyone. You could even go sailing! Get a group of friends together where ever you are and support this worthwhile effort.
In Mill Valley, we’ll be walking on Sunday, November 6th, on Mt. Tam in honor of Rob. If you’re local, please join us! More details will be forthcoming later in the month.
Regardless of your location, you can register as a member of our VA Hiking Club for only $15, and you’ll receive a t-shirt, wrist band, and other material by mail. So round up your family and friends and join us in raising awareness and funding for lung cancer! But you must register by Saturday, October 15th to receive the shirt etc.
Over the past year I’ve talked about my involvement with the National Lung Cancer Partnership (NLCP), including my participation in their Lung Cancer Advocacy Summit earlier this year. I am now fortunate to be a patient advocate reviewer for the NLCP’s 2012 Young Investigator Research Grant proposals. The purpose of the grant program is to drive research that will increase understanding of lung cancer risk, biology, and response to treatment, while ensuring that young investigators have the resources needed for them to succeed as lung cancer researchers. Over 90 proposals were received this year, and more than 70 made it past the first round of reviews. I’ve been assigned six proposals to review and comment on – and wow am I impressed! While I don’t fully understand the science behind the proposals, I am immensely impressed by the intelligence and commitment of these young doctors and scientists in pursuing careers in lung cancer.
There are many non-profit organizations focusing on important issues in lung cancer including smoking cessation, political advocacy, awareness and research. However there are a number of reasons why we’re strong supporters of the NLCP:
- The organization was founded and is run by a highly qualified team of lung cancer physicians, survivors and advocates. It is not defined by a single person or ego.
- Their efforts at raising awareness and providing meaningful patient education resources are outstanding.
- Their history of supporting lung cancer research through a transparent peer-reviewed process (over $2.2 million since 2005) is excellent. Grants are given to the most worthy applicants, not simply to organizations of personal interest.
- They received a Charity Navigator 4-star rating, and 100% of the net proceeds benefit the National Lung Cancer Partnership’s research, education and awareness programs.
So, in addition to participating in the National Free to Breathe® Walk, please consider making a generous donation to the National Lung Cancer Partnership.
Thanks in advance for your participation!
Leslie & Rob
The short report:
John and I survived the Ridge to Bridge hike this Saturday! In fact, much to our surprise, we were the fastest people among the 40 or so hikers in the 20-mile group. We finished in 8 hours and 15 minutes – not bad, considering our various ailments. The VAHC also raised $590 for the Bay Ridge Trail!
The long report (if you have nothing better to read):
We arrived at the parking lot just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in time to catch the 6:30 a.m. yellow school bus to the trailhead (thankfully, the 5:30 departure time was rolled back). It took awhile to herd everyone onto the bus, and then we took a long break at Pan Toll while people used the bathroom facilities. Finally, at 8 a.m., we began the hike high up on the ridge on what turned out to be a glorious spring day.
Out of the starting blocks, we were mired in the middle of the peloton, unable to pass anyone due to the narrowness of the trail. John and I are used to the solitude of weekday hiking, so the loud and mostly inane conversations of the middle-aged housewives in front of us began to grate on both of us. Within a mile, we found ways to pass everyone – including the trip leader, who was a dead ringer for Tim Lincecum – and never looked back.
John and Rob after ~18 miles - still going strong!
We thought we were free of the pack, but one woman also escaped when we did and fell in behind us. “You guys are setting a nice pace,” she said. “Do you mind if I walk with you? I’ll be quiet.” This was our introduction to Deb Upton, who spent the rest of the day with us and proved to be good company. Deb, from San Jose, flies around the country testing Olympians and other elite athletes for drugs, so we learned all about how dirty the sports world, particularly biking, has become. She also has soloed the John Muir Trail, hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, parachuted, bungee-jumped and done all sorts of other cool adventures. Plus, she keeps a kegerator of beer in her refrigerator.
Deb and John with the finish line in sight.
The three of us signed in first at all four checkpoints, staying ahead of the masses with ease. A gourmet all-you-could-eat buffet lunch – complete with Peet’s coffee! – was provided at the final checkpoint in Tennessee Valley, a welcome break before the last uphill push to the bridge. We stopped on the bench overlooking Sausalito for a 20-minute break, savoring the view and the moment, and not caring that a few people passed us – it wasn’t meant to be a competition. We finally walked down the hill to the parking lot, finishing at 4:15 p.m. From the sign-out sheet, we saw that one person finished at 4 p.m. and that about a quarter of the group dropped out earlier.
After walking down to our car, which brought the hike to over 21 miles, we celebrated with beers (non-alcoholic in my case) at the funky Presidio YC. John and I bestowed an associate membership in the prestigious VAHC upon Deb, and installed her as head of our new San Jose chapter. Other than a few blisters, we all came through the hike with flying colors. Being able to complete this challenge meant a lot to me, for all the obvious reasons. Hopefully, I will be able to do it again next year!
Almost there!
Somewhat amazingly, the VAHC also finished second or third in the team fund-raising. My wonderful soon-to-be 84-year-old mom, who refuses to give her credit card out over the internet, sent a check to the Ridge Trail that hasn’t been reflected yet on our total. If that ever gets added, we will finish second, which is ironic considering we hardly tried. (Deb was one of the real heroes of the event, raising just over $1,000 and finishing second in the individual fund-raising.)
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Ridge Trail, and thanks for all the emails and calls of support from all corners of the country. I’m always amazed to find out people actually read this blog – and promise to keep future entries shorter!
Modern medicine (i.e., chemo and criz) is the key to combating cancer, but it is also important to keep your immune system in the fight through proper diet, lots of rest, and regular exercise. In an effort to give my exercise some structure, and even some purpose, Leslie, John, Jo Ann and I formed the tongue-in-cheek ‘VA Hiking Club’ on New Year’s Eve. We combined the names of our two streets, Vernal and Almonte, to come up with the snappy name – though it’s also a vague shout-out to John’s long career with the VA hospital.
Our mission is to hike at least 10 miles a week on Mt. Tam, the Headlands, or wherever there is dirt – 520 miles in 2011. Currently, John is leading the charge with around 220 miles, I have logged 175, Jo Ann is over 100, and Leslie, in violation of the bylaws, has yet to submit her mileage (and is accordingly on secret double probation). The VAHC has a few other local members (Robin is one of my steady hiking partners) and we also have some non-resident members – Steve is head of the Northwest chapter and Stephen is in charge of the Northeast chapter. Marnie has quit the VAHC and started a splinter group, claiming our rules and regulations are too strict for her.
John and Rob on a portion of the Ridge Trail above Stinson Beach.
We’ve been having a lot of fun with the VAHC, which is obviously more of a parody of a hiking club than the real thing. But at the end of next week, we are going mainstream – John and I will be representing the VA Hiking Club in the 15thannual Ridge to Bridge fund-raising event on Saturday, April 30. We’ll be catching a 5:30 a.m. shuttle bus at the Golden Gate Bridge, which will take us up the mountain to where the Fairfax-Bolinas Road meets Ridgecrest Blvd. From there, we will hike back to the bridge via Pan Toll and Tennessee Valley. It promises to be a long day, with lots of elevation changes.
Trail marker.
We’re both in pretty good shape, but this will still be a tough challenge for a 65-year-old guy and a stage IV lung cancer patient. But in the immortal words of Monty Python, we’re ‘not dead yet’ – and intend to prove that to ourselves by finishing the 20-mile course (we passed on the 30-miler, which seemed a little too ambitious, and the 13-miler, which seemed too easy). I also hope to somehow inspire other people living with cancer to realize that they are capable of doing similar things – to keep living life to the fullest, to accept hard challenges, and keep pushing the limit. Okay, I’ll get off the soapbox now.
Bay Area Ridge Trail
To enter the Ridge to Bridge, John and I have each put up the required entry fee of $115. The idea is to make a little bit more on top of that for the non-profit Bay Ridge Trail, a projected 550-mile loop around the Bay. Some 330 miles are already completed, and funds are needed to keep adding more miles. It’s a good cause – preserving open space, particularly in our Bay Area backyard, seems like something we can all believe in.
If you like what you see, and are inclined to give a small amount – save your real donations for more serious causes like curing cancer! – please see my fund-raising page. We’re also hoping that the government will confuse the VA Hiking Club with something associated with the Veteran’s Administration and shower us with TARP money, or stimulus money, or whatever it is called.
Enough for now. All is well. Time to get outside for a hike.
Life is good, thanks to modern medicine. I’ve been on Crizotinib for ten weeks now and still haven’t had any significant side effects. The drug was created at Pfizer’s research center in Groton, CT – the next town over from my hometown, Mystic. In the further small world category, my mother knows a woman from her church who worked on developing criz. Mom told her all about me and even gave her access to this blog. Apparently, the Pfizer people are excited to have a ‘local’ connection – it’s probably not very often that the researchers see the fruits of their labor so directly. (If anyone at Pfizer is reading this… thank you!)
We continue to spend a lot of time on Mt. Tamalpias and the Marin Headlands, and I have now hiked over 100 miles this year. One of my resolutions for the year is to hike – and document — at least 10 miles a week on trails, and so far I’m on pace. Recent outings have included a ‘backwards’ Dipsea (7.5 miles from Stinson to Mill Valley, best known for the annual foot race in mid-June in the opposite direction) and two trips up to the scene of a WWII airplane crash in which eight men died. It’s a spooky, sacred place which is not particularly easy to find. The whole sad story was related in a Marin IJ story a couple of years ago.
Bill Reiss and Rob at the crash site of a U.S. Navy seaplane that killed all eight aboard on Nov. 30, 1944.
The view from "Sitting Bull" rock on Mt. Tam.
The highlight of the last two weeks – if not the year – was a four-day, three-night trip to Yosemite last weekend, courtesy of John and Jo Ann. They rented a three-bedroom house in Foresta (a tiny community inside the park about seven miles from the valley floor) and invited us along as their guests under the pretense of a delayed wedding present. Or maybe they are still feeling guilty about pawning their eccentric Bengal cat Pinjii off on us almost four years ago? Anyway, Yosemite was absolutely gorgeous in snow and with relatively few people around – words simply can’t do justice to the place, so I’ll let Leslie’s photos tell the story.
After the storm -- El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls flank the valley floor.
Snowshoeing in the woods around Badger Pass.
We did a 3.5 mile snowshoe hike in perfect conditions.
An avalanche at the base of Half Dome, viewed from Mirror Lake.
Avalanche detail -- this went on for well over a minute!
Jo Ann, John, Leslie and Rob enjoying front row seats for afternoon avalanche viewing at Mirror Lake.
Our cozy rental house for the weekend (at top). The surrounding landscape still bears the scars of the 1990 fire that decimated 16,000 acres in the park, including the village of Foresta.
I’m keeping busy with three sailing committees (PHRF and two at CYC), reading a lot, and watching Netflix movies. Two Friday nights ago we had the pleasure of seeing some excellent live music at Schoenberg Guitars in Tiburon — Kelly Joe Phelps and Corinne West. It’s an intimate ‘living room’ setting, just 35 seats, and free wine and cheese is served before the show and at the intermission. KJP has long been one of my favorite blues guitarists, though this most recent reincarnation is more folk-oriented. Great stuff – check them out on YouTube.
One more exciting thing to report: Leslie applied for, and was accepted, to the three-day National Lung Cancer Partnership Advocacy Summit in Denver in early May. Only 50 people have been invited to this event, which will provide training and networking for lung cancer advocacy. We’re not sure where this may lead, but more knowledge and connections can only be good.
Life is good, thanks to modern medicine. I’ve been on Crizotinib ten weeks now and still haven’t had any significant side effects. The drug was created at Pfizer’s research center in Groton, CT – the next town over from my hometown, Mystic. In the further small world category, my mother knows a woman from her church who worked on developing criz. Mom told her all about me and even gave her access to this blog. Apparently, the Pfizer people are excited to have a ‘local’ connection – it’s probably not very often that the researchers see the fruits of their labor so directly. (If anyone at Pfizer is reading this… thank you!)
We continue to hike a lot on Mt. Tam and the Marin Headlands, and I have now hiked over 100 miles this year. One of my resolutions for the year is to hike – and document — at least 10 miles a week on trails, and so far I’m on pace. Recent outings have included a ‘backwards’ Dipsea (7.5 miles from Stinson to Mill Valley, best known for the annual foot race in mid-June in the opposite direction) and two trips up to the scene of a WWII airplane crash in which eight men died. It’s a spooky, sacred place which is not particularly easy to find. See http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_13891918 for the whole sad story.
The highlight of the last two weeks – if not the year – was a four-day, three-night trip to Yosemite last weekend, courtesy of John and Jo Ann. They rented a three-bedroom house in Foresta (a tiny community inside the park about seven miles from the valley floor) and invited us along as their guests under the pretense of a delayed wedding present. Or maybe they are still feeling guilty about pawning their eccentric Bengal cat Pinjii off on us almost four years ago? Anyway, Yosemite was absolutely gorgeous in snow and with relatively few people around – words simply can’t do justice to the place, so I’ll let Leslie’s photos tell the story.
I’m keeping busy with three sailing committees (PHRF and two at CYC), reading a lot, and watching Netflix movies. Two Friday nights ago, we had the pleasure of seeing some excellent live music at Schoenberg Guitars in Tiburon — Kelly Joe Phelps and Corinne West. It’s an intimate ‘living room’ setting, just 35 seats, and free wine and cheese is served before the show and at the intermission. KJP has long been one of my favorite blues guitarists, though this most recent reincarnation is more folk-oriented. Great stuff – check it out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZk_r7aud3E and others).
One more exciting thing to report: Leslie applied for, and was accepted, to the three-day National Lung Cancer Partnership Advocacy Summit in Denver in early May. Only 50 people have been invited to this event,
It’s ten days into the New Year already – time flies when you’re having fun! It’s also been just over ten days since Rob starting taking criz – still no side effects or noticeable results (i.e., the cough persists). However, it supposedly takes about a month for criz to do its magic. Patience, everyone — especially Rob!
Marnie, the family wit, even wrote a long doggerel (i.e., bad poetry, a multi-generational family tradition) about the subject called Waiting for the Criz to Work, set to the tune of “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”. With her apologies to Otis Redding, here are the first two verses:
Waitin’ for the Criz to work
I’ve been coughin’ like a pack-a-day jerk
Ten rounds of chemo done
Can’t remember what it’s like to have fun
I’m waitin’ for the Criz to attack
Crushing my tumor, beating it back
Ooh, I’m waitin’ for the Criz to attack
Wastin’ time
We’ve been busy with house guests (Steve and Kathryn from Lopez), but I was able to sneak away for a couple of days to photograph migratory birds in the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Thousands of snow geese use the refuge and nearby rice fields as a winter stop over, as do sand hill cranes and many other water birds – it was spectacular!
Over 100,000 snow geese were counted at SNWR in December.
Keeping a watchful eye...
Sand hill cranes in the fog at the Cosumnes River Preserve.
Sand hill cranes - mating ritual or territorial dispute?
We’ve been hiking almost every day, and logging miles on trails at Pt. Reyes, the Headlands, and Mt. Tam (Rob is leading our newly-formed ‘2011 hiking challenge’ with 30 miles already logged this year).
Half-way through a 9+mile hike at Point Reyes. (Photo by John Comstock)
Steve and Rob at the "Serpentine Power Point" on Mt. Tamalpais.
On Saturday, we enjoyed a fun wedding, that of Morpheus buddy Tim Parsons and Jane Stewart. Of course, we’re procrastinating on the big things (estate planning, house projects, condo sale, etc.), but running out of excuses not to tackle them soon.
On a sad note, one of Rob’s old Connecticut friends, Bill Langan, passed away recently after a two-year battle with leukemia. Bill, just 55, was an all-around great guy, as well as a prominent naval architect in Newport, RI. Rob and Bill knew each other since college days, and would bump into each other at regattas in warm places every now and then. In the last year, when both had been diagnosed with cancer, they corresponded more frequently. Bill will be missed by his wife Candy, their two kids, and all who were lucky enough to know him.
A 1974 picture of Rob (bottom left), Bill Langan (next to Rob), members of the Brown Sailing Team and friends. See Scuttlebutt for the rest of the story.
Stopping for tea at the deserted Mountain Theater on Mt. Tam, the day before starting "criz".
Thursday, December 30, was a long day full of milestones. First, and most importantly, Rob began Crizotinib. We were at Stanford most of that day, as Rob had three blood draws and two EKGs while the staff monitored his reaction to the new drug over two hours. All went smoothly, and there have been no side effects yet, which bodes well. We’ll know within a month if the ‘criz’, as we fondly call it, is doing its thing – either through the regularly-scheduled CT scan in early February, or if the cough subsides sooner. Happily, criz is a twice-daily pill, not an infusion – though we still check in with Stanford every three weeks for the same routine described above.
Marnie rewrote the Langston Hughes poem in honor of the day (“The snow done frizzed me; Pfizer done crizzed me…”) and Don Wieneke is guilty of embedding the old Huey Lewis song “I Want a New Drug” deep in our subconscious. We are optimistic that this new targeted drug will work, and the odds are seemingly in our favor – something like 70% of the patients in the trial have had success with it so far, and it is being heralded as a breakthrough drug. Rob is only the second person at Stanford to get the criz, and apparently the other man has responded well.
Two other things of note occurred last Thursday: John Comstock retired after a long and distinguished career at the San Francisco VA Hospital, where he was chief biomedical engineer. Among other things, this means Rob will have a weekday hiking buddy other than me. They’re looking forward to hiking, kayaking and maybe even backpacking more often now – and they have even formed a 2011 hiking challenge (more on this later, perhaps). The other thing was that the UConn women’s basketball team’s amazing winning streak finally ended at 90 games, much to Marge’s (Rob’s mom) dismay. At least they lost to a worthy team, Stanford. We even thought briefly about trying to see the game, as we were right there – but not for $200 a ticket to scalpers!
Yesterday afternoon, John, Jo Ann and I braved the cold, drizzly weather to search for long-eared owls (there were 9 of them!). Even in the bad lighting and through many obscuring branches, I managed to get one in-focus portrait of these beautiful birds.
Long-eared owl.
Last night, we ate dinner and toasted the New Year with John and Jo Ann in front of their fire – particularly nice during the cold, damp weather. Actually – no surprise – we didn’t really make it to midnight. We were home in bed by 11 pm, just like the old married couple we suddenly are. This last year was an emotional roller coaster ride, and we are glad to get it behind us. We are hopeful that the upcoming year will be a better one but, as always, we are grateful just to be here enjoying one day at a time.
All the best to our many friends who have been following this blog. Thanks for being there for us – onward to 2011!
Fireworks from the 2010 Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade.
