In September we toured Wales and Ireland with both daughters, Colleen and Kelly, our granddaughter Paige, and Kelly's husband Cornell. For us two it was partly nostalgic with visits to Newbridge-on-Usk and Cwmbran to retrace our 1971 summer in Wales. We all visited Dolgellau and the Hafod-dywyll farm where Connie's Welsh ancestors had once lived. In Ireland, from where Don's O'Leary ancestors originated, we had County Clare as our base and from there visited Limerick, the Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, and historic sites of 6th-century Glendalough monastery, the neolithic Newgrange burial mound, and the mystical Hill of Tara.
The highlight of the trip was a four-day "Anglo-Welsh" narrow-boat adventure through the 200-year old Llangollen canal, which we piloted by ourselves through beautiful Welsh countryside, atop soaring aqueducts, through locks, under old stone bridges, often passing other narrow-boats (as in the watercolor), with occasional moorings to either enjoy a pub or to bed for the night in our bunks.
Thanksgiving we celebrated our 49th anniversary on the island of Maui
December, 2017