Our Christmas Letter 2022 part 2

   If you have read my previous letter, you may have noticed that it stopped at the halfway point of the year the month of June. So, this part, logically will begin with July 2022.

   July

   On the first Jan and I took the trailer back to Lanesboro for a few days, continuing our tradition at Eagle Cliffs campground. Things took a downturn the next day, when we received word that my youngest brother, Paul had passed away in Duluth at 1545 in the afternoon. I did a blog before these Christmas letters with my feelings on his passing, so take a look at that blog for more detail. After that news we did our usual routine, with the fireworks at the campground with the Theobalds, me getting some riding and Jan relaxing with the trailer. We did leave the trailer with Eli, Lindsey, Leah and Aaron and they moved to another campground by Preston for a few more days in that area. Aarons' birthday was on the 10th, wow 14 already and moving up to MVL for his freshman year. The rest of the month was pretty regular summer stuff, although Jan spent some time pricing items for a garage sale for Paul and Marcy's things here at their home in St. James.

   August

   This was a fairly average month for us, with doctor appointments, Paul's estate sale and my almost annual Wyoming loop bike trip. Rachel also celebrated her birthday on the 18th while I was on the road somewhere in Wyoming, come to think of it. We had a wake for Paul at Bailey's in Ormsby on the 20th followed by scattering his ashes on the ball diamond in Odin. Jan and I did go to a few soccer games for Sam and Gus at various locations in eastern Minnesota. I see that I did start some maintenance work on our 94 Ducati, to get her out of cold storage and back on the road somewhat. Jan and I had lunch at the thrift store in Mountain Lake where our granddaughter, Leah, was working the lunch counter. Joe started college at NOVA and Annie and William headed to Robinson High School.  So much for August.

   September

   More soccer for Sam and Gus, Hans' birthday on the 5th and a few doctors' visits and my longest ride of the year. I was going to head out to southern Utah but reconsidered while on the way, ending up in southwestern Colorado again. I rode a route from Grand Junction to Norwood, Colorado that was a scenic surprise that I am going to ride again. Heading east from Montrose on a 31 degree morning and the stretch from Sterling to home in one pass. Oh ya, there was a mouse in my room at Sterling, and a recall on the BMW at Sioux City later in the month. 

   October

   October is a month with a few birthdays in our family, with William DeFor on the 14th, Jan Kuehl, my other half on the 22nd and Sam Theobald on the 23rd, I think that about covers it. Jan and I had grandparents' day at MVL with Leah and Aaron on the 13th and 14th, and more soccer games with Sam and Gus. I am also taking some tests to see if some of my health problems might be caused by my service in the USAF, time will tell, I guess. Towards the end of the month, I made a short run out to the Hills before the weather gets too cold for trips like that, also turned the BMW over to 70k miles along there. Earlier in the month we had a killing frost that froze the green leaves on the trees before they had a chance to fall off, kind of unusual to say the least. 

   November

   It seems like a lot of November is getting ready for what comes next in this part of the world, just like death and taxes. I had a VA test at the hospital in Spirit Lake, Iowa on veterans' day of all days, after which Jan and I drove up to Mankato for the usual freebees. MVL also has a very nice veteran's day program every year that I have been to since Leah, and now Aaron attend high school there. I did some maintenance work on the Triumph, changed oil on the Mustang, which also got a fresh set of tires. Believe me 265/35/20s are not cheap! A nice touch was that the day after the pleasant weather tire change, we got 6 inches of snow, so the GT went into storage for the winter. Rachel and Hans celebrated their 20th anniversary, can't hardly believe it's been that long since that magical wedding ceremony at the Conservatory!

   December

   The 2nd of December was a big day. The new B-21 stealth bomber was revealed, Eli reaches the milestone of 8k hours in his quest to be allowed to test up to the next level as an electrician and I-we, ordered another Ducati Multi Strada. Jan and I had lunch at our bank in Ormsby. Mars, which has really been on display this fall slid behind the full moon on the 8th, quite a sight. We actually made the drive to Chatfield one Monday night to watch Sam and Gus play basketball, diving right from soccer to basketball. Hopefully the weather will cooperate the next few months and we'll be able to see some of their games good Lord willing. As I am writing this final installment, it is at a -41-degree wind chill with a blizzard warning until sometime on Saturday, the day before Christmas. This year we are to gather at Eli and Lindsey's home for Christmas, hopefully this weather moderates somewhat by then. Tonight, it is a day later and if anything, the weather is worse than last night! Jan and I pretty much stayed indoors and putzed with things, as the internet was down from the night before. You never know how much you depend on the internet this time of the year until it is not working. Things are looking somewhat murky with Christmas this year, with the weather being such a beast, I guess we will have to see what tomorrow brings. I find it kind of depressing, that so much time and effort are put into celebrating Christ's birthday. I imagine it would be somewhat unorthodox to maybe celebrate some other time of the year. After all we are celebrating His birth not just the day. The important thing is that He was born for us on a day sometime in the year. The actual date is really immaterial, we have just chosen the 25th of December to remember His birthday. So, with that I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year, may our next trip around the sun be a good one.

   Pete Kuehl   2200 12-23-2022