Today is Carrie’s birthday. Happy Birthday Carrie!

Carrie got to spend a good portion of her birthday with her family and with me in Ledges. I will post some of those pictures in January. It will include a picture of the aftermath of my falling through some thin ice past my knees into Pea’s Creek. That was on the chilly side.

But today is also a day for wishing an old friend good luck as he embarks on a new adventure. Shadi is returning to Jordan to continue his academic career.

I had a farewell lunch with Shadi on Thursday. It was a welcome walk down memory lane. Although he is coming back to visit now and again (he is refusing to say “goodbyes”), I’m still going to miss the guy.