2020 Year in Review

2020 was not a good year for a lot of people. And a lot of people didn’t get to see the end of it, including my dad who died in a nursing home in Texas in July at the age of 76. But there were some silver linings to 2020. Here were some changes for us in 2020.

First, before COVID struck, we got high speed internet in February. In retrospect, it was a key moment of 2020. Without it, it would have been imposible for both of us to work from home. It was barely possible for one of us to WFH with our prior internet speed.

2020 was the first year I owned skis, and we made use of them once, before COVID hit. Thanks to the nudge from Matt at Argyle Brewery for setting us on the path.

2020 was also the year we (Jill) became a beekeeper. I get to enjoy watching them as Jill does all the work maintaining the hive.

We also raised more chickens and turkeys this year. The chicken hatching didn’t do so well, but our turkey pair delivered. We raised over 24 poults this year and shared with our friends. I love having turkeys, they are so curious. They follow you around and because they are imprinted on you look to you as parents. But that also means tolerating turkeys pooping on your porch and car for most of the year.

Parly because of COVID isolation and parly from existential considerations stemming from my Dad’s death, I redoubled my effort to get active and hike more of the Adirondack High Peaks. Up to 2020 I had hiked 2 of the 46 high peaks. In 2020 I hiked 5 peaks. I also hiked a bunch of new local trails near Stratton and Bromley mountains that are on the Long Trail and offshoots.

We also made it a priority to try new ponds to paddle this year. There are so many amazing places to paddle within an hour’s drive. We are so lucky.

Jill bought a printing press this year and turned the basement into a print studio. She cranked out beautiful prints all summer and exhibited her work at the Argyle Tasting Room in Cambridge. The project was sponsored by a local art grant.

In October I finally took the Game of Logging (GoL) training. I couldn’t pass it up as it was hosted by a neighbor down the street from us. The Game of Logging is really about the physics of dropping a tree with a chainsaw. I’m a tree hugger, but living in the woods means sometimes you have to take a tree down. I wanted to be able to do it myself and do it safely and with accuracy. If you own a chainsaw, you need to take this course. I learned so much. And it was fun.

2020 Year in Review

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