Andy, Wren and a week in the Arizona desert

Andy, Wren and Wren’s father, Rich, spent a week in the Phoenix area visiting with Rich’s mother and other family members.

In addition to family activities, Andy and Wren explored local hiking trails, the Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Garden, Fountain Park and the Musical Instrument Museum.

They were staying in the suburb of Fountain Hills, northeast of downtown. The town's Fountain Park features, yes, a fountain, which sprays as high as 560 feet for 15 minutes each hour, like a man-made geyser. (Click photos for larger view.)

Here's a sampling of Wren and Andy's photos from their trip.

Fountain Hills, Arizona

Hiking trails

(We assume this was in the zoo, not on a trail)

Musical Instruments Museum

Desert landscape

Sunset along the road

Dolores wins 2 awards in county arts contest

Two pieces of Dolores's artwork took first-place awards in an annual Creative Arts Contest conducted by the Baltimore County Department of Aging.

The prizes were in the watercolor category, for a painting titled "Glengarry," and the fabric arts category, for a collage called "Monday Morning Breezes."

A delegation from the county, with a TV crew in tow, visited Oak Crest Village to present certificates to Dolores and to another resident of the complex, who won a second-place award for woodworking. In the photo here, Dolores is holding the collage and a county representative holds the watercolor.

"With each presentation, I was asked how I came to do each, what were my inspirations, and especially with the collage, describe some of the textures, things that I used in the piece," Dolores said. "The collage is a copy/derivation from a watercolor that I did in high school of some back yards in Corning. I found it a few years ago, and did a larger, better (I hope) version. The collage is loosely based on that. I also have a miniature version, so I’m getting a lot of mileage from it!"

The colors of October in New Jersey

Trees reflected in Speedwell Lake

Dan writes: A favorite activity of mine around my birthday is to spend a day driving and walking through woods, to take in the autumn colors. This year, that day was dreary, but the next was beautiful, and Julie and I took a short drive to my original hometown of Morristown. We stopped first at Speedwell Lake Park for a pleasant stroll amid the trees at the water's edge. 

We then revisited Frelinghuysen Arboretum, where we've gone several times in different seasons.

The wide variety of trees there made for a wide variety of colors.

Back at home, I prepared a couple of pumpkins to serve as our Halloween decorations, incorporating squirrels' bites into the design.

Jamie lands 'dream job' - She and Christine will move to California later this year

Christine and Jamie at a park near their NJ home

Jamie is about to begin a new job as a game designer with Riot Games, the developer and publisher of the very popular League of Legends multi-player online video game.

Starting Sept. 27, Jamie will be part of a team that designs “skins,” which customize the appearance of characters in the game, and develops in-game and in-person events.

“This is a dream job for me,” said Jamie, who received the employment offer from Riot while recovering from surgery last month. She is recuperating nicely at home in Hamilton, N.J., where she and Christine moved this summer to be close to the surgical specialist.

Jamie will work remotely for the first few months. Then, the couple will move to Southern California, and Jamie will join her team at Riot’s headquarters in Santa Monica. The company will provide relocation assistance, and Jamie and Christine are now researching neighborhoods in Greater Los Angeles.

For the past two and a half years, Jamie worked as a software developer at Visible Body, which develops apps for medical professionals. Her office was in Newton Upper Falls, Mass., although the company switched to remote working in Spring 2020 due to the pandemic. Jamie previously worked at Boston Productions, a developer of interactive exhibits for museums.

The move to Southern California will be a new adventure for Jamie, who grew up in New Hampshire, and Christine, a New Jersey native.

Charlie celebrates third birthday

Vivien posted these photos of Charlie, celebrating on Sunday at Grandma Kathy's summer house in Noyac. "So proud of our big kid! Happy 3rd Birthday to Charlie!"

A Midsummer gathering at the bay

The last days of July brought beautiful weather to the east end of Long Island, and this flock of family members was lucky enough to all be there to enjoy it.

Dan and Julie rolled out from New Jersey for a five-day stay at Fair Play. Vivien, CJ, Charlie and Austin joined Kathy at her summer home. And Genevieve, John, Bea and Jack spent the weekend at their cottage.

Family friend Robert was also in Noyac, mooring his sailboat off Mill Creek. He and Kathy treated Dan and Julie to a sail around Noyac Bay, something they hadn't had a chance to enjoy in the past few years.

The weekend was the first opportunity for Dan and Julie to meet their new grand-nephew Austin, born last September in the midst of pandemic precautions. They were captivated by his near-constant smile.

It was the first visit of the season for Dan and Julie, and they made the most of the good weather with a hike on Jessup's Neck, a visit to a North Fork winery, and a day in Montauk, where they enjoyed the beach at Hither Hills State Park, a walk on a wooded trail and an evening concert on the village green.

Here are some photos Dan took of wildlife on Jessup's and Montauk Light at sunset.

Christine & Jamie make a move to New Jersey

Christine and Jamie (and their cats) have moved into an apartment in Hamilton Square, N.J., for what's most likely to be a six-month stay.

A combination of circumstances led the couple to relocate to Christine's native state. In March 2020, they moved from a suburban Boston apartment to the home of Jamie's father, Paul, in Nashua, N.H., in order to save money toward eventually buying their own place. That move coincided with the onset of the pandemic, and Jamie has been working remotely ever since. Paul retired this spring, and decided to put his home on the market and move to Florida. Meanwhile, Jamie has scheduled surgery with a specialist near Trenton, N.J., during August, which will require a stay of several weeks in the area.

So, rather than find another apartment in New England, Jamie and Christine looked for a place in the Garden State - and landed in the same town where Christine's older siblings, Marie and Danny, grew up. They were fortunate to find a newly renovated apartment in a building in a nice neighborhood, across the street from a large county park. 

They took a six-month lease, expecting that around yearend, Jamie will return to working in the Boston-area offices of medical-app developer Visible Body - or perhaps will have found a new job in the game-development field.

Birch Street Web editor retires from 'day job'

Dan pays last visit to Hoboken office, June 29, 2021

After more than 45 years as a working journalist, Dan retired June 30 from his most recent employer, Green Street News.

His career began in local radio news at WSTC-Stamford and WOBM-Toms River. That was followed by 21 years at The Associated Press in New York, Washington and New Jersey, 12 years at The Star-Ledger newspaper in New Jersey, and nearly 11 years at the business-newsletter company known as Harrison Scott Publications until its 2020 acquisition by Green Street Advisors.

The past year and a half was quite eventful. Dan was promoted in January 2020 to lead editor for two of the company's four publications (Real Estate Alert and Commercial Mortgage Alert). The next month, the company was sold. The month after that, its office in Hoboken was closed due to the pandemic. From March 13, 2020 onward, Dan worked from a home office he set up in daughter Christine's former bedroom. From there he was able to manage the two newsletters' reporting teams, edit articles and train new editors.

The months of working from home allowed Dan to avoid long daily commutes, take daily walks with Julie - and, obviously, let his hair grow. It made the transition to retirement seem less jarring, with no change in his everyday surroundings. "And it seems that Julie can stand having me around the house all day - good practice for being together in retirement."

Among Dan's plans for his new-found free time is reviving The Birch Street Web, which has fallen behind in chronicling the doings of our extended family. He asks your help in filling in the blanks of the past year or so. Please submit your photos and tidbits of news to birchstreetradio@gmail.com

Julie completes term as Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary President

Julie has completed her year-long term as president of the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary Club - an unusual year, to be sure.

Taking office a few months after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Julie faced the challenge of keeping the club operating and continuing its mission of community service. She succeeded by innovating -- conducting meetings on Zoom, moving fund-raisers to various online platforms and staying in constant communication with other club officers and members.

Club members responded to the crisis by sewing face masks, initially to donate to health-care workers and then for sale to the public, raising over $1,500 for area food banks. Throughout the year, FSP Rotary continued providing support for local, regional and international charities.

With the help of other dedicated Rotarians, Julie kept the club moving forward in spite of the disruption and limitations caused by the pandemic. As immediate past president, she will remain an active member of the club's board, and is taking on the role of assistant treasurer.

Sings of spring and hope

As we begin a second year of life in a pandemic, there is at least some hope that the ongoing rollout of vaccines will reduce the risk before too long. Hugh and Dolores have received a two-shot course of vaccination through their Oak Crest Senior Living Community, and grandson Chris received his first shot through his employment with the Cecil County, Md., school system. Others of us are still waiting for availability.

Meanwhile, Spring approaches! These crocuses, on a church lawn, were the first to be spotted this year by Dan and Julie during one of their walks around their New Jersey neighborhood. "Our own little patch of crocuses was buried under a big pile of shoveled-up snow and hasn't emerged yet," says Dan. "We're looking forward to seeing them and all the other flowers that fill our neighborhood every Spring. Even more, we're looking forward to being able to travel and visit family again when it is finally safe to do so."

The first big snowstorm of 2021

Julie waves from the back door at Birch Street HQ

The beginning of February brought heavy snow to parts of the Northeast. The storm moved up the coast on Monday, Feb. 1, and the snowfall continued throughout Groundhog Day in parts of the region.

Among places of interest to our extended family, accumulations ranged from 2-6 inches around Baltimore to about a foot and a half in the northern Catskills. (The highest accumulations reported by the National Weather Service were 35 inches in Nazareth, PA, and Mount Arlington, NJ.) Coastal areas saw far less snow, mixed with rain. 

Cathy shared these views of her suburban Philadelphia neighborhood on Monday afternoon. Accumulations of about 8 inches were reported in the area.

At Birch Street Headquarters in New Jersey, Dan measured more than 14 inches on the ground on Tuesday afternoon, with occasional snow showers continuing.

In upstate New York, Andy and Wren had about 16 inches on their porch Tuesday morning, with light snow still falling. That was on top of about 5 inches already on the ground from occasional snow in recent weeks.

Southern New Hampshire had about 10 inches as of Tuesday morning. Here, one of Christine and Jamie's cats watches the snowfall on Monday evening.

Throughout the storm, Dan and Julie's backyard birdfeeder was very active. "It must be the only restaurant open for miles around," Dan remarked. As seen above, a female Cardinal, a Chickadee and a couple of sparrows were among the visitors. Others included Dark-Eyed Juncos, House Finches, Tufted Titmouses and two varieties of woodpecker. And, in the photo below, an American Goldfinch (the official state bird of New Jersey) stopped by briefly.

Here's hoping for a good year ahead

Dan writes: Before January passes by without a fresh post, I thought I’d share some New Year’s thoughts.

Buh-bye, 2020

The year past was difficult in many ways. There were happy highlights: Vivien, CJ and Charlie welcomed baby Austin; Andy and Wren purchased and moved into their home in upstate New York, and announced their engagement; Genevieve and John took ownership of the Noyac cottage that has been in the family since the 1960s. 

But there was also loss: Wren’s mother passed away, an early casualty of Covid-19. Family events were canceled and we missed one another's company. Risk of contagion forced us to limit our activities and made anxiety a backdrop to ordinary life.

The start of 2021 has brought hope for progress against the pandemic that is now in its 11th month in the U.S., but also doubts about when life can get fully back to normal. The development of vaccines provides hope; their disorganized distribution and the emergence of new virus strains create doubt. The formation of a government dedicated to overcoming the health crisis, and the hard work of healthcare providers, bring hope; the continued resistance from anti-science and anti-social forces raises doubts. 

While we hope for common sense to prevail, I wish all our extended family continued health and safety, and look forward to a time when we can again visit one another in gatherings large and small. In the meantime, please keep us posted on your activities so we can share them here on the Birch Street Web and continue Keeping In Touch. 

Thanks, and have a wonderful year!

A very 2020 Christmas get-together

Keeping up holiday tradition as well as possible under the circumstances, Kathy hosted a virtual version of the annual Yonkers Christmas party on Dec. 27. Family members Zoomed in from up and down the East Coast to exchange Christmas greetings as well as wishes for a much better 2021.

In this checkerboard version of a family photo, we see (top row) Austin in Florida, Dan & Julie in New Jersey, Kathy in Yonkers, and Genevieve with Jack (and John off-screen) in Manhattan; (2nd row) Kevin, Kathy and Kevin in Yonkers, Vivien, CJ and baby Austin in New Jersey (Charlie was napping), Andy and Wren in Middleburgh, NY; (3rd row) Ellen and Owen on Cape Cod (with Lizzie offscreen), Beatrice upstairs from her mom, Christine (with Jamie offscreen) in New Hampshire and Marie in Virginia; and (bottom row) Kelsey and Patrick in northern Westchester (visiting Kelsey's parents), Brien in Yonkers and Mary (with Roger offscreen) in Malta, NY. Also taking part but not captured in this screenshot were Shanna, Rick and Lucy. 

Snow scenes from mid-December storm

The first significant snowstorm of the season hit the Northeastern U.S. on Dec. 16-17. Among our family members, Andy and Wren seem to have had the heaviest snowfall: About 28 inches, as measured on their deck the morning of the 17th.

While they've had snow on their northern-Catskills property before, this was the deepest since they moved in at the end of January.

Most of their chickens took one look at the piled-up snow and opted to stay in their coop. This one ventured out, hopped atop the snow and tried to plow its way into the yard before retreating.

At Birch Street headquarters in New Jersey, there was far less snow than forecast: maybe 6 inches instead of a foot-plus.

With no need to go anywhere, Dan and Julie were able to just enjoy the view. (And paid a couple of enterprising young men with shovels to clear their driveway.)

The Philadelphia area was about as far south as the snow reached.

The city received 6-7 inches in what the Philadelphia Inquirer called the region's first major winter storm in 1,000 days.

Cathy took these photos of the pretty scene as the snow fell in her suburban neighborhood.

Distanced Thanksgiving 2: Game Night

Lisa and Doug continued, in a fashion, their tradition of hosting a party on the day after Thanksgiving. Although unable to share crabcakes and ribs, family members enjoyed seeing and talking to each other and, as in years past, playing games together - this time via video conferencing service Zoom and online gaming sight Jackbox. Joining in from their homes were Dolores and Hugh, Julie and Dan, Cathy, Chris, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Christine, Jamie, Andy and Wren. The virtual gathering went on for some five hours.

Distanced Thanksgiving: Sharing greetings online

Holidays like Thanksgiving are made for getting together with the people you care about. But caring about people means keeping them safe, so amid the continuing pandemic, our family's gatherings were sharply limited this year. Making the best of the situation, we used technology to share holiday greetings from our separate homes.

Dan and Julie held an "open house" on Zoom, with various family members dropping in at different points in the day. Marie, Brian and Xander joined from Virginia; Christine and Jamie (with kittens) from New Hampshire; and Andy and Wren (with chickens) from upstate New York. From various points in Westchester came Kathy and Robert; Patrick and Kelsey (with puppy); plus Kevin and Kathy (with Jasper), Shanna, Rick, Lucy, Kevin and Brien. Genevieve and John, Bea and Jack zoomed in from Manhattan and Vivien, CJ, Charlie and Austin from New Jersey. Jamie's mom, Bonnie, and dad, Paul, also popped in with Thanksgiving greetings.

"It was wonderful seeing everyone and getting to relax and chat together, even if not in person," Dan said. "To get to visit with so many of our favorite people made the day feel special. And without the holiday traffic!"