Hinck Blog

2021 Year Review

In July we were able to do a vacation with both Pete and Bryan’s families at an Airbnb at Green Lake, WI.  We had great weather, got to do a lot of swimming, riding around on a pontoon boat , and biking on trails around the lake. Bryan and Peter gave me a canoe trip up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area as a 70th  birthday present, for which they planned and packed.  We were able to do it just after the middle of September.  It was the first time I had been back up in the BWCA since 2004.  We had a marvelous trip, a little cool at times, but the trade off for no mosquitos was worth it. The lakes were all down 2-3 feet from their usual levels due to the drought conditions Minnesota had this past year.   In October, Judy and I did a week visit in Washington, DC.  It was great fun to see the museums and monuments at our pace, many new since we had visited when the boys were young. In December we did an early Christmas weekend at a Vrbo rental in Ironwood, MI, again with both Pete and Bryan’s families.  We had a blast all cross country skiing together.

My oldest brother David died at the end of September, one month after his 80th birthday. His health had been failing over the past year; he was in a nursing home for the last three months because he was too weak for even assisted living.  We were so happy that his two older sons, Jason and Aaron, were able to bring him to an outdoor gathering we had at the end of August to celebrate his birthday.  

Judy and I look forward to more retirement travel as soon as we can end the refrain “due to COVID.”   That has certainly kept a damper on a lot of things.  Current plans include a trip to Germany this summer.

Saturday January 1, 2022