Dave and Jan have enjoyed numerous anniversary celebrations in recent years with trips to visit family (Dave’s three sisters and their families) in the Monterey Bay area.  This year, uncertain about whether they would be needed to help Stephen and Meagan relocate their family to a new community near Stephen’s job during the Christmas holidays, no trip was planned until, shortly after Christmas, it became evident that the anticipated move would not take place quite yet.  So, on short notice, an anniversary trip took Dave and Jan to explore St. George, Utah, and visit Cedar City (weather permitting – which it did).  St. George will be the nearest “bigger city” (70,000 population) when the move to Cedar City (30,000 population) occurs.

The city included some very colorful Christmas light displays – some of them associated with Dixie State University whose campus is in St. George.

The drive along I-15 to Cedar City is very scenic, especially when winter snows coat the mountains behind some of the area’s characteristic red rocks.

The Christmas lights on Main Street in Cedar City were quite attractive.

And though not a great deal of progress has been made yet in the construction of the house Dave and Jan expect to live in, their lot has been cleared of its vegetation, and “piers” have been sunk deep into the ground to anchor the foundation to rock far beneath the surface in view of soil conditions in the area.  The 2015 Subaru Legacy, by the way, is a recent acquisition in place of the much enjoyed 2002 Camry because of its all-wheel-drive, a definite asset in snow country.

A house under construction in the neighborhood by the same builder who is building for Dave and Jan provides a rough idea of the style of the house to be built – including a similar color scheme on the exterior.

An anniversary hike found Jan wearing the kind of clothing which has gotten little use in Southern California but will be far more useful in Utah winters!

As Dave and Jan enter their 50th year of marriage, they are looking forward to some interesting and sometimes very “cool” changes in the year ahead – hoping that you had a wonderful Christmas celebration, and wishing a  Happy New Year to one and all!