The Gillespie Bunch: 2011

Deer Valley, Utah March 2011

Christmas Newsletter, 2011
Christmas newsletters are usually light hearted, and hit on the high and fun spots of the year. 2011 was not that kind of year. For starters, the winter season was dry and cold, but there was lots of New Mexico sunshine, which does not warm the heart of a hopeful skier. Our mountain was open 9 days, total. The line dividing deep snow from little snow was just south of Vail Colorado. So we did have good, and even exceptional snow there.
The dry forests of the west went up in smoke during the fire season. 156,000 acres burned to the west and north of us, burning most of the forest we hike and ski in. Pajarito mountain ski area was spared a major hit, just two chairlifts damaged and only 30 percent of the forest burned. The fire crews did a heroic job of saving the area and the new water storage we had for snow making helped. That is a major grief for us, so much beauty lost and it won’t return in our lifetime.
We did have a week of skiing at Deer Valley, Utah in late March. It was good, but there was some spring snow that was really sticky and not much fun. There also was powder and packed powder and that was fun.
In April we joined our hiking group in Bluff Utah for several days of hiking at Natural Bridges National Monument, and Comb Ridge near Bluff. Nice weather helped to make it a good week. In May we drove to California, spent four days with Jeanne and Andrea and David. Santa Cruz was cool but I enjoyed the flowers and walks on the beach. After Milt’s doctor appointment in Ventura we drove to the Getty Museum. It is a beautiful building and we did an architecture tour as well as seeing the new exhibits. We also spent three days at my brother Ken’s in Palos Verdes. Then on home, with a restful stop at La Posada Inn in Winslow Arizona.
Now I come to the part of the year that was most difficult. When Milt had a CAT scan for a routine condition a tumor was spotted on his kidney. After many delays and two months later, he finally had surgery to remove the kidney. The pathology report was positive for renal cell cancer. For the next year he will have a blood test and x-ray every three months and a CAT scan every 6 months. The doctor says it was a slow growing cancer and his prognosis for full recovery is good. He is back to his usual active lifestyle and is feeling good. Our friends and our church were most supportive during this difficult time, their prayers and help was and are greatly appreciated.
We plan to ski at Vail in November and December and enjoy the winter once again.
So the year may end on a happy note. All our children are doing well. Our grandchildren are growing into adult women and men, with only one still in childhood. I've posted some pictures of the family on a separate blog.
Merry Christmas to all and may you have a new year filled with love and joy.

Update from November:

We survived the opening day crowds and poor conditions at Vail. Milt skied over 200,000 vertical feet. We had a relaxed and fun Thanksgiving with Janet, Doug and Aven. Milt had his chest x-ray and blood tests for cancer and passed with no sign of the cancer spreading. I, Kathy, will have cataract surgery December 8 and 22. A much needed operation as my eyesight gets steadily worse by the week. As to the weather, still dry with very little snow here in New Mexico.