Robert (GeoBob) Ford's BLOG: Update on family and business--Mid-December 2017

Family News:

During the last Christmas season (2016) Karen and I traveled to Europe where we spent about two months with our older son (Bryan Ford) and our daughter-in-law (Anna Lachowska) and grand-daughter (Celeste). They now live in Lausanne, Switzerland where both Bryan and Anna are professors at the EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne); Bryan teaches computer science and Anna, mathemathics. Karen and I also spent time being a tourist in Paris, France--see one of our FB albums. Here is another FB album of our travels around Switzerland.

After school was out for Celeste we all spent a lovely Christmas and New Year's time in Spain and Portugal--most of the time on the Algarve Coast, Portugal and Seville, Spain, e.g. post on FB. See some favorite photos below:

Royal Alcázar of Seville

Plaza de España

Algar Seco on the Algarve Coast Portugal

Praia de Carvoeiro Portugal

We then spent more time in Paris and back to Lausanne, Switzerland. I stayed and extra two weeks to babysit our granddaughter Celeste. I had a wonderful time! See some pics below:

The Cathedral of Lausanne overlooking Lake Geneva Switzerland

Celeste playing in the snow in Lausanne Switzerland

Upon our return to the US we had a good spring and summer growing our hay and selling hay bales. The 2017 crop year was the best we ever had--four cuttings and over 250 bales each cutting and we had a huge crop of apples and peaches to deal with. In addition we had Karen's sister from Loveland Colorado visit for two months. See below:

Cutting hay below Mt Kinesava at our place in Rockville Utah

Apples from our 2017 crop

Peaches on our property

In September I had a month-long photography show at the Arrowhead Gallery in Set George Utah. See below including some of the photos that were for sale:

Robert Ford with some of his photography at the September show at Arrowhead Gallery St George Utah

Sunset through smoke of dry season smoke of fires on the savannas of Kundelungu National Park DRC

End of dry season in Kundelungu National Park DRC

Desert Bighorn Sheep in Zion National Park Utah

Winter storm clearing above red rocks of Zion National Park Utah

The Virgin River and golden fall colors in Zion National Park Utah

October and November's highlights included Colby Ford's wedding in Livermore and a visit from Switzerland by Celeste and Bryan with lovely trips to Death Valley, Santa Cruz, and Big Basin Redwood State park etc. Then the family all got together again for Thanksgiving (except Bryan and Celeste). Some photos below:

Zabriskie Point sunset in Death Valley with smoke from California fires in early October 2017

Harmony Borax Works mule-team wagon in Death Valley Utah

Fall colors below Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains California

Halloween pumpkins and Celeste south of San Francisco/San Mateo California

Celeste at coastal marine park west of San Mateo California

Celeste and Karen Ford at the Santa Cruz beach California

Celeste and Karen in Big Basin Redwood state park California

Fun at the park with Ford's at time of Colby's wedding in Livermore California

Bryan and Celeste Ford--our older son and granddaughter

Celeste (right) and Willa Ford (Left)--later is nephew and Celeste's only cousin

Colby and Kayla at their wedding--October 2017

Colby Ford

Bryan, Celeste and Karen Ford at Colby wedding

Thanksgiving campfire at our place in Rockville with Ford's

Thanksgiving food--with Matt and Barbara Ford

Daniel and Willa Ford

Daniel and Willa at Grafton Ghost Town near Rockville Utah

From October to December 2017 I spent some time in Loma Linda California with my sister Patricia Ford while I undertook treatments for a health issue at Loma Linda University Health Medical Center (more on that later)--things are going well healthwise--thanks to good doctors and great medical technology. Being in Southern California did give me time to re-acquaint with friends and the region (more in the next blog post). We had some nice tours to the beach and other sites including San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, the Gamble House in Pasadena and the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside. Christmas this year will be a quiet time at home in Rockville (more later); we may be traveling back to Europe in January (more later).