This is the official Annual Report, keeping to the restriction that the entire report fit on a single page (front and back). If you want to print a copy for yourself, this PDF version is probably the best way to do it.
Jim and Linda
2006 was a very eventful year for us, with several milestones ticked off. We’ve decided to handle the trail markers chronologically, beginning with
Linda and Jim’s 40th Anniversary, April 9, 2006
Yes, it has been 40 years since those two naifs were legally joined together. The kids insisted that we celebrate the occasion in the Bay Area. They thoughtfully arranged a couple of nights for us at a romantic cottage in Jenner, where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean, just up the coast a bit from the prime birding spot of Bodega Bay. Then, we returned to civilization for an outstanding dinner at Lalimes, a restaurant in Berkeley. Read More...
Kai Austin Hargrove, May 10, 2006
This beautiful baby, our first grandchild, arrived on May 10, after what was described as an ?uneventful delivery.? Claire claims that it was like a party, with several family members present and one of Amy?s fellow midwives in attendance. We waited almost a month before descending on El Cerrito with Jim?s Mother to see him with our own eyes and not via the medium of video Charles emailed us. Kai is robust, healthy, with a cheerful smile and a delightful laugh. His parents and grandparents are smitten.
For more about Kai, check out his page, or the photo gallery.
We Move Next Door to Our Old House, May 30 or so, 2006
That’s right. We moved across the driveway, thereby achieving the minimal address change possible, 1 bit.If you’re one of the quaint people who like snail mail, our new address is 6101 Bend O River Dr, Austin, TX 78746-7201.We still have some friends from the old house, as this photo shows. We moved in order to get a bedroom on the first floor so that Linda’s mother, Lil, could move in with us. She took over the master suite while we are camped out in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Jim now lists his occupation as homemaker whenever he has a form to fill out. Lil is one of the most appreciative house guests in history, constantly raving about Jim’s cooking. The new house is even closer to Barton Creek than the old one. Come see us and check it out.
A Jungle River Cruise with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, October, 2006
Birding continues to be a passion. In October, we took trip to three South American rivers: the Orinoco in Venezuela, the Essequibo in Guyana, and the Suriname in Suriname. Many birds found in the area are extremely local and virtually unknown elsewhere. Included in the mix were two birds, a Spinetail and a Softtail, that have been discovered so recently they don’t yet have names. Jim’s new favorite bird is this cute specimen, the Black-chinned Antbird. After Jim took this photo, we discovered that our Zodiac had parked right next to the bird’s nest, which contained a begging nestling. More about the trip, and lots more photos, are on the web site. The highlight of the trip for many participants was the Harpy Eagle, the most powerful eagle in the world, which Linda spotted. The very cooperative bird stayed around for over 30 minutes while six Zodiac’s full of birders watched. Birding Milestones: 1000 South American species and 3000 World species. Read the full story...
November 7, 2006
Well, at least the election is a beginning. We think that the mild weather we have had in most of the world is due to the collective sigh of relief from a majority of the world’s population. Austin, that blue island in the middle of the red sea, now has all-Democratic representation in the Texas Legislature. As we said, it’s a beginning. (Unless he's impeached.)
Christmas in the New House, December, 2006
Since we had a nice big house, we encouraged everyone to spend the holidays with us and wound up with a very full house. Besides Charles and Amy and Kai, we had Claire and Remy Hathaway, her boy friend, as well as Linda’s sister Leslie. We also had a new non-human addition to the family, a miniature apricot-colored poodle we’ve named Chipper. On Christmas Day, Jim’s mother and sister drove up from Houston to see Kai (and the rest of us). Here’s a photo from the day, taken by Leslie.
Charles, Amy, and Kai
Linda and Jim both claim to have taken this photo of Kai at Christmas. The difference a few months makes is really striking. The new toy was part of a band in a box, consisting of lots of noisemakers. Kai preferred this maraca because the handle was just the right size to chew on. Charles has a new job, with the National Center for Science Education. This is a group that tries to ensure that our schools will continue teaching the theory of Evolution by Natural Selection rather than so-called intelligent design. Charles is the archivist and librarian. He says they have “lots of material.” He makes time for some birding with Amy’s brother, Andy Amy has returned to her midwifery, but only on a part-time basis. She makes all of Kai’s food from scratch, and he has a good appetite. Amy’s mother, Marilyn is a good baby sitter when both parents are working.
Claire
Claire continues to enjoy her job as a pediatric anesthesiologist in Oakland while living in San Francisco. She takes 8-10 weeks off each year for R&R, but works very hard when she is on duty. Having tried her hand at trapeze swinging and surfing, she is now working on her snowboarding technique at Lake Tahoe. Here she is with Remy and Linda at dinner on Christmas Eve.
Other News
We’ve branched out a bit in our nature photography. Now, in addition to spiders, we are looking for dragonflies — known as Odes to the cognoscenti — and other interesting insect life. Linda excels at finding interesting bugs for Jim to photograph. One of the most unusual is this immature grasshopper that she found on one of her hibiscus flowers. We consulted with fellow amateur entomologists at bugguide.net and have tentatively identified the bug as a Painted Grasshopper. As this insect is found in the desert, we’re not sure what it was doing on the leaf, but it gives you the scale. If you like this picture, check out the photo gallery for Dragonfly Photos, Moth Photos, Bird Photos, and Other Insects.