From the Bay City to Sin City to the Emerald Isle...

More photos to come...

Hello all,

I'm sorry I haven't updated the blog in a bit. Hope that everyone is wonderful, and in particular that the new Coloradians are settling in well. We have had a busy time of it since last post. We had a wonderful trip out west to visit friends and family in San Francisco. We spent our fist few days with Ruairi's cousin Redmond and his wife and two girls. They were great hosts. After that we headed into San Francisco proper and stayed with a friend of mine from college. Major highlights included a tandem bike trip over the golden gate, a scenic overlook of the city, and great food and company. We spent one romantic night on our own out in Napa before heading to Las Vegas for three more days of fun with friends from New Haven, who are living there. A good gathering of 12 or so of us made the trip and filled every bed, couch, and floor in the house. We had a great hike in Red Rocks Canyon, and I came out $250 dollars up on my poker game with the locals and tourists. Very pleased with myself... any way, after that it was home and back to school and work for a while before our next getaway. For Easter we went to the visit the Collins clan courtesy of Maurice and Darina. It was Ruairi's brother's 30th, father's 60th, and grandmother's 90th so much celebrating was in order. All the Collins and their significant others were attendence for the first time in a long time. We had a great time visiting and catching up with everyone. On the saturday night it was Patrick's birthday and he and Mary threw a big party at the cottage. Almost all of Ruairi's friends were there too, so it was a most convenient way of seeing them all at once. I think Ruairi got to do most of the "home stuff" he's been craving- pints in the pub, a soccer match, visiting family and friends... .Anyway, we had a wonderful time:) So, it has been a busy and exciting month for the Boston Collinses. Love to all:)

C and R

Here comes another sample photo of NOLA! MMB

See ya' Raintree; Hello again Dumaine

Let's go back to early March. Louise and I made it to Houston to say farewell to Raintree Circle and wish Ann and Charlie "bon voyage". We went to the Houston Ballet and watched the sex scene in "The Last Train", which was probably beneficial for old people, and we stayed for the rest of the movie.
Then we went on for a nice brief visit with Eliot and Brooke and canoed and ate.
A sampling of photos is here. Complete collection will be sent on Flickr. Malcolm

Mal announced that they had arrived to hold an "Irish wake" for Raintree Circle and so it went. We loved having him and Louise with us. She beat us at Bannagrams as usual. My celebration of St. Patrick's Day was also highlighted by the receipt of a book from a dear friend of long years, former pastor, Les Pugh. It is a little jewel: "Traveller, Observations from an American in Exile" by Michael Katakis collects many of his letters to friends from his self-imposed exile from the US beginning in 2004. One of his letters is to Michael Palin who wrote a foreword for the book. Recommended highly Now we arfe in the homestretch of the move. Ugh! Soon Raintree will be in the opast and 6741 Quartz Way will be where our action will be.

We move April 19^th and will greet the movers on April 24^th at

6741 Quartz Way

Arvada, Co., 80007

Tel: 303 423 8481

Cells: Ann 720 202 2064; Charles 720 202 2065

Use my g mail email address after the 16^th: : chom63@gmail.com. We’ll have a new one after we get settled.

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Thank you, Brooke for posting some pictures from the Brown trip to check on the (extended) Brown family. We had a great visit to Houston, inaugurating the pool and hot tub for the season, eating shrimp and crab, dinner with Paul, Vicki and Johanna at Ann and Charlie's, taking in a lecture and Sargeant and Prendergast exhibits at the museum as well as a terrific La Bayadere at the Houston ballet - and happily, a few games of Bananagrams. We said good bye (forever, I guess) to Raintree Circle and moved on to NOLA where E and B are making great progress on their house, though we passed up the opportunity to climb the ladder and sleep with Caladea in favor of the bed & breakfast which is Brooke's first picture - a five minute walk from their house. There are new bookshelves and a general feeling of progress being made at 3218 Dumaine. We had a nice canoe trip on the bayou - as pictured - saw the dreaded -or dreadful - styrofoam alligator, heard some music and ate some French Quarter food, then back to the airport in time to get to a Crescendo rehearsal (Does anyone want tix for the concert on April 17th or 18th? All Latin Amereican music spanning 5 centuries with cool percussion instruments?) and finally home. A mini-vacation, to be sure, but it did the job.

NOla

Malcolm and Louise make a cameo appearance in New Orleans!

OMG!

If you don't already know about this, quickly go and play all the brain games at lumosity.com

I know a certain Bean who will LOVE this.