Redundantly, 2015 is almost a copy and paste of 2014. Not entirely of course, same place, same great garden, fresh produce. Again no big trips or vacations. But, life always brings change and variety. Following the good advice of my kind doctor, I'm excercising more. I got a bicycle to increase the aerobic quotient and now I enjoy quick sprints as breaks from sitting at the computer. I am living greener to the extent I can, rarely driving, etc., so zipping around the heighborhood on a bike also fits that lifestyle direction. Doing photography mixes well with biking just as does hiking. Here follows a photo gallery with some news and some same stuff with newer photos and older people.
I scored this mountain bike at a second-hand sports store; the pink cables were once red. I'm not climbing mountains yet.
Click images for larger views.
Daily walking is another important health regime. Most mornings, neighbor Rick and I get in an hour walking or trail making.
His and Carla's dogs, and sometimes other people and pets, join in. We bushwack new trails in the forest, maintain paths,
follow
old
logging roads, visit people, deliver eggs, encounter the elk herd, watch salmon spawn, and throw sticks a lot, even saw a mountain lion.
Corry and cousin Jen, visiting from Washington, made it up to the big tree grove, albeit Jen noticed her tooth surgery as
her blood pressure climbed. Two of my trail goals coincide, visiting the grandest trees and picking chanterelles in the Fall.
We have permission to walk local properties surrounded by national forest. Here's Jen, Carla, Cory and Rick, off to visit big trees.
Cousin Annie (left) and husband Gerry visited from Quebec after an Alaska cruise with Gerry's siblings and spouses, here John and Chris.
We walked to the Sentinal tree at Mark and Sharon's. This truly impressive, branched, old fir is a towering little forest on one stump.
We got to spent time catching up while hiking, picking berries and vegetables in the garden, and preparing a fresh, organic lunch.
Certainly, the garden is the major locus of my health regime, providing exercise plus quality food, lots preserved for all year use.
Garden and yard was also my major project focus of the summer again. After two years of
open-pollinating sunflowers,
cosmos,
marigolds, and other flowers, the third year planting benefitted with some spectacular sunflowers and selected-for-color flower spots. 
The freezer is full of vegetables, fruit, and berries, I'm enjoying plum, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry smoothies all year long.
Gardening and photography combine best in my viewfinder during sunflower season, when the bees are alight and the day is bright.
We now have a great stash of both flower and vegetable seeds, so come and get some, starts too. The collection just keeps on growing!
The grape trellis is in full production. Likewise, the berries are now well established plantings producing heavily. The orchard yield improved. 
Sara's dinner plate dalhias grew into a perfect colorspot centerpiece to the yard, with great size and a profusion of blossoms.
Sara visited around Corwyn's birthday, perfect timing to enjoy the garden. Everett, Christine, and Jonah put together a party.
The excited birthday boy had lots of fun and was so anxious to open presents after dinner, he asked me to chew faster.
The house viewscape keeps improving with time, new plantings, and landscape projects. While hiking I encountered Todd and Louie
about
to fell a giant, leaning fir for firewood. I came home for the camera. After I admired the butt as a potential picnic table,
Todd delivered a giant bolt with his front loader. I moved it into position and leveled it while teaching Corwyn about leverage.
For my other exercise regime, firewood, this year again Todd allowed me to help maintain his property by removing unwanted filbert trees.
Just two weeks ago the giant, deceased, double maple across the road fell, blocking the roadway.
For a few hours of Todd's tractor time,
I moved
the bulk of the wood across the bridge to the yard. A great stash of good hardwood and firewood is getting wet. Come and get a slab.
Todd's long chain bar helped cut off the best section (below). We also hired Todd's tractor to mow vegetation in midsummer just before fire season.
My new exercise gym is happening. With all the wind storms and downed debris, I also scored two loads of chips, one fir and one deciduous.
Perhaps I'll grow
some mushrooms with them,
more direct food than mulching the berry patches.
I'm experimenting with simplified methods
of spawning shitake on bolts. Next Spring the results will be in, meanwhile a teaser fruiting on an old log. Mycelium runs well in our climate.
A didjeridoo festival is held at neighboring Prindal Creek Farm each year, so we glean the garden to help feed the crowd.
I traveled to Portland one weekend and photographed the occasion of Lynn and Sue's wedding. What fun we old friends had.
Here Randi, Sue, Lynn, and Leann share memories from long decades ago, even longer ago than they waited to legally marry.
After a decade wearing out a $3,000 Aerostar, I found a mint, even older, low mileage model for $1,800, nearly a twin, same color even.
Neighbor Dorothy visited the garden less frequently this Spring and Summer, and she has since moved to assisted living.
She is missed here in the neighborhood. She lived out here, recently on her own, to near 90-years-old. Bravo!
We welcome Lana to the hood.
On the health front, I've been well, another worrisome mole removed, blood pressure normalized without medications—just diet and exercise.
I'm looking forward to a busy year ahead with even more exercise than this year. Recently, more exercise seems to fall from the sky.
That's my annual summary, like last year's except more garden produce and I'm 66. My research news will update soon in the ArchaeoBlog.
From my home to yours, here's wishing you a Merry Holiday Season and all the best in 2015.
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