Happy Holidays December, 4th 2012. We are in the midst of a much
anticipated winter storm here in Reno,
on the eastern slope of the Sierra
Nevada. Ellen, Patrick, Nicholas, Catherine and Thomas
are in fine health and great spirits.
In Winter, we started the
year desert camping, hunting and motor
biking in southern Arizona. In February,
Patrick returned to Mexico to continue scoping out a comprehensive business
development and conservation plan to develop sustainable fisheries in the upper Gulf of
California. The livelihood of 2.5 million Mexican fishermen and their families
depend on the Gulf resources. In 2012,
Ellen and Pat completed two in-depth project. Ellen finished developing a predication/forecasting
models for the telecom industry and then completed with Pat an extensive data mining/
biology compendium database looking at the impact of habitat and predation upon
the massive decline in Nevada's Mule Deer.
It was a herculean task assembling the raw data but in the end the deer
will be better managed.
In the Spring , Nick and Pat along with some friends and hunting dogs took a motorcycle/fishing/ camping trip through the Sierras up to the Oregon/California border. Nicholas is in his last semester of Civil Engineering. A natural fixer, he could convince a vegan to eat steak and enjoy the experience. His interests are to work in the booming Canadian Oil fields (Alberta) where he spent many Octobers being home- schooled. Like both his grandfathers, he likes to know how things work. God help the Canadians, he is a force to be reckoned with.
In April, Cate, our independent and very "Happy Hipster" left her idyllic lifestyle in Tucson to work for AmeriCorps in the Mogollon Rim (near Flagstaff, Arizona). She loves being in the outdoors like her mother. She packs her reading books alongside her camping gear. And in the fall after her AmeriCorp stint, she returned to San Francisco to pursue her writing and reconnect with the vitality and intellectualism of San Francisco. She couldn't get us tickets to the World Series. But like the elections, the good guys won impressively.
In June, Thomas finished
his last two years mastering Mandarin at the National Taiwan University in
Taipei and returned this June to the University in Reno to finish his studies
in Asian history. He is amazing with a
deep understanding of past events -- the who's, what's, when, where's and
whys. An impressive educated man. He hosted Pat and Ellen in Taiwan for 3 weeks
and without his mastery of Mandarin, the
visit would have been much less colorful.
Instead it turned into one of our most memorable adventures.
Tom is scheduled to complete his degree with Nick in the early summer. Thomas brings his Taipei street habits home, demanding
we drink oolong tea, behave civilly and listen to calming new age music. And he still brings his laundry home.
Late summer, Patrick and Ellen traveled to British Colombia to meet
Canadian fly fishers for a fishing conclave.
We had a spectacular trip catching the large native Cutthroat Trout on
large dry flies, a favorite of Pat's.
Our encampment was in the midst of the awesome Canadian Rockies. The trip extended on thru October in Saskatchewan with camping,
dog training water fowling, upland hunting and visiting many friends who
love dogs and fine English shotguns.
In the Fall, upon returning from the Canadian Prairie and the Giant sweeping the World Series, it was on to Chicago for Patrick and Ellen the day after the 2012 presidential election. We stayed several nights at the Chicago Fairmont where President Obama, his family and staff celebrated their victory. The city was charged from the results. Patrick took the 40 minute drive back to his childhood home in the villages of Barrington and Trout Valley, Illinois. It was dreamlike, extraordinary memories of happy days of trout fishing, camping skiing and having a Huck Finn youth. Ellen met her relatives for dinner, all were giddy over the Obama victory. They're holdovers' from the Daley machine. After Chicago, on to West Lafayette, IN, where Ellen and Patrick's Professor from Purdue was being honored by the University. We were invited to attend the celebration that weekend. A dinner and awards evening honored a great man, Dr. Charles Rhykerd . His children came and it was a special honor and a memorable gathering of the "best and brightest" of Purdue. The next day Ellen and Patrick toured the campus and were amazed how well Purdue was doing. It was a wonderful experience to see our labs and fields that meant so much during our graduate studies. As a graduate student, one seldom has time to explore outside one’s own research and course work. We concluded that Purdue was like M.I.T. and Cal Tech “on steroids”. What an amazing science and engineering school.
In the Fall, upon returning from the Canadian Prairie and the Giant sweeping the World Series, it was on to Chicago for Patrick and Ellen the day after the 2012 presidential election. We stayed several nights at the Chicago Fairmont where President Obama, his family and staff celebrated their victory. The city was charged from the results. Patrick took the 40 minute drive back to his childhood home in the villages of Barrington and Trout Valley, Illinois. It was dreamlike, extraordinary memories of happy days of trout fishing, camping skiing and having a Huck Finn youth. Ellen met her relatives for dinner, all were giddy over the Obama victory. They're holdovers' from the Daley machine. After Chicago, on to West Lafayette, IN, where Ellen and Patrick's Professor from Purdue was being honored by the University. We were invited to attend the celebration that weekend. A dinner and awards evening honored a great man, Dr. Charles Rhykerd . His children came and it was a special honor and a memorable gathering of the "best and brightest" of Purdue. The next day Ellen and Patrick toured the campus and were amazed how well Purdue was doing. It was a wonderful experience to see our labs and fields that meant so much during our graduate studies. As a graduate student, one seldom has time to explore outside one’s own research and course work. We concluded that Purdue was like M.I.T. and Cal Tech “on steroids”. What an amazing science and engineering school.
Patrick's youngest brother (of eight children), Mark Collins
Maxon, named after Michael Collins the martyred Irish revolutionary , completed
his theology program and was ordained a diocesan Priest in the Roman Latin rite
in 2012. Mark is 51. He was in the Army in Virginia for 4 years, returned
to earn an engineering degree, a P.E.,
married then divorced (annulled) and worked as a hydrologist for seven years. He spent
six years in the seminary studying for the priesthood. Although not a Jesuit, he has the schooling. Presently,
he works for the Fresno Diocese in a parish where the Pastor is almost
as young as Mark. At last, our Irish mum (88) got her last earthly wish!
Speaking of Irish Mums, Ellen’s mother turns 90 this December and Ellen will join with her
four sisters in Arlington, VA to
celebrate the big birthday this December
before we head to Arizona and Mexico.
Genevieve is a vital and energetic woman who has traveled the world, was
educated at the University of Chicago, raised five daughters, and learned to
trout fish. She is well and fit enough
to be in her 50's.
To end on a more pastoral note, our garden this year was superb. With
keen interest from Nick , a hearty rototiller, plenty of compost and an
impressively hot summer, the Maxon Farm produce 2 pound heirloom tomatoes, eggplants,
kale, potatoes, lettuce, chilies, bell peppers and a young RATTLESNAKE.
The backyard was so lush it attracted the young rattler that lived under
our air conditioner. We live in the
foothills of Reno, amid wild mustang
horses that eat from our apple tree, or Mule
Deer that fed on the alfalfa fields close by,
the quail and doves that fed each morning in our front yard, or the red tail hawks that often nested in the
back yard and great horned owls that hoot in winter evenings.
Mother Nature abhors a vacuum and so as the seasons change we age and the cycles seen and enjoyed by more mature eyes, the Maxons come to be more thankful for the bounty and blessing bestowed upon us. This is the time of year to celebrate the joys of the past year and to appreciate the future filled with wonder and hope. It is certain that goodness and righteousness prevail.
Mother Nature abhors a vacuum and so as the seasons change we age and the cycles seen and enjoyed by more mature eyes, the Maxons come to be more thankful for the bounty and blessing bestowed upon us. This is the time of year to celebrate the joys of the past year and to appreciate the future filled with wonder and hope. It is certain that goodness and righteousness prevail.
Feliz Navidad y prospero ano nuevo or Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year,
Patrick, Ellen, Nicholas, Catherine, Thomas, Fe and Tess
Maxon
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