View from the Loire Valley

Photo by B. Jones. Castle in Loire Valley, 25 Oct 2019.

A photo from my Frequent Traveling Mom, who is currently on vacation in France. The shot above was taken on a day trip in the Loire Valley.

Paddling at Malibu

Me on a paddleboard at Malibu, 19 Sep 2019

Amid my meetings and travels since mid-September, I've neglected posting some photos from my standup paddleboard experience while I was in LA. I went through Airbnb & booked an afternoon with Hana Paddle Boards. This was my first ocean paddleboarding, and after doing surfing sessions in Morocco and Portugal earlier this year, I have to say I'm more of a fan of paddleboarding.

I like the idea of surfing, but I just don't have the balance or skills to really enjoy it. Paddleboarding on the other hand is significantly easier, and made for a really enjoyable afternoon at Surfrider Beach.

Another shot of me on a paddleboard, Malibu. 19 Sep 2019.

Shooting the pier.

I'm already looking into paddling experiences for January while I'm in Singapore and March while in Mexico for spring meetings.

Revisiting Elizabeth

My 2nd-great-grandmother

In the same photo album which contained the likely wedding or engagement photo of my great-grandparents Alvin and Lois, also had next to it the photo above. I believe this is a photo of my 2nd-great-grandmother Elizabeth Hayden Matthews, Lois' mother, with Lois the infant in the photo. If this correct, I'd place the date around 1902. The young boy would be Grandma Lois' older brother Thomas. Elizabeth would be about 32 in the photo. She looks pretty great for having 8(!) children at the time this photo was taken, with another probably on the way. Her son George was born in April 1903 and she had 12 children in total by 1912.

Alvin and Lois

My great-grandparents, likely 1919.

Back in July 2012, I posted the photo above in a longer writing about my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Lois Whitley. While going through a set of photos now belonging to my Mom, I found a duplicate of the photo above, which lists Lois on the back. I'm now certain the man in the picture is my great-grandfather, Alvin Read. The photo is likely dated from February 1919, when they were married. This would have been a month before her 18th birthday.

Flight Training, 1944

Leo Reid, Flight Training in California, 1944.

Back in 2012 I posted a photo of my grandfather, Leo Reid, with fellow pilots posing after flight training in Merced, California. Here's another one from the set that now belongs to my Mom.

Friday Photo - Eiffel Tower & the Seine

Photo by Patrick Jones. Paris at night, 11 Oct 2019.

Sunday in Paris

Photo by Patrick Jones. Sacre Coeur, Paris. 13 Oct 2019.

Here we are midway through the month and this is my first one of October. I've been in Brussels and Paris. Over the weekend I had an opportunity for some free time in one of my favorite cities, and I also managed to catch up with my Frequent Traveling cousin who lives in Paris. The photo above is from Sacre Coeur during the Fête des Vendanges. We had beautiful weather for a long walk through the city. I'll have more photos from recent travels in a future post.

I'm now back in VA, enjoying the run by the Washington Nationals to their first World Series. Last night our Little Leaguer also pitched an amazing two innings, with 6 strikeouts and a solid hit to deep right field. While baseball isn't my favorite, this fall it has been fun to watch.