"My fiancée, Jutta Gilstrap, is a special education teacher who likes house animals," wrote Howie Whitfield. "We visited Olympic Peninsula, kayaked Straits of Juan de Fuca, stayed at Lake Crescent, toured Hurricane Ridge and visited Catalina Island. (Photo 1 at Maggione's in Bellevue, WA, left to right: Sarah Nicosia, Erin Frey, Lynn Frey (daughter), Eric Frey, Howie, Jutta, Dawn Nicosia (daughter), Dean Nicosia, Lauren Frey). All three granddaughters are in college at Washington State, studying to be school teachers."

Frank Mayberrycompleted his Clinical Trial for myeloproliferative disorder at the Huntsman Clinic in SLC during 2012. That didn't limit Frank's and Eve's travel, "getting the camper out to visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park." In May it was Arizona to see friends from Turkey, then grandson Colin and his dad Tristan in Long Beach, CA; they also visited Eve's brother in Las Vegas, and then took friends from South Australia to Grand and Bryce Canyons. Heading to Gatwick (UK), they visited Eve's brother in Crawley, Rudyard Kipling's Sussex home, then to East Preston. Next was Berlin, concentrating on Prussian Kings and Queens Palaces, joining Viking River Cruises at Magdeburg for nine days along the Elbe River, including Wittenburg, Meissen and Dresden. Prague was five nights, then on to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Christmas ('12) was Palm Springs, February ('13) included an ocean cruise for 20 days from San Francisco to Sydney, with stops in Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, then to Hawaii for a cottage near Hilo. (Photo 1A: Frank and Eve at Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic--old medieval town, Castle Spire in background)

Frank and Eve flew into San Francisco 24 January 2013 to meet friends from Australia, and then drove to Point Arena; boarding the Queen Victoria for a 20-day cruise to Sydney; they stopped in Maui, Hawaii, Samoa, Bay of Islands and Auckland, NZ, returning 13 March. In April '13 they'll go to Panama City, FL, then Biloxi, MS; in June it's to daughter Kari's family in Pagosa Springs (CO), riding Chambres-Toltec Railway. In September it'll be England, Kiev, cruising the Dnieper River to Odessa; and, their last 2013 trip is to Long Beach.

This trip for Ben and Hideko Furutawas to Hotel Europa in Montreal: "Hideko and I were starting an eight-day St Lawrence River Cruise. Especially interesting was Halifax and the cemetery of the Titanic Victims. Canadian rural scenery was fantastic. (Photo 2 was Epcot Center in Florida on a later trip. Left to right: me, Hideko, Lorine (son Craig's wife), Kevin holding Cordelia, Craig's daughter, Craig, Elise, Reiko (my daughter) and Matthew). We were having a family vacation. Interesting in that Epcot/Orlando is not far from Bartow where I had primary pilot training. It was my first time back to Florida since 1960! Hideko and I ended with a visit to Miami."

"Photo 2A of Ann is from Koblenz. Ann and I had so much fun on the class-sponsored Rhine trip in 2011, we came back for the Christmas Markets' Cruise in 2012," wrote Gordy Flygare. "Nearly all towns have commissioned souvenir cups, and we collected a few. Knowledgeable travelers said the Danube Christmas Markets are even better. The Rhine is always fun with wine, beer and wurst--Gemütlichkeit was everywhere! The red-capped dude with white beard took a shine to Ann, but I was able to talk her into coming home with me."

"For Christmas, I decided to help the homeless in Laguna Beach," wrote Bill Zersen. "I found that 55-70 people sleep in a secular city shelter there. I made up seventy Christmas cards with $5-$10 in each. Four neighbors supported the effort with cash. At 7 AM I went to the shelter; receiving permission from the manager, I gave a three-minute sermon and asked them to line up. After praying for several, and having envelopes left over, I went to Laguna to walk the Beach and gave away the rest of the envelopes."

Class Meetings. "There were 13 Stalwarts at the DC-60's January 2013 luncheon," wrote Tony Burshnick. "Attending were Ken Alnwick, Tony Burshnick, Tom Burke, Les Querry, Leon Goodson, Bob Badger, Ralph Lalime, Norm Haller, Mike Loh, Bill Hockenberry, Jerry de la Cruz, Bob Fischer, Al Johnson."(Photo on Class Web Site--Groups/DC/.") The Colorado Springs' group met January 16^th; attending were: Tony Bilello, Jim Glaza, Bill Hodson, Wayne Kendall, John McCullough, Bruce Mosier, George Pupich, Fred Porter, Pete Roe, Duck Waddle,Denis Walsh.

"My son Dax and I went to Germany over Xmas and had a great time. We arrived at Luxembourg Airport Christmas Eve and departed New Years Eve, the day after Dax's 21st birthday," wrote CT Douglass. "We visited my adopted son, Sandi, who is civilian manager of NATO F-16 and A-10 simulator training, based at Spangdahlem AB near Bitburg. He and wife, Donna (ex-F-16 pilot) are ordained Baptist ministers, and have two toddler daughters. We enjoyed sauerkraut. Dax lives with me near Stillwater, MN, and works in St. Paul at a fast food restaurant and completes his Special-Ed class work for autism in June."

Leaving home in Plano, TX, Art and Pat Lewis (Photo 3) returned to Art's home state of Massachusetts for a week of family reunion and sightseeing trips in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, with his two sisters and their families, while attending the wedding of his great-niece in Byfield, MA. In addition to the wedding, they enjoyed a home-cooked lobster and steamer dinner in Kennebunk, luncheons with family members at DiMillo's in Portland and Michael's HarborSide in Newburyport. The trip ended with visits to the Kennebunk Beach and scenic ocean views at Plum Island, near Newburyport.

"We flew to Venice for daughter Liesl's "Save Venice Concert" with the Venetia Antiqua Ensemble, before going on to Croatia and Mostar" (Photo 3A: Jane and Bob with view of the old bridge--Stare Most--in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Later, Bob added: "We endured the effects of Sandy Hook's Hurricane, although we were without power for two weeks, and had no telephone or internet for several days," wrote Bob Odenweller, of Bernardsville, NJ.

"This year while I was on Route 66, Mom passed away. She was 98 and travelled the world," wrote Les Hobgood. "We had an informal graveside ceremony; the majority of attendees were members of the Texas Corvette Association, arriving in 20 Corvettes for their 'Club Mom.' 18 months after my 'Baby Deux' (Corvette) was pulled out of a backyard where she sat 37 years, we headed to the TCA Corvette Show to win Best-In-Class. Then it was to Chicago on Route 66 for 5400 miles, stopping in Palm Desert (CA) to let Earl Van Inwegen inspect the car for damage. In October, Baby Deux was awarded a Top Flight Blue Ribbon with a 99.1 score! My lady-friend Cindy and I also squeezed in a week in 'Frisco riding cable cars, weekend in Fort Davis, TX visiting the MacDonald Observatory, and Big Bend Open Road Race, finishing Third."

But Wait--There's More! This issue contains tales involving 34 classmates. Now, go to our Class Web Site and access "Groups/DC/" for their January '13 photo; then, go to "Latest Class News" for photos of Les Hobgood's beautifully-renovated Corvette.