Rick and Emily Francona wish you all the best in 2018!
Some highlights of our 2017...
Cruise Ship Speaking (it's a tough job....)
Top right: RIck with fellow speakers Ambassador Marc Ginsberg and Brigadier General Nick Halley
Bottom right: Rick and Emily with the Blue Nea jazz duo - they were on both cruises
Countries visited on our two cruises - click on image for more
Norway
Scotland
Cyprus
Belguim
Israel
Suez Canal
Military aspects of the canal
Palestinian Authority
United Arab Emirates
Jordan
Oman
Other Travels
Mexico (click on image for more)
"Reverend Rick" officiated the wedding of Melissa and Bernard Froehlich
Port Townsend and Sequim, Washington
We attended the Wooden Boat Festival with Dave and Carol Elliott, and visited with for Port Orford resident Millie North
Monterey Peninsula
A coffee klatch with Rick's Arabic language instructors and mentors of 43 years
Cambria
A visit with our Port Orford personal trainer Nanci Johnson at her winter escape house
Sonoma Wine Country
Our annual anniversary pilgrimage to the grapes - we have been married for 35 years
CNN
Rick finished his fifth year as a CNN Military Analyst - and has re-signed for 2018
Home
The annual windsock launch
Second Amendment Saturday
Flowers on the property
Emily at home - in Muscat, Oman - the sound of freedom (we are under USAF refueling track 8A)
Personal trainer Nanci Johnson and I in the annual Jerry Can Race - "Hauling Gas" won our division
The Guys: Nikki (black nose) - Pasha (white nose)
Rick speaking at the Rotary District 5110 Conference
Reunions
The Combat Apple 50th anniversary reunion
Rick flew with this squadron in 1972-1973
Left: Rick (Life Member of the VVA) with President John Rowan - both served in the same squadron
Top right: Rick (Vietnamese) with fellow Combat Apple Vietnam veterans Jim Polk (Chinese) and Don Liddycoat (Russian)
Bottom right: Rick with fellow U.S. Air Force Arabic linguist Heidi Wall
Impromptu Desert Storm Reunion, Dubai, UAE - 26 years later
Pen with the Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon, a gift handmade by my Vietnamese language school roommate Sandy Edens
Brigadier General Bill Weber, US Army
Colonel Bernie Dunn, US Army
Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, US Air Force
Rick's grandkids
Bella (10) - Bella and Alexa (9)
Dante (13) - Dominic (17) and Bella
California gray whale off the deck in Port Orford, Oregon
Roadrunner in La Quinta, California
Hoopoe (also called a Hudhud) in Dubai, UAE
La Quinta
We spent much of the winter in the desert
Visitors / Friends
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______________________________________________
Rick
and Emily Francona
P.O. Box 1421 - Port Orford, Oregon 97465
rick@francona.net - @MiddleEastGuy
emily@francona.net
www.francona.com - www.rickfrancona.com
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