Rick and Emily Francona wish you all the best in 2019!

Some highlights of our 2018...

Home

 


The house on Tichenor Cove - Rick makes a new sign


Whales continue to play in front of the house


A new windsock every year - a cause for celebration


The guys (age18) - Nikki (black nose, female) and Pasha (male, white nose)


View from the house


Top left: Nanci Johnson"the fitness mistress"
Top right: Roy and Karen Butts
Bottom left: Randy Schmucker and Cheryl Cherise
Bottom right: Reverend Rick marries Cathy and Stan Hitt


Dr Bob Adams on a short visit to Port Orford


Rick with a martini at the grill - does it get any better?


The new ride - 2018 Acura MDX

Travels

Sonoma Wine Country
Our annual anniversary pilgrimage to the grapes - we have been married for 36 years


With Paul and Cathy Peschiera at Rockpile


Lunch at Francis Ford Coppola with the Matskos and Peschieras

 


With Dr Bob Adams and Carmen Paloma at their winery in Cloverdale


Mazzocco - the "mother ship"

Las Vegas, Nevada
A few months in Sin City


The iconic Googie-style "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign at the south end of the Strip


Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area


Valley of Fire State Park


Left: Sloan Canyon Petroglyphs (a five hour hike) into the wilderness area
Right: Hoover Dam


Top: White-Faced Ibis, Northern Shoveler, American Robin, Cinnamon Teal


The Strip


Left: Friends - Fellow cruise speakers Bob and Barb Aalberts / Barbara Breuer / Kathryn and Ben Perry
Right: Pia Zadora / 4Front / Kelly Clinton-Holmes / Cali Tucker


Goddaughter Melissa, husband Bernard, and their daughter Ellie Jewel

 

 


Goddaughter Nikki and husband Tim Pense with their son Rowan
They could't be here for the holidays, but here in spirit


Christmas with goddaughter Melissa with husband Bernard and daughter Ellie


While on a tour of the flightline at Nellis AFB), Rick saw an old friend - USAF 62-4135, now a sexy tricked-out RC-135W Rivet Joint (top right). He knew her as a "plain Jane" RC-135M Rivet Card (bottom right) flying Combat Apple and Burning Candy missions back in the 1970s. Still beautiful, despite the bulges and appendages that come with age....

In the lower left is Rick with Jake Simmons, his first supervisor on the RC-135 in 1972. This is the first time they have seen each other in 45 years. Jake lives in Las Vegas.

 

La Quinta (Palm Springs), California
We spent much of the winter in the desert


Rick - a Life Member of the Vietnam Veterans of America - returned to
Palm Springs in the summer (122 degrees) to be the keynote speaker
at the Vietnam Veterans of America National Leadership Conference


A rainbow, sunrise, moonrise from the house


Visitors:
Paul and Cathy Peschiera - Jim Mills and Beth Myers (top)
Dr Bob Adams and Carmen Paloma (left)
Gary and Jennfier Robertson (right)


Rick was asked to speak at the World Affairs Council of the Desert


Gathering to watch the Career Builder golf tournament -
on TV and from the patio on the 18th fairway!


Clive and Linda Clark - Linda and Dave Smith
Emily with neighbor Susie Knudsen


Carmel, California
Quick trip to visit friends


The Carmel Mission, Junipero Serra memorial, and Twigery (Mike and Cheryl Merritt)


Sculptor Edward Drapkin and his wife
(and fellow e-club Rotarian) Natasha Lipkina
Top: Mike and Cheryl Merritt
Bottom: Niniv Ibrahim - Rick's Arabic langauge instructor 1974


Mexico
A fun trip to Cabo San Lucas

 


Our favorite taco restaurant

 

Click on image
Rick singing with the band - in Spanish!


The villa - Gubanador #22


In and out of the tropics at the Tropic of Cancer line
(More photos/information)


Florida
Quick trip to see family and friends


Top left: Rick and his mother Jeanne
Top right: Rick and brother Larry's family
Bottom left: Niece Christin's kids
Bottom right: Rick and niece Christin


Johnnie and Ruth Ainsley - Melbourne

 

 


Lynn Herndon - Cocoa Beach
Pierre and Louise Joly - Valencia Lakes
Rick spoke to the veterans group


Rancho Murieta, California
The Independence Day Parade


Top: Local girls - Jeff and Samantha Maas and daughter
Bottom: The Matskos and us

Rick's grandkids


Love the shirts - always good to see FRANCONA on a jersey!

^Above left: Alexa and Bella / Bella (#23) and Alexa (#32)
^Above right: Bella on her 11th birthday (we share the date)

 

<Left top: Back to school - Bella (11), Dante (14), Dominic (18), Alexa (10)
<Left bottom: Dominic was accepted at the University of Pittsburgh

 

CNN
Rick finished his sixth year as a CNN military analyst, but as in all things, we have decided that the time has come to part company

Mini-Reunions: New Brighton High School - Class of 1969


Barbara Hallman-Parr (La Quinta, California)
Mickie Herr Wilcox (Vietnam Veterans Convention, Palm Springs)

Left: Briggs Matsko (Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Geyserville, California)
Top Right: Philip Smith and Jill Thompson Varga (Class of 1968 - Banning, California)
Bottom right: Briggs Matsko and Jim Jackson (Folsom, California)

 

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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