A convention of the publishing industry is to run a retrospective of the past year. Here’s my list for 2015:

1. Sweated bricks waiting for the first photos from Pluto on July 14 from NASA’s New Horizons fly-by…

2. …and thrilled to the news that astronomers believe liquid water still flows intermittently on Mars. The slope of Gami Crater here is cut by “recurring slope lineae,” almost certainly formed by water…

3. We zip-lined in Mexico’s Copper Canyon… 

4. …and discovered some pretty country in southwest Oregon

5. Danced at the Blondie (“Heart of Glass”) concert in Portland; at 70, she’s still belting them out

6. Stumbled upon this little “aha” puzzle: 3 identical tanks packed tightly with one or more balls. If the tanks are now filled with water, which one contains the most water, A, B or C?

July 1860: Alice Liddell (1852 - 1934) on whom the heroine of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ (1865) by Lewis Carroll is based, sitting by a potted fern. (Photo by Lewis Carroll/Getty Images)

7. Researched and wrote about the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland (OLLI course to follow on March 29). Here’s Alice Liddell, photographed by Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll.

8. Was in thrall to our local eaglecam April-June

9. Spent a month in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, appreciating (1) our cool folding bikes and (2) re-connecting with old friends. This is Bratislavia, capital of Slovakia, on the Danube.

10. Kept our Little Free Library (in the Redwood Curtain Theatre entrance) stocked and happy, despite a bout of vandalism

11. Wrote 52 weekly columns for the Lost Coast Outpost, finally satisfying my desire for an interactive blog. My original take on GMOs elicited 1500 comments—um, not 100% positive.

12. When I saw this photo, I again appreciated our good fortune to have ended up here in Eureka, not down south where the livin’ is anything but easy.

13. Finally got around to watching Fight Club.

14. Reminded myself that my favorite rock is granite, in our (practically) backyard parks—this is Bear Lake in the eastern Trinities.

15. Got a transnational root canal (endodontics in the US, crown in Mexico).

16. My first bikini shoot; I’m Mr. March in Old Town Coffee and Chocolate’s “Barista Boys in Bikinis” calendar. Please buy one to support Food for People.

17. We reconfirmed an earlier discovery: unlike the U.S., ancient ruins are everywhere in Mexico. Here’s 9th century Toluquilla (which we had entirely to ourselves two weeks ago), slap bang in the middle of the country.

18. Spent much time on the water, when everything seems different than on land — this is Mad River Slough.

19. Not forgetting the obligatory nude photo at our pal’s cabin in the southern Sierras. 

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Barry Evans gave the best years of his life to civil engineering, and what thanks did he get? In his dotage, he travels, kayaks, meditates and writes for the Journal and the Humboldt Historian. He sucks at 8 Ball. Buy his Field Notes anthologies at any local bookstore. Please.