Nocturne #1 in Pajamas

A little movie of Susan and Sam étuding for the pleasure of our guest, Aunt Carolyn. (Reminds me of Gershwin. The music, I mean, not A.C.) And farewell to Aunt Carolyn, whom we were happy to have join us overnight last week and this. See you next time we are in Columbus!

The latest theological question

Why did God create animals that eat people?

To her credit, Susan did a nice job talking about the Fall.

Getting ready for, and excited about, taking Sam on his first camping trip at Higley Flow State Park. Just an overnight while we are up at camp. If all goes well.

Also thinking of a little hike from Adirondack Loj to Marcy Dam, near Lake Placid. The trip to the Rockies got me in mind of this. I had briefly courted the idea of camping overnight up there, until I realized there aren't any toilets, which might be too big a leap for Sam.

What else? A trip to the science museum, where there was a new exhibit on the brain.

Science museums are hard to do well.

In an effort to translate the cool ideas into something that works on a kiosk, they tend to turn into simple games, short looping movies, science toys, or, well, freak shows. The brain exhibits included all of these. A looping movie on the brain; a variant of the old game "Operation" which had something, I suppose, to do with brains--I can't recall what; not one but two kiosks talking about trephining and holes in the head; and a bigger demonstration about information traveling down synapses, represented by balls rolling through chutes.

Balls through chutes! Long-time readers will recognize an obsession of Sam's.

Unfortunately, like two or three others, it wasn't working.

This didn't stop Sam from staring at it, studying it, trying to figure out how to fix it, and even approaching complete strangers to tell them about it and ask for their help. Many times he urged me to talk to the staff (which I did as we were leaving), and we returned twice to the exhibit--I suppose on the off chance they'd sent someone up to fix it.

He really wants to go back. [Update: As of Monday, it was fixed, and Sam fix-ated!]

What else? Had some trampoline time at Katrina Boris' graduation party (fun was had by all); waded in the creek; met some neighbors (Trevor, 4, and Luke, 6, who were splashing each other in the creek in a spontaneous aquatic reenactment of the Civil War); wrote birth-parent letters and repeated Sam's life story to him.

Oh yes. The other picture shows Sam and Susan working on a Lego city for Sam's new snakes. To his meager collection of three tiny snakes from Colorado (Lime, Orange and Lava), he now has several larger snakes, a surprise gift from Aunt Ruth. And Sam hates to see his snakes homeless.

Oh, hey! Can't quit without the Wildlife Update™ . Back in Colorado Marlene almost stepped on a Bull Snake, and again the coyotes came closer to their house this week--Marlene, am I remembering this right?

Of course, while we were gone in Colorado, a black bear wandered into the area. Males come up from the south in warm weather (they really can't come from the north) looking for ursine romance. This guy wandered around the 'burbs, and is expected to head south again in due time. Folks in our church spotted him wandering across the main road into Penfield, heading toward a park we visit from time to time.

Must be the good weather--the wildlife's encroaching from all sides. In the nearby ridiculously named suburb of Chili, a deer burst through a window and ran through a family's house. Ironically, they had recently moved from the city to avoid break-ins. Young Brandon did what anyone of his generation would--shot footage with his cell phone:

"Oh yeah, obviously,” said Brandon Wilson. “I'm a 20-year-old kid just waiting for things to happen. That's why I have that type of phone just in case something does happen. I'm always ready."

Makes me proud to be a Rochesterian. :-)

A good weekend. Hope yours was as well!

Get Well, Zoe

Zoe went in to the vet today to have a tooth yanked and to get an x ray, since she's been losing weight and it's unclear whether the problem is cancer or her kidneys.

So Sam drew her a get-well card.

Here it is.

Okay, a movie or two.

But first, a deer. Wandering through our back yard.

Also, two bunnies frolicking in our front yard.

We are back in Rochester. Sorry to leave Erie, but nice to see the grounds again, humble though they may be.



The movies:

• From last week. I was taking a very brief break from sessions to read a paper at the conference, when I was spotted by Susan and Sam, who had just been swimming. Remember, this is in the Rockies at a resort/conference center.
• From the flight back (Denver to Chicago). We were bored, so played a little three-way Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock (which we learned about from Big Bang Theory).
  

Hope they amuse...

Erie!

A quick post from Erie, CO, close to Boulder, visiting with Tim and Marlene and cousins Meghan and Erin (Joe returns tomorrow from church camp in Nebraska).

Both Erin and Meghan have played with Sam today, though especially Meghan were stuck together today. One of their favorite activities was making water balloons and then putting them on the trampoline while they jump and run around.

Also tried to get Sam up in an airplane with Tim, but he wasn't into it--so Tim and I went up alone. Tomorrow Susan and maybe Sam.

Wildlife report: Heard the coyotes last night howling happily. Seen quite a number of jack rabbits. And loads of chirpy birds which we don't see in Rochester.

When they first moved out here, they found five black widow spiders on their property, though only one was in their house, so I suppose it's not worth worrying about.

That's it for now! One more day here, then Sunday morning we fly back to reality... We will be very sad to say goodbye to the Colorado cousins!

Addendum: Saturday--Great day! Morning at a roller-skating rink, afternoon at a water park, evening on the trampoline. Ah... Truly a delight and a blessing to see our Colorado kin!

Aspen!

Sessions in the morning, then afternoon in nearby Aspen.

Simple day: Short hike at a nature centery place. (Shown here.)

Today we learner that the beautiful black-and-white crow-sized birds are magpies. And twice we've seen what a local tells us is a scrawny coyote sniffing around. Nice to see new animals. Took the scenic route to spot elk on the way home tonight, but no luck.

Then a visit to a little park with a stream running through it. Sam and I went across the clear icy alpine water to explore a little island there.

Then he played for a LONG time with Sophie, a 7-yr-old who has two older siblings and was happy to be the knowledgeable one for a change. We chatter with her British mother who runs, with he husband, a restaurant up in a nearby valley between two peaks, which in the winter is accessible only by cross-country skis or horse-drawn sleigh.

All in all very pleasant.

Then returned library books, and wandered around and found a restaurant to eat at, the Red Onion. Ate outside while a hammered dulcimer was played nearby. Sam had a waffle while we ate trout, views of quaint buildings and mountains all around. Extremely pleasant.

Also pictured: a concrete structure in a small playground in downtown Aspen.

Tomorrow we drive four hours out of the mountains to Erie....

Snowmass Village

Sunday we got up at 5 am, flew to Chicago then Denver, then drove four hours into the mountains to a little resort town called Snowmass Village, which is next to Aspen.

It apparently snowed here Saturday. Sunday it was in the 50s. Monday it was in the 50s and rainy.

And Monday we came as close to calling an exorcist for Sam as we ever have. Let's say he was having some entitlement issues.

Much better today.

Today it was sunny and in the mid 70s. We are at the Anomalous Absorption Conference. (I'll be impressed if anyone can figure out why, and just as impressed if anyone cares!) It's a small conference, always at resort towns. There are sessions in the morning and the evening, and the afternoons are free. So this afternoon we went to a hike near the Maroon Bells peaks. The brave go up to Crater Lake; we went on the "Scenic Loop", which was just the right speed for the three of us.

It was gorgeous, as you can see from the photos. Windy but warm in the sun, and everywhere you look an amazing vista. Makes us want to hike in to Marcy Dam in the Adirondacks this summer.

The hotel has two outdoor heated pools, where Sam floated around and chatted amiably with two other scientist's kids who get credit for being very patient with a boy much younger than them.

Then we went in to Aspen. I've never seen so many art galleries and clothing stores in my life. Even Gucci and Prada (didn't notice the Devil).

We are thankful to God for a good and done talk this morning, for a much better behaved Sam, and for the beauties of his creation. Wow.

Two days and we head out of the mountains to visit Tim and Marlene--what a treat! It's been too long.

The Devil's Bathtub

Swimming and hiking:

Took Sam to Mendon Ponds Saturday afternoon. What fun! This time we hiking the trail past the Devil's Bathtub. You drive up a steep hill and park next to a shelter, then hike down a steep path and proceed with the trail.

Not sure why it's the Devil's Bathtub. It was a pretty little pond. No sign of demonic bath toys.

It was a maybe an hour long, and the map was terrible, so there was a fair amount of guesswork involved. There were no trail And of course I ended up carrying Sam part of the way, even though he's able-bodied. In fact, when we were almost done with the hike, a very friendly pair of retirees was kind enough to suggest to Sam that he count the steps up, and yell the number back down to them. Seventy Five!

As we went up by the shelter to get in the car, Sam noticed a fellow and his daughter shooting a pneumatic rocket into the air. Naturally he wanted to observe close-up, and they were very friendly and happy to have Sam participate in running down the rocket! Gotta get one of those...

Also shown here, Sam at swimming lessons. Last week he went under accidentally and recovered after a few tears, but has been stressed about the lessons. So it was a relief that they went well this time. He's got a great teacher who has a real way with young kids. This summer he spends a week on the lake up at camp, and a week at the Jersey shore, so it's a perfect time for him to get some experience in the water.

It's late, and that's the news!

Memorial Day

Spent last weekend in Columbus visiting kin. In the intervening time all of the details have been forgotten, so here are pictures with captions!

First, Sam in a new house handed down from cousin Emily. In this photo it's set up on M&D's porch, with sheets draped from it to the nearby furniture to make tunnels.

Had some fun on that porch. Monday morning a thunderstorm rolled through. Sam and I sat on the porch reading a comic-book version of Treasure Island while the lightning cracked and rumbled overhead.

Second photo: Mom's pond and garden are in full bloom, and she had Sam's assistance feeding the hungry fish.

On Memorial Day, the Westerville Collinses had the family over for a kosher-hot-dog feast. Here you see Uncle Stu and Cousin Em on Sue's new swinging bench.

The one person who doesn't show up in the group photo is Amy's friend and colleague Johnsi, who is from India and visiting Columbus' Chase branch for six months.

Johnsi's interesting in part because she's Roman Catholic as well as Indian. She reported that the Catholics aren't an embattled minority, at least not where she's from on the west coast. Though there are clear dividing lines between the RC's and the Protestants, who won't intermarry. As she put it, "We worship Jesus and Mary and pray to the saints; they only worship Jesus."

She was very pleasant, and we are hoping it was a relief to her to get out of her hotel room.

We made the rounds at the local playgrounds. You see here Stu and Em on an interesting teeter-totter.

One thing which was noteworthy about this trip: For the first time, with Sam, we made it in 6.5 hrs. He's old enough now that we didn't need to stop for a meal. So nice!