Binbin's first Jazz gig

Binbin spent the last week at Jazz and Rock camp at the Portland Conservatory of Music. It turned out there were only two other kids at the camp, so the three of them got a good deal of attention and learned three jazz tunes and Yellow Submarine. On Friday afternoon their last activity was to play a concert for the parents. Binbin played Vibraphone, piano, drums and sang. I'm trying to get the video recording down to a size that I can post to this blog. If not, I'll put it up on Youtube and post the link here.

I think I successfully uploaded the video to Youtube. Here is the URL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUXvNrxFerI

Enjoy.

Binbin's Purdie Shuffle

Well Binbin is gradually becoming a drummer. Lately he has started learning one of the most famous grooves in American drumming history. It's called the Purdie Shuffle after the man who made it famous, Bernard Purdie. You can see how he does the Purdie Shuffle on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t0VlzJeNvA.

Bernard has had a few years to perfect his shuffle. Here's Binbin's:

Since the videos of Binbin drumming seemed to work pretty well, we thought we'd add one of Binbin climbing last summer at Jockey Cap, which is on rt. 302 near NH and North Conway. This video is probably best watched with the sound off, otherwise you have to hear De-nin and I trying to coach him.

A bit longer session of drumming

Well here's Binbin at it again on this time he's improvising on one of his basic patterns he had to memorize.

A chance to see Binbin's drumming in action

We're trying out something new and wanted to give you all the chance to see Binbin's drumming these days. The sound and picture aren't professional quality, but I think you'll get the idea.

2013

Binbin is back in school today after yesterday's cancellation due to "unforeseen events." Apparently a group of unidentified teenagers decided that it would be a funny prank to let the air out of 28 tires on 15 school buses. We have the great good fortune that I happen to be on spring break from Emerson and Jack's work is flexible, but I'm sure that there were plenty of other Lisbon parents who lost pay and scrambled for childcare, not to mention the overall cost to the schools and everyone in town.

Binbin got an spontaneous playdate with Anja, and the two of them did pretty well. They have a tablet and a DS to keep themselves entertained for a bit. Then, they took to the play room where Binbin and Jack set up a mini basketball hoop over the door. Since I took our guinea pigs, Oreo and Inky, back to the shelter in January (Binbin turned out to be allergic to them), we now have space for more rambunctious physical play in the play room. The loss of the guinea pigs was just about the most traumatic event in Binbin's life, and I'll not rehearse that sad saga now.

 We still have plenty of snow outside, so the two of them ran around our makeshift fort for awhile. The snow this season...about 3 big storms 3 weeks in a row in February...has made for much better skiing than last year. Binbin's already gotten in 9 days' of skiing at Black Mountain, Mount Abrams, and Saddleback. He's got season tickets at two of those places, and he's now venturing carefully into Black Diamond territory. Carl gave him some US Ski Team stickers, and he proudly put one on his helmet.

After lunch, we played a round of Ticket to Ride...still one of our favorite games. And, since we refilled Killer with helium, Binbin and Anja took turns navigating our "air swimmer" around the house.

Anja and played groupies at Binbin's drum lesson with Ben in the afternoon. During our February break from lessons, Ben picked up the bass, and the two of them jammed a bit together. Binbin is sounding increasingly professional. Perhaps it's helped to go hear some Maine Academy of Modern Museum (MAMM) concerts recently, at the Big Easy bar and the Bayside Bowl. The first concert featured Playing for Change's "Be in Love," and it was fabulous to be enveloped by their big, luscious sound.

These days, Binbin has picked up the "Warriors" series about cats, kind of a Watership Down meets Hogwarts adventure for tween readers. He still watches Mythbusters, and peppers conversations with what Adam and Jamie have done. Jack has finished about 5 chairs, and we're waiting for the upholsterer to finish his end of it. I'm on spring break and playing scrabble with friends Denise and Lorraine from time to time. Binbin has developed enthusiasm for watching sports, especially basketball, but he'll take hockey and football, too. He and Jack stayed up late for this year's crazy Superbowl, and he picked the Ravens over the Niners, so that made him happy. Binbin still giggles like there's no end when the zombie porcupines attack. He got his first pair of glasses last Friday evening, and he really looks more and more grown-up, but I'm hanging on to every last bit of little boy.

Signs of Spring

Where has the time gone? I recall that when we came home from Deep Springs, I experienced a surprisingly profound culture shock. Now, sometimes I feel as if that time away was a dream, because the motions of everyday driving here, shopping there, cooking now, eating later, getting up, going to sleep have become fully normal. And in that time, an entire season has passed.

We skied as much as the stingy snow allowed. Binbin hit the slopes at Shawnee Peak, Lost Valley, Saddleback Mountain, and Mt. Abrams. He's a pro at getting on and off the chairlifts now, and he's eager to take on the terrain parks. He's leaving his Mama in the dust, er, in the ice.

Before we know it, we'll be returning our rentals, because the mercury is possibly going to hit 80 degrees before this week is through. Binbin has switched to baseball, and he's been going to skills and drills clinics sponsored by the Lisbon Junior Athletic League. On Sunday afternoon, we walked over to the MTM community center to hit the ball, and before we knew it, 6 or 7 kids were cycling in and out of the batting line up. I think it was just about the most small town moment I had ever experienced. Jack was just relieved that none of the kiddos nailed me in the skull with the bat. Apparently I'm not the world's best catcher. Who knew?

Binbin is back on drum lessons, too. He's been practicing the pattern for a Beetles' tune, and been working on his Ringo fill. I think he feels proud of his improving skills, but it's not all guns and roses. The snare is a bit too big, which makes it difficult to fit his little body behind that thing in such as way that he can still reach the pedals for the cymbals and the bass drum. He stood against the door jamb to the bathroom for the semi-annualish marking of his height, and I think he's gained but a scant half-inch since last summer. So, why does it look like he's wearing "floodies"?

Binbin's faves, in brief:

Reading: Lunch Lady, Encyclopedia Brown
Listening to: The White Giraffe, From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Watching: The Avengers, The Secret World of Arriety, How It's Made, NOVA
Eating: rice, cold cuts, Klondike bars, strawberries with sucanat
Not eating: goldfish crackers, burned roasted sunflower seeds, Clif Bars, Z Bars
Playing: modified house pingpong, competitive solitaire
Still loves: Oreo and Inky aka the Wheekers, the Girls, the GGs, the Poopers, the Freakers

Home Sweet Home

We were (and are still) exhausted, but Binbin is exhilarated! He endured about 55 hours in the car from December 9-18, and his reward: a playroom filled with stuff with which to be reacquainted. I heard in my mind the happy soundtrack of "Toy Story" and the toy euphoria of being played with as I watched Binbin scoot around the house on his way-too-small wooden tricycle.

It's good to be able to smile even while my eyesight is blurry and my mind delirious from so many, many miles on the Interstate Highway System.

We're starting to unpack the dozen boxes that we sent through post (Thank you for staying in business even while you are losing money, USPS). And the task to get organized seems as herculean as is seems uninteresting. So, sounds like a good time for procrastination. Hmmm...what memories do we have of the last bleary blur of weeks at DS?

Much cooking with Edward and Matt, including a delicious end-of-term meal, which including tiramisu! More slaughtering of lambs, some done in bone-chilling weather. A handful of game nights with Emily and Katie, and one final spoon challenge to end all spoon challenges, which ended in a torn 8 of clubs and wicked, triumphant expression on Isaac. A last family photograph taken by Henrik's mercurial camera. Amity picked up "Pox: Save the People," which added a fresh twist to our game selection. Brother Kenneth was on hand to wipe the grins off our face, whenever necessary (and then some).

It feels, now that we are back in our home for the first time since the end of July, that our time in the high Sierra desert was just a dream. But, we are fortunate to have evidence in the form of a digital video shot and narrative by Binbin. The voice-over is delightful and original ("...and here...we have...our toilet... "), but the shaky clips of gazing at the ground are not recommended for the weak of stomach. Now that we're back in the land of (slightly) faster internet speeds, we'll try to edit a clip. Stay tuned.

Those of you at DS, we miss you; our friends in Maine, we can't wait to see you!

still here

We're still here, and we're still having fun! We had a visit from Yeye and Nainai last weekend, and it was great to be able to show them around our neighborhood, including a hike to the Druid and a drive up into the Whites to see the bristlecone pines. This weekend, things have been quieter. Family movie night featured "steamboy," an anime film in the "steam punk" genre. That was new to us, and pretty exciting with the mechanical inventions mixing with megalomaniacs. Today, we drove into Bishop to have a swim in the hot springs again. We had lunch at the Village Diner, stopped in to pick up a few things at Manor Market, and then used up half of our credit at the used book store, courtesy of Deep Springs.

Spooky Deep Springs

Since Halloween falls on a Monday night, which is the DS night for committee meetings, the students decided to celebrate on Saturday night. While kids and parents watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, they transformed the office wing of the Main Building into a corridor of horrors, with crazed country spinsters, orange-jump-suited jail-breakers, a creepy spider-man, and occupy wall street/deep springs protesters. Binbin, who went as a strong main with packaging puffies taped to his biceps and quads, collected treats and reveled in the tricks. jack, with the help of a student body accomplice, gathered enough props to turn himself into a good-natured second-year student; and I went at the 'three pillars' of Deep Springs: self-governance, academics, and labor rendered in doric, ionic, and corinthian orders.

We enjoyed the extra company of visitors, Michael (a Deep Springer from the '70s) and his kids, Rhys and Nathan. It was nice to have others carving pumpkins and playing foosball.

Windy!

I think Indian Summer has been blown out of the valley. The temps are above freezing at night, but the wind is howling through our valley. The few trees that have been planted around the ranch form hardly a windbreak, and the dewdrops I see through my office window have frozen into solid, icy pearls.

Today is pregnancy testing day for the cows. Everyone is going to be on work duty 10 miles down the valley near the lake to operate the corrals, gates, squeezer, confirm results, etc.

Animal Adventures

Apparently, the lizards are getting chilled as fall sets in, and we are finding regular visitors in our quarters. Binbin and I caught a released two, included the bluish belly guy with the stubby tail.

Also, this morning, Binbin and Jack spent some time at the dead animal dump looking for treasures. They came home with a couple of vertabrae, some ribs, and a jaw bone with a handful of teeth.

More elements

After wandering the Stanford campus, we made our way to the New Guinea sculpture garden. Here, Binbin poses in front of the wooden thinker.



Out of order, but still beautiful, Yosemite Falls on Friday, October 14.



Water and metal combine at the fountain near Stanford's Old Union.

Elements

We went on a road trip to Northern California this past week, while DS was on break between Terms 2 and 3. The quickest way to get from Deep Springs to Ukiah requires driving through Yosemite on 120, which takes us through Tioga Pass at 9945 feet. The early October snow has mostly melted, leaving the pass open. And so, we camped at Porcupine Flats on the last day of camping, October 14th. Binbin picked out a site with a large boulder, and we set up camp before driving down into Yosemite Valley. It was breathtaking, and we were lucky to see the waterfalls, which do not normally run this time of year. Here we are at the base of Yosemite Falls



Next morning, after packing up camp, we stopped on our way out of Yosemite at the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. The short walk took us down a steep ravine to see the dead giant with a tunnel carved through it through which cars could pass. This other one died a more natural death. The trees were magnificent.



After seeing amazing water and wood, we spent a couple of hours in the middle of the week at Stanford. Here is earth, or rock, arranged according to the vision of Andy Goldsworthy.



Metal, or bronze, as Auguste Rodin cast it.



And a less inspired, water fountain with river stones, functioning effectively as a traffic circle.

In the Field

] Yesterday’s rains brought a cold front in, and it appears that summer has most definitely given way to a new season. Our apartment thermometer registered 65 degrees this morning, and it’s fallen off about 4 degrees since then.

Despite the rain yesterday, we nevertheless headed outdoors. With Amity as our naturalist field guide, we tromped around the habitat near Deep Springs Lake where one may find members of the endangered species, the black toad.

Binbin quickly spotted one in the gully, a small, dark creature, about 3 centimeters long. It has a prominent yellowish-whitish stripe running down its back. We trekked over to a nearby spring, looked at a few more, then made our way back to the college for deep dish pizza and hot chocolate.

Change of Seasons

Last weekend, just as summer was exiting, we made a weekend camping trip to Tuolomne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. On Saturday morning, Binbin made it to the top of Lembert Dome and down again, about a 6+ mile trek.



We relaxed in the afternoon sun at the south end of Tanaya Lake, protected a little by rock and trees.



On Sunday morning, we were back in the park for a last hike, this time up Pothole Dome, which led to a long series of rocky outcropping atop which we lunched and played.

P-Time

That stands for either "puppy-time" or "play-time."

Honey had seven puppies about a month ago, and they are super adorable. We believe it when they say that baby animals are good for your health, 'cuz they sure do make us feel happy.



Below, Binbin is in the bed of the truck that burned about a week ago. One student was teaching another to drive a stick shift. When smoke started coming out of the engine, they abandoned the vehicle several miles toward Deep Springs Lake. As they walked back to the college, they heard two booms and corresponding mushroom clouds as the gas tanks exploded. Now, the truck resides in the "dead vehicle dump" not to be confused with the "dead animal dump." But both apparently are good places to find souvenirs. Last weekend, Binbin came back from the Dead Animal Dump with a cow vertabra; yesterday he came back from the Dead Vehicle Dump with a chunk of melted aluminum that hardened into a puddle shape and a sprinkler.

Detour

On Sunday, we began an adventure drive that was to take us to the dunes in Eureka Valley, next to Death Valley. We drove east through Gilbert Pass, then cut onto a dirt road through the Fish Lake cattle allotment. That area is bleak. We turned right to go up, then down a narrow pass into the valley. There is no water source in Eureka Valley, so it's pretty dry and harsh. The Subaru traversed the pebbly, rocky, and sandy floor, slowly. We jostled about for quite awhile before reaching, at last, a groomed dirt/gravel road. At that point, we checked the tires, and one seemed a little low. The dunes looked way, way off in the distance, so we redirected ourselves to Big Pine. At the service station, we got gas, air, a Sunday LA Times, and a mixed slushie. Then, redirected ourselves again to Manzanar, the WWII Japanese-American internment camp in the Owens Valley. The National Park Service now operates the site as a historical and interpretive center. In WWII, over 120,000 were interned in various locations; about 1/10 of them at Manzanar, where families tried to create a relatively, normal community. The conditions were harsh and bare bones, and it was bracing to think that this kind of racist event happened not too long ago, here in the US. We headed back to our community with mixed feelings in our hearts.

Evening activities

We haven’t made it to bed at bed-time (8 pm) lately. So many evening activities capture our attention.

Tuesday’s public speeches ranged from the serious meaning of games, the mature sense of dissonance in flavors and piano chords, the importance of sleep, why one should read Hemingway, and Sweden as the source of western civilization. In between speeches, our emcee regaled us with original songs that humanized animals. He sang paeans to Magnus (the cook’s dog), puppies (they all look the same), Zane, and one of the cats.

Isreali folk dancing on Thursday evening had us twirling about and stepping on toes trying to keep up with the vigorous young men here. What dance is complete without its set of wallflowers? From the cozy comforts of a sofa, Binbin watched the frantic flailing of arms, legs along with the exceptional coordination of our resident expert.

The evening before, the student butcher screened a film on proper beef slaughtering. The professional was a bit of a square, but we had to respect his technique, including knife sharpening. Binbin gave the film 3.5 stars.

The week ended last night with hump day dinner, served on DS white linen (read white paper duck-taped) tables arranged on the circle. The evening was warm, the beef wellington quite tasty, and we went home with overly full tummies.

Cows Come Home

Cows coming up from Fish Lake, winding their way up to a saddle in the ridge, east of Gilbert Pass. About 12:30 pm.



The leaders have made it through to the western side. About 1:15. The lagging calves forced three cowboys off their horses, and only walked over around 2:30. Lunch was much delayed, and the cows came home about an hour after dinner.



Next morning, the cows need to be sorted from their calves.