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.