Fall

MARISSA

Saying Goodbye to babysitters is always tough. Especially after a long summer when they have played Monopoly for hours on end, and have been so patient and caring. This summer Marissa was over to our house several days a week when I went to work at the coast guard base. She left for Anchorage to start college and her gentle presence at our house will be missed. 

CALCULATIONS
"How much does the earth weigh?" Stuey asked my long time childhood friend, Nick, and I on our hike up Old Womans mountain.  Nick started the calculations and pulled soon pulled out his iPhone calculator. After about 10 more minutes of density of elements, circumference of the earth type of computations, he came up with a number with 27 0's in it. This put it in the million, billion, billion category.  A google search revealed his guess was 50% accurate, which I was impressed with. Especially since I had to retake a semester of physics in college and a large part of it was big problems with planets revolving around each other and gravitational forces. Bleh!

There is an undeniable curiosity with the life of a paleotolongist, especially in contrast to my work as a physical Therapist. Nick's recent  journeys included a trip to retrieve dinosaur bones from a mining project and then the project of finding space to  house these large animal artifacts begins. Crates of bones with so many stories waiting to be told.

BOOTHS
For Nora's 9th birthday, her present was to come into the voting booth with me. (Yes, Stuey wanted to come also but I have zero desire to take him into public places lately-hes in a limit pushing mode recently where he'll tug at my arm, interrupt me and other behaviors that just don't dictate the privilege of being out and about with mommy).

Nora had he chance to practice coloring in a circle or two and enjoyed the whole scene with voting booths. After Nora put the card in the "sucker-uper" machine, we stepped into the evening sun to be greeted by Patrick and Stuey who rode over on their bikes to say hi. By then Stueys disappointment about not voting had waned but I could still see tear stains on his cheeks. Nora and I proceeded to walk home, just the two of us along the bike path.

YES!
The first real sign of spring here on Cliffside drive isn't frost, or fireweed…its the first day of school. The back-to-school enthusiasm was so thick the past couple of days that Stuey and Nora packed their own lunches last night, complete with garden carrots and mint oreos. The lunch bags were nestled inside the fridge until this morning when they pulled them out for school.

Zoya