Family visit…post 1

As promised/threatened, a photo-essay (sounds better than grandma’s photo album) of the first few days with Galen, Katharina and their 3 little ones—Quentin, 5; Stella, 3; and Nina, who is six months old today. (Some of the pictures are a bit fuzzy–Jack’s the photographer, and he was using a camera he hasn’t used for awhile–having some problems.)

They arrived on Saturday, a day late after a nightmarish experience checking in at the Toronto airport, a missed flight, 12 hours in the airport awaiting the next flight, and an overnight in Houston. Somehow, they managed to arrive in a reasonably good humour. And that’s how they’re responding to the strange weather here, too.

It is—unbelievably—cold and rainy. Okay, not cold compared to what they left behind in Ontario, but not what they came for either. Overcast with highs in the mid teens  (C) and predictions for periods of rain every day—this midway into a month when a single dark cloud is usually cause for comment. Global Weirding.

So, we’re grabbing outdoor time when the sun is shining and finding things to do indoors when it’s not.

A silliness-break on the first trip into the centre.

And then, a “Mexican haircut” at the barber shop on our route to the centre of town. This has become a ritual when they visit, and this year Stella insisted on a bit of a trim as well.

On Monday, we dodged the raindrops and struck out on a hike to the “bufa”—the towering rocky mountaintop that dominates the city’s horizon. We explored caves and practiced rock-climbing, ate a snack on a flat rock, and got back to the car just as the rain began.

 

After the outing, preparing for the water truck.