Entertaining Visitors

The next set of summer visitors have come and gone. A friend of mine in Livingston told me that the four seasons here are Winter, Mud, Visitors, and Almost Winter. I'm starting to understand what she meant. Since I truly love Winter and Visitors and Almost Winter, I guess it is only Mud season that I haven't learned to appreciate.
This time my visitors were a family of four from Florida: Judith and Dan Britt with their sons Devon and Chris. Judith and I were housemates back in the early 80's in Seattle. Here's a picture of us back then with our third housemate, Steve: That's me on the left and Judith on the right. Notice I am kicking with the wrong foot. Oh, well.

Judith and I have both moved around all over the country since then and have only seen each other twice in the last twenty years. Dan's research and academic career has taken them to Rhode Island, Arizona, Tennesee, and now to Florida, not to mention a year in Italy at the Vatican Observatory. Dan's specialty is planetary geology and he has worked on many NASA exploration missions, including playing a leading role in the first Mars Lander mission. He is quite an authority on asteroids, too. Judith is much in demand in her career as a sign language interpreter for the deaf. She often interprets at Universal Studios in Orlando, including interpreting the Rocky Horror Picture Show, which I can only imagine was quite a performance. Their two sons are imaginative, smart, funny, knowledgeable, and kind of crazy in that high energy, entertaining way that only teenagers can pull off. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them.

Chris particularly enjoyed splitting wood for my wood pile.
Dan coached him on his splitting technique.
Devon provided editorial comment and split some logs himself, as well as hauling the split logs and stacking them under the back porch.
Judith, who is an accomplished and dedicated photographer, recorded the whole thing.
I have to admit, splitting wood never occurred to me as a visitor activity, but it sure seemed like a good idea once it came up. I'll think of the Britts when I am toasty warm by the fire this winter.

Besides hanging out and hiking up the ridge here at home, we had a quick walking tour of downtown Livingston and we spent two days touring Yellowstone Park where I tried to be a good tour guide. There were a few disappointments, and the mid-summer crowds were a bit much, but we all enjoyed ourselves trying to hit the highlights and compromise between the high-profile, crowded features, like Old Faithful and the big geyser basins, and lesser known delights like lunch in a secluded spot by the Lamar river and soaking in the Boiling River hot springs. Judith went to great lengths to get perfect angles and lighting for her photos, which resulted in some impressive shots.
The biggest challenge of the visit was getting five adults up and down the hill on Tipsue road which STILL hasn't been fixed. I was driving the Little Car, which allowed everyone to sit in seats, but allowed very little clearance for the ruts and rocks, especially when loaded down with all the people and their luggage. But we made it up and down with minimal damage to the car and only slightly frayed nerves on the parts of the passengers. That road sure adds to the adventure of visiting here. Here we are cramming things into the back of Little Car for a trip down the hill.
Now I have two days to clean up and prepare for the next visitors. What a contrast all these people around the house are to the isolation and serenity of winter! It is great fun entertaining and acting as tour guide. I get to show off my wonderful hermitage and my glorious neighborhood. And I get to see old friends again and get to know their families.