I am up on the mountain alone today.  I feel as free as the breeze in the trees.  I can hear only birds and that breeze. I smell the sea, herbs from the canyon and the jasmine on the fence.  Grandpa’s traveling, you and your family are in town and I am here.  Vacationing at home. I just turned the horses out into the pasture, watered the beans that have just this week pushed through the soil, counted tomato flowers and marveled at the number of kiwi blossoms.  The apricots are heavy this year, Santa Rosa plums light, but the satsuma prolific.  We’ve trapped three huge gophers in the garden and that seems to have been it.  It’s an awful thing those traps, but worse is the damage the gophers do.  You and I planted some bedding plants yesterday in the small house garden, newly protected from the bunnies.  You arrived this morning and said, This garden is so beautiful. Right-o, it is.

Sleep comfy in your tent?  I did, you said. Great.  Must be sweet over there all four of you together again. Liza stares at me with interest and caution.  She watches all that is unfamiliar and pulls into Mom if I look at her too intently.  I’m still glancing at your sister for now.  Yesterday mommy and daddy asked me to watch her for a bit so they could go out and get a coffee. She cried. You told me to cheer her up, please. I asked you for ideas.  You had some good ones and sang several versions of twinkle twinkle as loudly as needed for her to hear you. She cried and cried, then after about a half hour hiccuped back to calmness to focus on the dog.  It was Georgia’s nose-bopping and tail flapping in her face that did it.  Georgia wants to lick her all over and Ellie finds it very funny as Georgia’s fuzzy face pokes and pecks at her. She gave in and ate a bite of peas only after Georgia licked dropped ones off the floor. Whatever it takes.  By the time mommy got back it looked as though Ellie had enjoyed a lovely time.  She in fact was just thinking about taking a little cry break when they returned. We’ll figure it out, very soon she will know I am nice. I am her Grandma, someone that loves her. It was sweet to watch your sister crawl with a one-sided pusher foot, pull to a stand on the center tent pole and sit with Georgia’s head between her legs holding her ears so tightly she couldn’t possible move anything but her tail.

Today when Mommy came to tell me they were going to town, I suggested they take you so I could rest (I was dizzy and wobbly for some reason today).  Mommy told you to hurry and get ready, wash up because Grandma Jo (Great-grandma) wanted to see Liza. I imagine she’d like to visit with you too and I mentioned that. My mom, came yesterday. I need to re-acquaint you and Mommy. Maybe I’ll take Liza so you and mommy can do something together in my art area upstairs in the garage.  Hey, did I tell you I took down daddy’s bed and set up your easel?  We are going to have so much fun up there above the garage!  You can draw and paint and make things with clay.  Me too.  Maybe mommy can join us, too.  And Liza! Babies can paint and draw too.

I am really happy your family is here, buddy.  I am truly happy for you.  gma