Back and forth

Well, we're back in Pittsburgh after nice travels back to Washington.  And it's snowy here, which is exciting, since it was more like hovering around 50 degrees when we left.  In Washington, of course, it was quite snowy too.

While Eytan had not been a big fan of snow in Minnesota (well, he was okay with it until he fell and found it cold and wet), he adjusted quite well in Washington, which was useful.  It was really nice to see the goats again, and easier with Eytan being  more mobile around them (and able to bark at them... as goats are easily confusable with dogs, you know).

 

 

Since the goats had to be moved from their temporary home in Moses Lake, we had a bit of a complicated arrival, flying into Spokane at at 2am west coast time (i.e. 5am east coast time, delays delays), sleeping a few hours, driving the couple of hours to Moses Lake, renting a Uhaul, and driving the next couple of hours to bring the goats back home.  We weren't quite sure what we would do with them when left again, though, as we hadn't been able to find another temporary home for them from afar... leading possibility was that we would leave them with friends in Wenatchee for a couple of weeks, and then a couple of students of mine would hopefully fly out in January and drive them (in a vehicle we had yet to find) across country on a winter road trip.  

Would the students be able to make the trip?  Not totally clear.  Would we find a vehicle that would work to drive them that far in winter?  Also unclear.  Would we have a place to put them when they arrived in PA?  Unclear too.  Needless to say it was all a bit of a question mark.  Luckily, shortly after arriving, we found friends of a friend in Leavenworth with too much hay and too few goats, who were excited to take them for a bit. So later in the week, we rented another Uhaul and drove them there, to spend the winter and spring with a few other goats and a goose.

 


I know, it's a lot of trouble for goats.  They are nice goats, though...

Anyway, aside from the goat dramas, our trip was good.  I got a bunch of work done for my orchard pesticide safety grant.  And we got to see some friends.  And camp out in our house.  And check out the stars.  It felt like being home... (I know, I know, we've only been in Pittsburgh 2 months, of course it doesn't feel like home yet... and all the things that we didn't like about Wenatchee are still there alongside the things we liked... and my job and Mike's school are good reasons for us to stay east for a bit... but still).

And after about a week, we packed up again and drove to Montana (with friend- and bro-visiting in Spokane along the way) to see Mike's bro and family (including new baby).  It's a pretty long drive, so luckily Eytan could help out this time.

And then back to Spokane and back to PA, where we've been transitioning back to eastern time and eastern mode.  Eytan has been saying more words (ca for car, and for cara (face in Spanish), and nana for banana, and nani for mani (peanut), and agua, and cac for sock), and walking around with his backpack on (a gift from the Pittsburgh library system -- which, I have to say, is not quite as friendly as the Wenatchee library system, in that they actually charge late fees and you have to go pick up books in person rather than having them mailed to your house... but, well, I suppose on the other hand they do give away little backpacks).

Timber was very happy to have us home, and has spent as many indoor hours as possible sleeping next to my belly.  He and Eytan have both continued batting at computers and phones and playing with strings, although Eytan has started to get a little jealous when Timber lays claim to a box he likes or goes into the little alcove that they both like to use, and Timber sometimes bats Eytan away when he feels besieged (or wants to play).  So we're all starting to talk more about sharing.

Aside from that, here are a few other pictures from pre-travels -- one from the local conservatory, on a fake tree climbing thingie...

one from Chanukah candle lighting time...

one of Eytan's daycare class painting (they are way more craft-y there than we are at home, which is lovely, although they do seem to spend an awful lot of time taking pictures presumably for the parents... but I guess there are worse things)...

 one leftover from Thanksgiving in Minnesota...

and one really leftover from summer that a friend just gave us when we were back in Wenatchee.  But maybe winter is a good time for reminders of summer anyway.

I think that's pretty much it from here.  I'm getting ready to start classes in another week or so (agricultural policy and research methods), and Mike is getting ready to start classes in another two weeks (prerequisites for teaching and nursing programs, should he decide to go one of those directions in fall), and Eytan will keep doing daycare a couple of days a week.

We are scheduled to have some visitors coming in January, so you'll probably get updates there next time, as well as on how our new somewhat more structured semester is proceeding :)  Best wishes until then!