Day 21-tunnel hike

   January 25-According to the National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center, "the largest solar radiation storm since October, 2003" was to impact the Earth on the night of January 24/25.  There had been blizzard conditions, but we were very interested in trying to see some northern lights.  I woke up around 4 am to see if I might see something.  I did not.  The sky was clear, but the solar storm had mostly passed.

Spencer (in orange) playing in the play area behind his kindergarten, as seen from Sally's office window.

   When the girls got home from school, they took their dear old dad on a hike to the tunnel under the highway.  The recent blizzard the night before had filled in the tunnel entrance on the other side of the road, so the girls cleared the snow out, and we clambered out, looked around, and headed back home.

   We were able to Skype with Katie in the evening before the kids went to bed.  She is our cousin who is staying in our house while we are gone.  She had given birth to her baby girl the day before.  This was a much-anticipated event in our household, since she had lived with us since July, which allowed the kids to follow the pregnancy with a great deal of fascination.  The baby slept for most of her first, international Skype session, but Katie was holding her, so we got to see her.  The kids gushed over her cuteness and were excited to talk to Katie, since they had not had the chance to do that since we left Gunnison.  We are very happy for Katie and Tory and wish them all the best in their parenting experience in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.  It will be wonderful to finally meet the baby when we return to the States.