Last days at the Ruhes

Since the weather was turning fabulous we took advantage of a last day hike through a favorite woodsy path leading to an amazing marshy lake. As seen below, there was still a little snow on the ground in shady places.The owner of this amazing property has posted little amusing signs of household poetry along the path and next to the wooden seats which are set along the boardwalk across the marsh.
There were sculptures and large stones which the owner has placed around the property for everyone's pleasure. There was no sign of the owner, nor his house.
The ever curious and daring Colin checking out a fallen tree damming up the lake's outlet.On the way back to Amherst we passed "Uma's" house (she's Britt's mom). She has this amazing redwood piece in her front yard. I call it the yawning dog...
Colin, and everybody, is obviously delighted with the lone female child in the house. Anika is such a little doll!
On a previous walk Julie was admiring Colin's having broken the nail-biting habit which he had for years. Now he has to trim his nails... The last shot before heading for the train station. This magnificent Magnolia tree burst into bloom while we were there.Bumpa was admiring our next rental car! :-)

At Marty's!

Julie and I had a very lovely visit at the Dehart residence near Nashville--missing greatly Buddy who was suddenly called to the "Kingdom" before we arrived. Marty was her radiant and lovely self in spite of this great tragedy in her life.

This is Marty. Marty rocks! Marty's my true sister!
Her daughter-in-law, Angie, and her two grandchildren came over a couple of times while we were there to hang out. There is always an atmosphere of laughing and unity in this house and we felt right at home
Angie and Marty's son, Nathaniel, are making plans to sell their house and move in with her which will be much easier on everyone financially. Meanwhile, they come over to hang out a lot and obviously love to.
We really loved being with y'all and hope that you'll come down to Costa Rica to see us next! Thanks for all your love and hospitality!

At the Ruhes in Amherst, MA

We arrived at the Ruhe's place in Amherst about 8pm after a 5 hour drive from New Jersey.

Colin, Britt and the boys have joined with Britt's brother, Alfie, and his wife, Erica, with their two small children in buying an amazing old 12 bedroom Sorority house. They've split up the house for the two families and added a second kitchen on the ground floor, so it works out great for an extended family residence. Plus there are so many great spaces to enjoy--a basement which they've converted into a TV-family room, complete with a fireplace, as well as a big attic area which works out great for sleepovers with the kid's friends. Lots of great areas to play and hide out.

Britt says that the cost of buying and fixing up this old place gave them a much larger and more practical area than had they bought two smaller homes separately.
Isaiah and Aman took us on a grand tour of the nearby U-Mass campus and we could appreciate how this whole area seems as if it were a rural neihborhood. Check out the stairway and stained glass windows!We are delighted to get to know Alfie and Ericka's two children, Mason (3, shown below with his auntie Britt) and Anika (1, with Julie).
Then, off to lunch at a favorite Pizza place in downtown Northhampton. We listened to improvised guitar music and entertainment in front of the courthouse until Britt arrived with the kids.Colin, Isaiah, Aman, Mason and I went to one of their favorite playgrounds which was provided to their school by a number of contributors. This is the best playground of this type that I've ever seen. It's loaded with wood stairs, flexible ladders, tube tunnels, slides and places to hide, swing, run and jump. I sure wish we could build something like this for our kids at home.
Colin starts a game of chasing his boys around the playground and draws in a whole flock of other kids since they're having such a great time. He's such a cool dad...Julie and I are saying we would be delighted with just half his energy!
Here are the boys at Britt's dinner table.In the morning before the Ridvan holiday celebration we all went on a picnic trip to a forested area with a playground and terrific riverside walks.


Then that afternoon we were invited to the Ridván celebration at Juan & Braulia Caban's home.

Colin had prepared an amazing recording of a bird song from his bedroom window which he edited and looped so that he could play it during the beginning of the presentation. We were to close our eyes and imagine the scene at the Riván Garden in Bagdad in 1863 of a group of enamored followers of Baha'u'llah sitting around a huge pile of roses and the atmosphere of anticipation of some great event soon to enfold--the declaration of His Faith to all the world. It was very moving.

Then, after prayers and readings we all joined together in a social portion with piles of delicious food and a really nice variety of friends present, including some people we knew from many years ago. (It seems that almost every place we visit we are seeing people whom we know or who know people we know.) The lady in the photo below (left front) is Carol Rutstein, Author Nathan Rutstein's widow.

At brother Sean McKinney's place

This leg of our trip has been pretty amazing. After about 40 years I'm reconnecting with my long-lost brother, Sean. He was about 8 years old when I saw him last in Santa Fe, NM.

So now Sean has grown children and step children and grand children! We had such a warm welcome and felt like we were right at home with all these people. Here's a shot of their home in Belvedere, NJ. We had imagined a busy metropolis, so near to NYC, and yet this was a quaint little farming town with trees and hills and rivers (however, overflowing greatly due to recent torrential rains). The place is a total delight. There are old Victorian homes everywhere and Sean and wife Maryann's place was one of them. (Our brand-new "PT-Cruiser" rental car is sitting in front.)
They have refinished many details in the house, and especially nice are the aged honey-colored pine floors and nice woodwork. Sean's a great cabinet-maker and builder in the McKinney family tradition. Here's their kitchen with Maryann, Sean and doggie, Dexter.Sean with step-daughter, Natalie and her new baby girl, Kayleigh.
We took a morning walk to see the sights on our way to breakfast out. Here's a tributary to the Delaware River which was raging past these buildings and the bridge.This cozy little family restaurant was a delight as well. Sean and I, both being raised up on Santa Fe's customary hot tabasco sauce, ordered whatever they had on hand to splash on the omelets. Believe it or not, guys, I (as well as he) had to push aside whatever that stuff was that they gave us. Now that stuff was HOT!
This bar stool was part of the restaurant's colorful decorHere are a few of the classic old homes seen all over this town. Some are from the mid 1800's.Natalie showed us one of her school art projects. This John Deere oil can is made out of styrofoam.Sean and Maryann's teenage son, Dylan, with their super friendly doggie, Dexter...Natalie, Julie and I took a great walk around the center of town to look at these great old homes and spring flowers popping out. Note, Ali, I'm in this picture. (Thanks to him for the great lil' camera-holding gadget that allows me to attach it to a tree branch or anything.)Our last night with the McKinneys they took us out to dinner. Thanks, guys, for a terrific visit! May the next one be at our place in Costa Rica!