Back Again

One more quarter to go before the number one perk of being a teacher begins...Summer Vacation

But that's a long way off still. Lots to do before then, and I am exhausted. The prospects of moving to the green house at the Brown's mill on Toroda Creek, while still trying to teach, as well as help out with the school musical, "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" is overwhelming to say the least. But I'm really excited to finally be...The Bakers on Toroda Creek. It has been a long time coming...fulfilling my dream of living on the creek...and I wouldn't have ever guessed the path that's led us here. Now I'm looking forward to: getting settled, making some improvements to The Ranch, which is the property adjacent, down creek, to the green house, and learning more about creating healthy pasture for cows and chickens. But the best thing about it is...it isn't just my dream anymore...my wife and kids are all excited too. Our friends, the Kjolseths live just a few houses upcreek from us and our kids have a great time creating chaos with theirs.

That isn't to say that living in the house at Lone Ranch hasn't been amazing. Yesterday, a lazy Sunday evening, I sat on the porch with Emma, and eventually Nicholas and Korin too, looking out over the Grumbach's hayfield and up the Valleys of the North and South Forks of Lone Ranch Creek toward the still snow covered mountains. The evening light was pale but bright, and a thin overcast sky gave the expanse a sense of serene accessibility...everything crisp and damp and slowly coming to life. And for a moment there was the faintest hint of a rainbow, in nearly the same place where, right after we'd moved in, we were greeted by one of the most brilliant rainbows I'd ever seen. There is a photo of Tera with Nicholas and Korin in the foreground and that rainbow, of course much less brilliant in its digitized form. Come to think of it, Emma was in the picture, in utero. 315 Lone Ranch Creek Road will be looked back upon fondly, I know. But for now...it is time to move on.