Virtual-Doug

First Snow

My brother brought it up - there is just something special about being in snow for the first time.  There is no good way to describe snow - you just gotta experience it - and that's what Tuan and Trang did today.

I'm in Denver, Colorado, for Christmas with my brother and his wife.  The city has been hit by a snow storm - just in time for a White Christmas.  Its not a bad storm - a few inches is not going to slow down a city like Denver very much, but the 6-8 inches was enough for the two newbies.

They've heard about snow - they've seen pictures of snow - they've thought about snow, but snow is something that must be experienced.  So - it was out the door at first chance to see what the stuff is like.
 
She found out its great to throw the stuff around.  This was powder snow - not good for snowballs.  She created her own snow showers. Her laughter said more than words - she was having a lot of fun.

(Be sure to click on the photos - you will see a much larger version if you do.)

So - - - what does snow taste like?  She had to find out.  My brother had to remind her not to eat yellow snow.  (Yes - he has a dog.)  There being no yellow snow in sight, she scooped up hands full and tested them for texture and taste.

He had to have a new Facebook profile photo - as well as something to prove he is a little crazy.  Yeah - it was cold - but he just sucked it up and ran around in the snow and 25 degree temperature for a little while.  He wasn't any worse for the wear and later rode the light rail service into downtown Denver to see a friend.

Fun.

Monthly

 

The Three Ts at Thanksgiving

All three of them were here:  Trang, Thanh, and Tuan.  While Trang and Thanh are graduates students at the nearby university, I drove to San Antonio to get Tuan.  The four hour drive gave us a good chance to talk.

It was more than Thanksgiving - we celebrated two birthdays as well; Tuan's and the Mystery Guest Blogger's.  Trang gave a lovely shawl to the MGB which occasioned a chance for a nice group photo.  That's Trang in the green, Thanh in front and Tuan flashing his charming smile.

(Please don't tell anyone about this, but after 38 years of marriage, I forgot my wife's birthday.)

Tuan's birthday was actually a few days prior, but it was still a good opportunity for baking cakes. Though the Vietnamese don't have the sweet tooth we Americans have, we enjoyed the cake. At age 26, he is just finishing up the first semester of his doctoral studies in environmental science.  I glanced at some papers next to his laptop - - and didn't even understand what the paper was about much less the directions given for working on the project.

Thanh had a chance to relax - and learn a bit more about American cooking.  The MGB put her to work making Tuan's birthday cake.  For both Tuan and Thanh, this is their first year of seeing the American culture close-up.  It was also a chance for the MGB and me to pull them into the fold of being in a family.  Having been through the experience of learning how to live in a very different culture, the MGB and I want to provide these three a place of shelter - of refreshment - of love - of a family away from home.

But, not all was turkey and birthday cake. We live in a citrus area.  Nearby is an orchard that lets folks pick their own fruit.  I haven't quite figured out why three graduate students want to work as field hands, but they had a lot of fun - and let me tag along to take a photo or two. 

No way I was going to pick fruit - I have too much dignity to protect!

After a lot of goofing around - and occasionally picking some fruit - the 1/2 bushel bag was full.  The orchard provides a pull-along wagon to help in getting your fruit to your car, and this provided an opportunity for a battle of the sexes.

And women call themselves the weaker sex.  Yeah, right!