Easter Sunday, part B: Kalib and Muzzy compete to see who can scarf up the most Easter eggs (C still to come)

Not so long ago, I was hiding eggs so that this guy could toddle out to search for them. Now it is he who hides eggs for a toddler to find. 

Jacob hides an egg in plain sight atop an upturned 5 gallon bucket. As he searches for a place to put the next egg, Muzzy grabs the one that he has just hidden and eats it.

The eggs are all hidden now. The toddler comes out to find them.

Kalib finds his first egg, right on the porch. He will grab it and then, just as though he had been doing this all his life, will put it in the Easter basket his Mom made for him.

Kalib grabs another egg.

And still another. Muzzy has already stolen a couple more.

Kalib spots a blue egg and goes for it. He does not seem to see the pink one - yet.

Kalib grabs a plastic shark egg. It has candy inside it.

Kalib snatches an egg off a septic vent. Don't worry, with Jacob's help, we replaced that septic system a decade ago - much farther back in the yard.

Kalib drops another egg into his Easter basket

Muzzy eats another egg.

There is still some ice atop this water. Kalib plunges his hand in.

Kalib battles Muzzy for the last egg. With Dad's help, Kalib will win. Muzzy has already eaten at least half-a-dozen. He doesn't need anymore.

Easter Sunday, Part A: Our early morning reunion with Kalib and his parents

A few minutes before 1:00 AM, it suddenly occurred to me that I had better get a camera ready. I found a memory card, inserted it into the camera and then walked into the kitchen, where Margie continued to suffer through tax preparation.

"What are you up to?" she accused, suspiciously, when she became aware that I was standing directly behind her, fiddling with my camera. It was as if she suspected that I was about to take a surreptitious picture of her preparing taxes - this is something that I would never, ever, ever, do - no, not ever!

"It should be just about time, I answered. "I want to be ready."

 Just then, I heard a car pull into the driveway. Suddenly, Margie understood. "Is it them?" she asked.

It was. After more than a full week without him, we were about to see our little grandson again. And his parents. As you can see, Kalib was so thrilled to see me, he didn't know what to do.

Then it was grandma's turn.

Oh, the joyous reunion with Royce!

And then, back in the bedroom where Kalib and his parents sleep, Muzzy joined in.

Here they are, the travelers, home from the southwest. After everybody got some sleep, there would be an Easter egg hunt. Please come back, and witness the action. It will be up, soon.

Uncle Caleb and Nephew Kalib: dinner, and then goodbye

In both Apache and Navajo cultures, a child's uncle is a most important person in his life - a friend and teacher, in a way that is hard even for a father to be. And Kalib does have a most special relationship with his Apache Uncle, Caleb.

Last night, in the blog that I was too tired to make, I told you that after this morning, we would not see Kalib again for a week.

His Mom took pity on us and left Kalib with us today, provided that we would drive him into town this evening and turn him over to his parents, so that they could fly off to Jacob's business gathering Albuquerque, after which they will visit both their Apache and Navajo homelands in Arizona.

Caleb had driven to town earlier to get a haircut. When he learned that we were all going to get together in Anchorage for a Mexican dinner, he joined us, helped Kalib put his shoes back on and then lifted him out of the car. 

The air was chilly. Even though dinner would be inside where it would be warm, Caleb stopped to zip Kalib's jacket up.

Then Kalib and Caleb walked to the door of the restaurant together.

After they sat down, Kalib read the menu while Caleb ate chips. We were all quite surprised by this. Here, Kalib has not had one day of school, not one reading lesson, he hasn't even learned to talk yet.

And here he was, reading the menu!

Caleb then helped him remove his jacket.

Somehow, Kalib wound up in an empty chair at the empty booth across from us.

Caleb picked him up to bring him back to us.

After a good long wait, Kalib's parents arrived. Caleb steadied Kalib as Lavina got him situated beside her.

She then put quacomole on chip and handed it to her son. Kalib loves quacomole. 

Kalib discovered how to cement a corn chip to his face with quacomole.

After he pigged out on quacomole, Kalib's shirt was an avocado mess. Uncle Caleb helped his mom change him into another.

Somehow, Kalib soon wound up at another empty both. Caleb retrieved him and brought him back.

The dinner, by the way, was excellent. The best Mexican dinner I have had in Anchorage for a long time.

Mexican is my favorite food.

I had never eaten here before, but I will again. 

Vallarta's Mexican Restaurant, in the Value Village mini-mall, just off Northern Lights and Boniface. Damn good.

On the way out, Caleb photographed Kalib through the door.

Caleb looks at pictures of Kalib, as the toddler runs back to the restaurant.

Then it is goodbye time. Caleb turns Kalib over to Lavina as Jacob looks on.

Caleb then gave Kalib and his Mom a big hug. Then they were gone. As I write these words, they ought to be on a jet, headed south.

Today, part 2: We get ashed by Mt. Redoubt

Melanie, wearing her ash mask in the parking lot of the Arts building at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

When I left Wasilla for Anchorage, the sky was clean and pure, deep, blue, the mountains gleaming stark and white against it. I thought about taking some pictures, but I had already taken quite a few pictures today and I expected to take several more at the play.

I did not want to spend the time editing and processing the white mountains against the clean blue sky pictures, since that is not an uncommon scene around here.

Now, I wish I had taken those pictures, just to show the contrast. It happened so fast. 

As I neared Anchorage, the sky suddenly darkned, the air in front of me became hazy, fine dust - ash - swirled about cars as they drove through it.

Mt. Redoubt has been blowing off and on for days now. The ash has gone here and there, but has always missed us.

Now, all of sudden, it had hit us. 

Or at least Anchorage. I did not know if it had hit Wasilla.

The tower at Merrill Field. No planes were flying.

I wanted it to stop, all right. I hate to breathe this stuff. Imagine glass ground to the consistency of powdered sugar. That's what ash tends to be like. It hurts to breathe the stuff.

Flags near Merrill Field.

I did not want to drive the car through it, either. Ash is not good for cars. I hope my filters all did their job. Better replace them soon.

When I got back to Wasilla, it was even worse.

It was simply awful in Wasilla. In some zones, almost like a blizzard.

I had no choice but to breathe the stuff.

Jacob and Lavina reached the house at the same time I did. They had been out shopping. They reported that when they stepped out of Fred Meyer's, they got struck in the face by tiny rocks falling from the sky.

That must have been one hell of a boom.

If this keeps up, I am going to have to get some masks for Margie and me.

This post is for you, Lavina, beloved daughter-in-law, wonderful mother of my grandson

Lavina, I hope that you are enjoying Vancouver and learning much that will help you in your work. I especially hope that your presentation goes well. I know you miss Kalib terribly, so this blog entry is for you. Here is Kalib, this morning, at the back door, when I returned from my walk.

This is from yesterday's walk. Your husband just hurled the sled as hard as he could, to see how far Kalib would slide.

I had to jump out of the way.

Then we all went back into the marsh.

Jacob and Kalib headed home from there. I had not walked far enough, so I continued on. "Bye, bye!" I waved to Kalib.

He raised his hand and waved back.

Then I walked through the snow. For just a little while, it really snowed. Then the sun came out.

So here they are, your dog, your son and your mother-in-law, who you call, "Mom," just like you call me "Dad." This gives us a warm and good feeling, Daughter.

Lisa brought Juniper out. Kalib and Juniper had a good time. Grahamn Kracker has posted more pictures from that visit on his No Cats Allowed blog. If you go there, you will not only see more pictures of Kalib, but the moment when Juniper discovered herself in the mirror.

A wider shot, from my return this morning, of Kalib, in Caleb's arms. Very similar to another I did awhile back, except that I made a point of including my reflection in this one.

I suppose that I ruined it, by including myself in it.

I know that you have heard about the latest eruptions of Mt. Redoubt. Today, the flights going north toward Fairbanks and Barrow were canceled, but the flights going and coming from the south mostly flew.

We sure do hope that the planes all fly on the day of your scheduled return.