I explored these and other questions with Elise and Elliot, now living in Palo Alto with their daughters Maya, Hannah and Sofia. The last time I saw those three I was babysitting them, but that day has long gone - they are now all impressive, independent young women. Elise and Elliot haven't improved as much but it was still nice to see them.
Being California, they were looking after a chihuahua for the weekend, an animal so skinny and small that I thought they had a very obvious rodent problem when I first entered the house. We took it to the beach and enjoyed the pounding Pacific surf. There's certainly a beauty in the Californian landscape that you don't find elsewhere in the USA, and I'll be happy if/when Hannah is called back to HQ. Given house prices (rent on our old flat has gone up by $1000-a-month since we left!) my wallet may not be.
Hannah had a couple more days of meetings so we returned to Walnut Creek and a final trip into SF to visit the Exploratorium; a museum I last visited when it was in an entirely different place, and before Pete was born. Now he's here he had a great time doing experiments, although can science really explain all the crazy black magic on display? Seems like more Californian weirdness to me.
Hannah returned home by private jet (probably) while me and Pete went cattle class from San Jose. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone, and eat a lot of ice cream. I did my best to fulfill my contract with the Houston tourist board and tell everyone about how great East Texas is! We'll see how successful I am by how quickly the Davies Tours domestic bookings up-tick.
Maya is a teenager now. Could you guess?
Down at the beach: Half Moon Bay.
A bit colder than I remember.
Holding back the tide.
Elliot and Elise, who like all of us have not aged a day since turning 30.
Sofia and Pete. No, I will not encourage this marriage.
The creation of this strawberry cake by Maya was filled with drama (which I will not relate here) but was totally worth it.
Hannah, who offered to carry our cases in from the car! Last time I saw her I was changing her diapers.
Wait, when kids get old enough they read to themselves! When does this begin?!
Oooh, Zachary's Pizza. An East Bay classic (and priced accordingly).
Evie sandwiched between two Petes.
Had to include this, because cute!
One Pete is enough, Hannah.
At the Exploratorium, making raindrops fall upwards. Unnatural.
California baby.
Not sure what this experiment was, but it made him sit still and quiet for five minutes, so I like it.
OK, the tiny domino knocks the slightly larger one, and so on, until the massive one at the end falls. That's not science, that's witchcraft.
Throwing shade.
Infinite Davids and Petes! Just like in heaven.
Some more wizardry, involving dry ice.
But the third chair was just right.
Science is fun! Theology is more fun, but whatever - I have years left to convince him of that.
