Back in the 'hood

I have been somewhat remiss in my holiday postings. I tried to make a post yesterday upon your return to Taiwan through Picasa, the Google photo program, but nothing showed up on the blog. I didn't have the energy to recompose my entire post until today.

The flight back from California went off relatively well. Unlike the trip over, we got a bassinet for Josh so he didn't have to sleep on the seat. Aside for a few brief crying spells, which always seem to last an eternity when you are the parent of the crying child, the kid behaved like a trooper.

Our final days in California were marked by unexpected wind storms which played havoc with trees in the Ojai area. Several of the large oaks and elms at our family's apartment complexes fell victim. I've posted a few photos over on the Picasa site.

I've also put up a few photos of our completely overhauled front garden. Much of the credit goes to our South African neighbor, Gary, who handled everything while we are gone to the U.S. An amateur gardening enthusiast in his own right, Gary contacted a pair of Filipino workers to put down a new lawn of Korean grass. It has yet to be seen how this new ground cover survives, especially will the excrement attacks being waged by a certain neighborhood dog. Katie and I were immediately caught up in a gardening fervor and headed strait to the nursery on New Year's Eve to buy some flowers, mint and a little lemon tree to plant around the perimeter of the yard.

Last night we rang in the New Year on the hill behind our neighborhood, which affords an excellent view of the city including the fireworks display at Taipei 101. It seems that about 100 other people had the same idea, but the crowds made the scene all the more festive. I shot the even on my new Canon ZR600 DV camera, only to realize today that I will need a firewire connector and cable (not included) before I can edit the video and post it here. Stay tuned.