Moviemaking in Bozeman

We made this movie in Bozeman, with Helmut's great friend Rudy's grandkids.



We just happened to show up at Rudy and Carol's house for a night when his daughters and grandkids were all there. It was really fun to meet Carol, Rudy's wife, and all his family. Vigo and little Rudy really hit it off. Vigo was very sad to have to say good-bye to him.

Getting Ready for a Sad Good-Bye

We're leaving Portland this afternoon, on our way to Bozeman, Montana, where we'll visit Helmut's friend Rudy. Vigo is extremely sad about leaving Portland. The other night he had a long, long cry over leaving his friends here and in Boston. He's thinking in very final terms, saying that he knows he'll never see any of his friends again and not quite believing me that he will. He misses his friends back in Somerville. There's a general air of sadness today and it's going to be a tough good-bye.

We're All Enjoying Portland

We've been in Portland for several days now. Vigo is really enjoying the kid companionship. The other day Di-Ann and Erik were getting ready to take the kids to a nearby park by bicycle. Vigo insisted that he did not want to ride on the trail-a-bike, and that he definitely could ride a bike even though he hadn't really ever ridden alone without training wheels before. So, we got out a bike, adjusted the seat, and he took off up and down the sidewalk to practice before the ride to the park.

And he was absolutely right. He can ride a bike.

Later this afternoon, we're going to all head out to Astoria and camp in a friend's back yard. Astoria is on the mouth of the Columbia River. It's crowded with sea lions, who gather there to munch on the salmon who come in and out of the river. It's a beautiful place. Vigo's excited about it.

We're planning to be off for the next leg of the trip this weekend.