This visit was, as usual, eventful. The grandchildren exhibit such changes from month to month, and we get to take it all in. This visit, I flew into the Charlottesville airport. As I entered the main terminal near baggage claim, I saw Stacy and Hutch sitting on a bench. Hutch got down and ran over to greet me, which was really a neat, first time experience. It was marred a tad by the fact that, at his height, there are a lot of legs to negotiate and it's easy to lose one's bearings. No hill for a stepper, though.
Upon arriving at their house, and my first face-to-face encounter with Elsa in several months, it was apparent that I would have to win her over. No spontaneous smiles for this relative stranger. After about a day and a half, we became pretty tight, and grins abounded. We had the opportunity to spend a lot of time together, and it was most enjoyable. I was a bit pouty when we went out to eat breakfast one day and Elsa flashed a smile at the server whom she had never seen before in her life.Hutch is still a boy with a mission in life, which keeps him busy. His interest in all things mechanical is quite amusing. From airplanes to lawn mowers, it's all to be enjoyed.
We were able to work in a visit to Montecello, and a great time was had by all. I'm sure most of the people in our tour group were skeptical when we showed up with a toddler and a baby. But the kids enjoyed the trip through the house (translated to adultspeak: they were quiet). Hutch mainly liked riding the bus from the visitor center to the house and back. Elsa likes to people watch.
This was kind of a bittersweet visit because the Jehles will be moving to Missoula, Montana this summer. Alex has completed his fellowship and has a position with a cardiology group there. We have enjoyed visiting them in Virginia as it is a beautiful area rich in history. However, we will certainly look forward to touring about Montana as well. It's sort of a full circle kind of thing since I spent the bulk of my childhood years in Dillon, MT, about 100 or so miles from Missoula.
My flight home from Charlottesville was uneventful, which is the best kind. There was one thing that gave me something on which to reflect. My connecting flight was in Atlanta. The plane's cabin was very warm during the time on the ground. As the plane lifted off the runway, everyone started adjusting the vents as cool air began to flow. A flight attendant announced over the PA system that we should trim back on these so the plane could reach altitude faster. I've never heard that before. I know my little truck is somewhat underpowered when I have to go up steep inclines, but I guess I would have thought the plane manufacturer would have a better power to weight ratio than a '97 Ford Ranger.
