March and April 2003

	Frankly, other than a visit with Gram, I can’t remember what the heck we did in March.
April was another story. In with a bang, that is, in with a snowstorm. Out with a whimper? Not really, that’s just Will pretending it’s warm enough to jump through a sprinkler. The snow left quickly but it still was pretty cold.
	I put up my squirrel-proof bird feeder, which remained squirrel-proof for almost a day. Then the squirrels learned to jump to it. Will had the last laugh, however, ‘cause he stuck his head out the door and yelled “boo,” where apon the squirrel took a flying leap into space and became squirrel pancake.
We visited California, flying out April 18^th, and staying with Janet and Bill (Kate’s Mom and Stepdad). It included visits by Bob, Liz, Emily and Caroline (the girls in the pictures), and Anne (Kate’s sister) and her husband Nick. The kids, of course, took over my laptop for the duration of the trip.
Still, we did the obligatory Easter Egg Hunt and sacrificed the Easter Lamb on the shredded-coconut alter.
	I also got a chance to visit with Jeff Goldsmith, Alex Simmons, Beth and Brian. Who’s the old man in this picture?
We also did a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm with Janet. Knott’s had no berries but it did have lots of insane rides. I was the only one that would do the Extreme Scream (below)
	There was also Janet and Bill’s pool, an every-visit favorite of the kids…
and Venice Beach, mostly by bike. I and Will did high-tech tricycles while Kate and Brie went shopping.
	We said goodbye to the sandy beaches on the 25^th and returned home.