We're in da 'Burgh, yinz.

For those of you not fortunate enough to be familiar with Pittsburgh, its culture, and its special language, that translates roughly as "We find ourselves in the city of Pittsburgh presently, all you you." Seriously, it's good to be with family, although some of our relatives' situations are quite difficult, we are being supportive as we can. We are also spending time with my great nephew and nieces, ages 3,6, and 8, all of then delightful. We took the two older kids and their parents for a hike the other day, and the kids LOVED it, so did the parents - a triumph! I have future adventures planned in my head. Pittsburgh, contrary to rumor, is a very beautiful and fascinating city. The design is brick houses and businesses, cobblestone streets, a real central and eastern European feel to the architecture and communities. We'll have a family gathering at a German restaurant on Thursday. There is a strong arts community, and a progressive community. We hope to get some exploring in and see what is what. We visited a science museum with the kiddos yesterday. Kate and I also did a little kayaking on the Allegheny River, which merges with the Mononghela River and a third underground river here to form the Ohio River. And yes, this city is my childhood home, so I do notice lots of small details... need to do some writing. Take care, yinz!