The Aunties Arrive

Yesterday brought Sam's breakfast burritos, my sisters arriving early afternoon expanding the family gathering, Jackson-Frasier walk with beautiful fall colors and Leland doing photography, investigating open source photo tools for his budding practice. Evening converged at Tacovore—Sydne, Dakota, Sage joining, dinner with so many family members together, even Deaken appearing afterward. Happy people talking late into evening, until toilet flapper self-destructed reminding me that houses demand attention regardless of social joy.

Extended Family, Extended Moments

October 13, 2025

Sam fetched breakfast burritos in the morning, solving the feeding problem with efficient procurement. I tried a tiny amount of Sam's very hot peppers on my burrito—I think it's a Carolina Reaper. A very small amount is very hot, but the flavor is good. The heat is impressive but not just heat for heat's sake; there's actual taste underneath the capsaicin assault. Sometimes the best contribution is knowing what people need and making it appear, even if what appears includes dangerous peppers.

We hung out in the morning—that particular kind of low-key family time that doesn't require activity or agenda, just shared space and comfortable presence. People reading, talking, moving through the house in their own rhythms while remaining connected.

The aunties—my sisters—arrived in the early afternoon, expanding the family gathering to another generation, another set of relationships. The house absorbed more people, more voices, more connections between branches that don't often occupy the same physical space.

Boardwalk at Jackson-Frasier

We went for a walk at Jackson-Frasier, where very nice fall colors provided visual reward for the effort. The seasonal display was strong—yellows, oranges, reds painting the landscape in that brief window before leaves drop entirely. Leland did a bit of photography, and it was fun introducing him to leading lines, the rule of thirds, and notions of detail, mid-range, and context. He played around with them a bit, experimenting with compositional ideas rather than just pointing and shooting. Watching someone discover how intentional choices change what the camera captures has its own satisfaction—passing on tools that took years to learn, seeing them take hold in fresh practice.

After the walk we stopped by Coastal to check out the baby chicks again. There were a lot fewer than the day before—clearly selling well, the popular ones disappearing quickly. Of course, I don't want any baby chicks, but they're fun to see. The ephemeral nature of baby chick availability, a reminder that if you want one, timing matters.

Spent a little time investigating open source photo management tools. I'd like to put something together for Leland—not overwhelming professional software, but something that helps him organize and develop his growing collection. Supporting his interest means providing appropriate tools, creating infrastructure that makes the practice easier rather than harder.

Also spent time redesigning my own photo management system. The current approach works but could work better. Continuous refinement, adjusting processes as needs evolve and better solutions become available.

Sydne, Dakota, and Sage came over around 5-ish. The house now genuinely full, multiple family branches converging in ways that don't happen often enough. We walked to Tacovore for dinner—a parade of relatives moving through the neighborhood, claiming one large table, creating that pleasant chaos that comes from large groups attempting to coordinate food orders.

It was really fun to see so many family members gathered together and to be with them. These moments don't happen frequently—logistics and distance usually prevent this density of connection. But when they do occur, they remind you why family matters, why maintaining these relationships across geography and life complexity remains worthwhile. Deaken even showed up after dinner, adding one more person to the gathering, one more connection reinforced.

Hung out in the evening back at the house. Lots of happy people talking, conversations overlapping, laughter filling spaces usually occupied by quieter routines. The house served its purpose—providing space for gathering, absorbing energy, facilitating connection without demanding particular activities.

Late in the evening, a home maintenance issue popped up with perfect timing. The flapper in the toilet in my bathroom self-destructed, choosing the worst possible moment to fail. I'll need to fix that today—adding practical problem-solving to what should be pure family time. Houses don't respect social schedules; they break when they break, demanding attention regardless of what else is happening.

But that minor failure couldn't diminish the day. Extended family gathered, multiple generations shared space and meals, Leland explored photography while I pondered supporting his developing interest, and everyone seemed genuinely happy to be together. The toilet can wait a few hours. The people won't always be here.