When Dominic and I returned from Baguio City, Nick and Rose were waiting in the garden for us. Nick wanted to do research on the internet into nutrition and make a poster for his grade six class. Dominic is using his PC to write articles for his weekly job, so I helped Nick use my Mac and Firefox browser to search for required information. And I got out watercolor pens and paper that I’d bought for such poster projects. Rose watched a Disney movie on DVD then Mr. Bean cartoons while Nick worked and I cooked dinner for us (noodles). Later, when Nick had finished, I escorted them down to their shack in Baguio Gold. The drinking circle of friends was hanging-out at one of the sari-sari stores, as typical when we don’t have rain, and the beckoned us to come over. No, thanks. Dogs approached and barked at us during much of our 1-mile walk. In the shelters beside the other darkened, closed sari-sari stores, men were smoking and drinking and shouting, “Hey!” at us.

After I left the kids at home and hiked back uphill, the guys in the dark yelled, “Hey! Hey, man!” as they do, then grumble when I don’t pay any attention to people I can’t see. I can only see glowing cigarette tips and smell smoke and beer and hear men muttering in a language that I don’t speak. And of course the dogs growl at me, and when I don’t react, they bark.

I timed my hike uphill for the first time: 17 minutes. Back at the ranch, I took a shower and washed the dishes and set to work on the internet.