Our RV 我们的休闲车

I came to the US by myself in 1988, During the summer vacation the following year, the dean of the English Department of Willamette University, Ken, was leaving home for a trip and asked me to house-sit. My duties were to pick up newspapers every day, and to water his gardens every few days. His garden was really huge, about four foot-ball fields. But only a small vegetable plot needed watering. The hoses, though, scared me by their snake-like rich colors and twisted shapes. During the weekend, when I rode my bike from the university to his home, I would see cars on the road, with bicycles and boats, probably going to vacation somewhere.

My dream at that time was not car, nor boat, but being able to get my wife and children to join me, and to lead them on bike rides to Lancaster Mall about half an hour away. Time flies. 29 years later, My family is all here, and each son has home, house, car and children. One of them also owned a boat, and the other just bought an RV. Dreams, in the end, sometimes can come true.

In my hometown Shima where my 100-year-old mother resides, mother is doing pretty well, thanks to my brother and relatives, and to the local Party secretary who kindly called from time to time. See pictures below, including those of the Total Eclipse of August 21 that I took right in our front yard.

1988年我独自来美国。第二年暑假，英文系的系主任合家出游，让我住到他家去。任务之一是每天把报纸拿进来，二是每隔几天给花园浇浇水。他们的花园有四个球场大，但需要浇水的就一小块菜地。不过，那水管花花绿绿弯弯曲曲像草丛里的蛇，有点吓人。周末，从学校到他家，路上常看见到美国人合家开车去旅游，载着自行车和小艇。

那个时候，我的梦想只是有一天妻子儿子能够来，然后我们一人骑一辆车去逛半小时外的大商场。时光流转29年，二个儿子各自有了自己的家，自己的房，自己的车，自己的儿女。大儿子添了一条渔船，小儿子买了一辆RV休闲车。所以，有时梦想是可以成真的。

在家乡石码，近一百虚岁的妈妈身体很不错，多亏弟弟和亲戚们的照料，也多亏社区书记不时来关心。请见下面的照片，包括8月21日我在百年不遇的日全食那天在家门口拍的照片。