May 6, 2000 - Saturday
On the theory that we've got to start him young, today we took Harry to see art at some local artists' Open Studios. Actually, that didn't really have much to do with why he went. It was more about Harry's mother and I enjoying them and not finding it very practical to leave Harry at home. These Open Studios, particularly, were a good starter for Harry because they were spread out across a wide area, requiring walking and sometimes driving to get from one to another. That meant a constant stream of distractions for our boy and that's when he's happiest.

However, there were a couple of occasions when Harry made some personal statements about what he saw, or didn't see. Regrettably, the first time was at some friends of ours, both artists, who are due to have their first child at the end of the month. It's fairly clear to me that Harry decided that we were lingering far to long in one place and right in the middle of a funny video from one of them, Harry let go. We said our quick good-byes and headed for the door. Fortunately, by the time we had rounded the block Harry seemed to have regained his composure, though not before letting the entire neighbor know of his predicament.

Twice more, while we were in studios looking around, Harry had started down a path of distress. Fortunately, on both of those occasions Harry started with a mild blurt of unhappiness. Equally, fortunate, his mother and I have come to recognize many of Harry's vocalisms and we were able to make a bee line for the door, getting out each time without Harry toying with the emotions of the artist by audibly condemning their work. He did, however, howl just as we got outside one of them much to the distress of a couple on their way in. To lighten the mood, I facetiously warned them not to go in there.


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