October 1st was a big day in our family. Pat and I welcomed a new grandchild, Rhen Jeffrey O’Toole. Our son Eamon and his wife Megan had a baby boy, 6 pounds, 14 ounces, 19 and 1/4 inches. His big brother, McCoy, will be two on Halloween, so they have a busy household.
Pat and I were in California, heading to a Partners for Conservation meeting in Fortuna. We knew that the baby’s arrival was eminent (but not whether a boy or girl was on the way) when we entered the redwood forest in northern California. No cell phone service was available. As we emerged from the trees, Pat had a message on his phone: “new baby”…then the service dropped. Finally we got close to town and learned that Rhen, to everyone’s surprise, was a boy baby.
Welcome, Rhen. You are a much loved child.