Growing Up Alien: Page 3

Summer in the mountains was lonely but tolerable. At least it was possible to walk for hours in the woods, despite roving Dobermans and amateur refrigerator hunters. Closer to home, I could study the behavior of ants, or spend entire days waiting for a particular chipmunk to emerge from the woodpile. When winter came (and it came early), outdoor activities were out of the question. Six-foot snowdrifts, relentless winds and constant subzero temperatures made cabin fever inevitable. In fact, considering these drawbacks, it's hard to figure out why we left California for Colorado. My father, a writer, must have liked the idea of working in alpine seclusion--kind of like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, which was filmed in a nearby town.