Back from Under the Volcano

No, not Mexico (although with this weather, I wouldn't mind being down there right now), rather Redding, California. It was great to see Melanie's family and to spend time up there. I did not connect to the Internet once, and that was a nice vacation as well. Of course, now that we are back work is piled up, and it will take a couple of days to get my schedule in order, so blogging will be somewhat light. I have been working on some big projects, and that always gets me thinking, and that tends to bleed into the blog, so you might get a rant against excessive measures to protect Spotted Owls ("it's what's for dinner," reads a not-uncommon bumpersticker up North), you might get reflections on country music, you might get some long, boring reflections on watching salmon go up the fish ladder (you should see these monsters - four feet of muscular fish leaping clear out of the water to swim upstream against a raging current). Who knows?

Right now, however, it is late, and I have some hundred emails to sort through and to read, so you will have to settle for this note that basically says that I am still here and will be here more in the next few weeks.

I hope you all had a pleasant Thanksgiving!