Hello gang. After brief stops in Bakersfield, Flagstaff, and frigging cold Santa Fe, I got here to Conifer yesterday. This place has the highest beauty:oxygen ratio I've come across so far. I have been having a good time playing, cooking, and hiking with Rex and family, and it's surprisingly warm here (I guess because it's so close to the sun).

No worries, Kat, I've seen your PM. Congratulations on the grandbaby. I will mail you the book.

Michaelr, I'll be coming back to California, probably a number of times. However, it may be in phase two of my trip (Mardi Gras to end of May) that I go that far north again.

BlueJay, that's a new expression to me - patience isn't the first word I associate with Walmart. Four days from Florida to California seems longer than it should be - or were you spending nights off the bus? I'm reasonably happy doing lots of bus travel. Sleeping on the bus saves me hostel fees, and I use the time to write songs, look at scenery, and listen to the other passengers (and more rarely, talk to them).

Love, Marion