After a few unsuccessful attempts to hook up with Artbrooks, I am visiting him today while passing through Albuquerque. After a look around Old Town we had a lazy afternoon, good supper, and little jam with wife Jen and the kitten.

SRS said, I strongly suspect that the Mudcat network offers overall a more stable and safer trip than Marion might have experienced without all of these folks along the way. No doubts at all about that. I'm glad you could make it on Saturday.

Oh, and my knapsack weighs 26-29 pounds, depending on how much food and how many songs I have in it at the time. I know this because they're constantly weighing it at the bus station. And I was irritated by the loss of my cash and makeup bag - but I realize that I might have paid a lot more in tuition for that particular lesson than I did.

Now I'm really off to the Grand Canyon.

Love, Marion