I am currently in one of my favorite places in Sonoma county. Out on the ranch with Michael. One drawback: dial-up internet with shaky service at best. I won't even hook-up my laptop for fear of getting a ten year old virus.
The weather is warm, so we drove out to the ocean yesterday. Nearly forty degrees cooler at Goat Rock and then we took a spin up to Fort Ross and I got a cursory lesson in the Russian settlements in the 1840's.
This weekend there is an airshow buzzing over us, but the peace at the ranch will only be disturbed for a few hours each afternoon, and there are some very cool old planes drifting overhead. Barbeque for some of the usual suspects on Saturday evening and then I am off to San Francisco on Monday and some speedy net access. Amazing how much speed we need to communicate.
[Addendum: The brown fox kit in the picture was taken by Michael on the property this spring. For the barbeque gathering the clan of foxes put on quite a display. The kit, now mostly growth, hung out by the pond and napped under the cars while we awaited the arrival of the gang. After being scared off by the cars arriving, he came back out to everyone's delight. Then mom, dad and another yearling made an appearance in the field while we all sat around the fire pit. Quite a wild life show, with a jackrabbit and even a late night hunting owl or two.]