I have returned from a four day camping trip. We camped out on a lake in northern New Hampshire, saw nearly no humans, but we did see (and hear) lots of other creatures: lots of loons, osprey, and bald eagles; a sharp-shinned hawk; a common merganser with *sixteen* ducklings in tow; a red squirrel; and a moose. Heard a great horned owl. My wife fed enough bread to a family of mallards (and later four black ducks) for long enough, that she gained their trust. Eventually they would eat it right from her hands; by the third day, she could lure them on her lap, pet them, and pick one or two of the bravest ones up. They came by three or four times a day, by the second waddling right up into the camp site, milling about around the picnic table and the camp fire like part of the family. Ducks are cool. It was really neat seeing them so up close and personal.

But the loons are my favorite. For those of you who live in areas where loons are not, my deepest condolences. There is no greater joy than hearing a medley of loon calls after dark, and they're beautiful to see, too.

At any rate, I've returned and have caught up on message forum posts -- thankfully not as many as I feared. I haven't had time to respond to all I would have otherwise, but I would like to take this opportunity to say that I have had many thoughts, that were insightful, intelligent, and correct, on the topics discussed here. (Thanks, Iss, for the line.)

It's good to be back.