stunned by an offer to present at a conference in the dominican republic in june, i went to get a passport photo, and i looked like a deer in the headlights, maybe an unshaven, con-in-a-lineup deer-in-the-headlights. nevertheless, the usa has to let me back in, i figure, because only a native would allow such a horrible picture on a passport and try to get away with it.

flowers and trees are blossoming everywhere here, setting up bright color contrasts and making me wish i had a camera at every corner. the salmons against the whites, the little red buds against the pines, etc. but, i have another conference, this one in denver on wed., to get ready for, and i'm a little behind on virtually everything related to it. Some frantic handout-making will be happening here very soon, but i keep shaking my head and saying, dominican republic. hmm.

i made a little fire again in the back, burning sticks and getting good wood-smoke all over my passport shirt, which i wear only rarely. the campfire made me realize that the one thing i should do, if i can, while in denver, is get up in the mountains. the high passes, the aspens, the rockies- it would be a shame if i came and went from there & didn't see them. but this stuff happens. what i mean is, it is possible to fly in and out of denver, and never get up into the mountains. possible, but not good.

we're dangling in that marginal area between the coldest spring, frost on the winshield, and full-out blossom explosion. that area where another frost could come and wipe out all the fruity berries that blossomed too soon, and do in all the garden plants. my international students, at this point of the year, give up and say the weather is just crazy, it changes all the time and they can't get used to it. and lots of them come down with colds. not me, though; i have lungs full of wood smoke. i'll sleep and dream of mountain passes.

back to work- chou!