The June/July content is done at this end and now Gary, the webmaster is working to post the issue online—we are shooting for Friday or Saturday. We’re experimenting with a non-Adobe based program that will allow you a second viewing option, but there are bugs to be worked out.
In the meantime, here are some of the stories you can expect to find when we post this issue:

* Stiles’ “CLIMATE CHANGE TEST”…is it REAL? Are you WORRIED? or can BUYING GREEN save the World?

* The Arches Sign that ED ABBEY made in 1956.

* The UPSIDE to the Great Recession (but who’s cheering?)

* COLLAPSE! Doug Meyer’s Primer on the Global Financial Crisis

* AUSTRALIA: “no wuckin’ furries!” (until Reality sets in) By Jim Stiles

* “MAN…CABEZA…STEEL” Tim Lengerich’s essay on the devastating Mexican border fence.

* “THE WIZARD OF OZ…The Man who “really does know everything.” Prof John Frodsham…reported by Judy Banks in Perth, Australia

* THE FATE OF THE YELLOWSTONE GRIZZLY…By Doug Peacock

* in search of HOLLAND TENNYSON….words & pictures by Michael Brohm

* HERB RINGER’S AMERICAN WEST…The Colorado High Country: 1946

…essays by Martin Murie & Sarah Clark. A short story by Ned Mudd.
and much more…
Thanks to everyone for your support and patience…

I’m residing in the Zephyr Bunker these days, working feverishly on the next Planet Earth edition. I’ll be posting a preview of a few upcoming features and an excerpt or two, if I remember. Springtime has finally arrived here on the flanks of the Abajos…I wanna go play but this damn ‘paper’ won’t let me.
Help?

I have somehow managed to cross a good part of the United States, been sneezed on at various locations by all kinds of unsavory characters, and have not contracted the swine flu. Nor have these damn cats of mine.

In any case, I am back home in Monticello, Utah, with all my Mormon pals and the few heathens who are smart enough to live here.  This is about a month late, but just as I was leaving town to head east, word came that Bennion Redd had died, at age 84, here in his lifetime home.  I knew Bennion for almost 25 years, going back to the days when I was a seasonal ranger at Arches and Bennion was the federal magistrate.  Never have I met a kinder, more generous man.  He had recently become a widower and encouraged all of us to stop by his office on Main Street when we were in Monticello. When I decided to take him up on his offer, I realized he meant it.  He always seemed delighted by company…Until last year, I would see Bennion each morning at the post office. Later, you could be sure to see him sweeping the sidewalk in front of his law office.

I’ll have much more on Bennion Redd and perhaps a few unexpected insights into this little community in the June/July issue. But for now, just a word of thanks to Bennion Redd for being such a good friend to so many people.

This is the only way to travel…all back roads from Louisville, Kentucky to Walsenburg, Colorado. Well..almost. I managed to stay off interstate freeways for all but about 75 of the 1300 miles I’ve traveled since yesterday morning. No traffic, no road rage….however, I got a bit testy when a lady banned me from her motel because of these damn cats. I tried to explain to her that I couldn’t take them out of my car  if I wanted to. That if I even reached into the cage, one of them would turn my arm into shredded wheat but she was unmoved. So now I’m at a lovely yellow motel that seems to have no name, otherwise. The cats are still in the car.

The question is, of course, why would I go to this much trouble for a cat that would abuse me like that in the first place. Only people like us, stupid enough to have cats, would understand.

Home tomorrow.

Hi Everyone…I am still in Kentucky, waiting for Spring, but trying to multi-task duties related to my mother and The Zephyr. Mom is moving around the house in her wheelchair with ever growing flexibility and if she would just quit running over my feet, I think  she’ll be a pro in that contraption by the time she’s ready to climb out of it.

I’ve been getting a mix of feedback on the web site. As I mentioned, a few of you would like to be able to download the entire file and we’re looking into that. And Rachel’s idea of a ‘share’ link sounds like an excellent idea. But I’ve also had some complaints about the PDF format of the thumbnails…what do you think? Do you find them annoying? Let me hear from you…

I never thought that losing my blog virginity…my blogginity as it were, could make me so happy.
Clearly, I have no idea what I am doing or why I am here.
Please help.