I finished reading Vernor Vinge’s A Deepness in the Sky the other day.  It is exceptionally good.  It is the second book in the series, but they are only distantly related – you could read them out of order.  Though the first book is also quite good – so you’re not doing the wrong thing if you read them in order.

If you are at all into science fiction  I recommend you give it a read.

I visited my folks this past weekend.  It was a journey to the land of my youth.  105 degrees in July and the world was ablaze.

Those are ash clouds from the “Sands fire.”  Not close enough to be dangerous to us.  Just a whole lot of ash.

It’s possible we should have covered the pot.